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Lasers are fun, but what else can they be used for? Laser light shows are one option. I've been to many concerts where laser shows are used. I've always wanted to have one of my own, but the good, pre-made setups commonly used in concerts are very expensive, usually in the hundreds or thousands of dollars. I decided that I'd try to build my own show as I'm not willing to shell out a huge amount of money for something that I may be able to make on my own.
So, I'll show you how I made my very own laser light show that will project either a really cool spider-webby hexagon effect or a crisp triangle effect using a few very common and cheap materials.
Here's a video of what the final results will look like:
So, I'll show you how I made my very own laser light show that will project either a really cool spider-webby hexagon effect or a crisp triangle effect using a few very common and cheap materials.
Here's a video of what the final results will look like:
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Signing UpStep 1Gather Parts
You'll need the following
- about six feet of half-inch PVC pipe
- two dowel rods under a half-inch in diameter and about a foot and a half long
- a hack saw
- a ruler or yard-stick
- a sharpie marker
- duct tape
- hot glue gun
- six half-inch PVC T-joints
- one half-inch PVC 90 degree elbow
- one half-inch PVC end-cap
and
- triangular flood lamp bulb (mine is a Philips Halogen Flood light 75 W 120 V)
- a reflective lens - I got mine from a light-up key chain
- a laser pointer that is around a half inch in diameter, any color will work (The laser I used has a button which is pushed in when the laser is put in the pipe, conveniently turning on the laser)
- about six feet of half-inch PVC pipe
- two dowel rods under a half-inch in diameter and about a foot and a half long
- a hack saw
- a ruler or yard-stick
- a sharpie marker
- duct tape
- hot glue gun
- six half-inch PVC T-joints
- one half-inch PVC 90 degree elbow
- one half-inch PVC end-cap
and
- triangular flood lamp bulb (mine is a Philips Halogen Flood light 75 W 120 V)
- a reflective lens - I got mine from a light-up key chain
- a laser pointer that is around a half inch in diameter, any color will work (The laser I used has a button which is pushed in when the laser is put in the pipe, conveniently turning on the laser)
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Dan
you should add a motot insted of the drill :)
I thought about making a motor system, which s definitely a possible project modification for the future., but I ultimately choose a drill for a few reasons:
1. Almost everyone owns a drill, making this project more accessible.
2. A drill chuck allows for different sized dowel rods, people might not have dowel rods of the same size lying around (I didn't), which cuts down on total project cost.
and
3. The drill is an all in one package that requires no extra materials, and can be used for its original purpose simply by removing the dowel rod from the chuck.
Feel free to modify my plans, I'd love to see what you can create!
He glued a small mirror onto a speaker which in turn was attached to a music source. Aim a stationary laser at the mirror and crank-up the tunes. He used a salvaged 8" or 10" woofer and may have left the crossover in the circuit so only the bass notes went to the speaker, generating a lissajous pattern or something similar on the wall or ceiling. I honestly don't really remember how well it worked.
Lasers were not something individuals owned back then as they were big (perhaps 10"x10"x20") and expensive so all he could do was set it up in a physics lab one time. Now you can have the same thing on a keychain for $5 and it's a toy for a cat.