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Wicked Laser Case

New pictures added and a new video added.
The video shows how the case is water proof. I was so confident with my case that I put my $150 laser in it.

This instructable will tell you how to easily make a heavy duty laser case and a regular laser case.
It is meant to replace the bulky laser cases that often come with the laser. Tthis case will prevent the laser from getting scratched up and the lens from getting full of dust and dirt. It can also protect it against drops, water, and even having it ran over by a car.

MVI_0775.AVI28 MB

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Step 1Picking materials

First you will need to decide if you want to have a heavy duty case, which will be bigger yet stronger, or a regular case, which will be smaller but not very strong.

For the heavy duty case you will need the following:
- Laser point. WickedLasers.com sell some awesome high powered lasers.
-6" long 1/2" I.D. (inside diameter) PVC Nipple.
-(2) end caps that fit snug on the end of the pipe.
-Styrofoam packaging from anything.
-A knife, or razor blade.
-plastic glue (optional)
-plastic paint(optional)
-Teflon tape(optional)
In the picture you can see the threaded end caps I used, and the tube that I used.
IMPORTANT The inside diameter of the pipe might be different for different lasers, so check your laser diameter before you buy the material

When choosing the end caps, if you decide to use threaded end caps like I did, then you don't have to worry about how tight they fit onto the tube/pipe, but If you aren't using threaded end caps then you will need to make sure that have least one of the end caps can come off easily, but not too easy.

How to choose which end cap you want:
Threaded end caps:
- Heavy duty
- Make the laser case bigger.
-The removable end cap won't slip off on accident.
- The laser case is water proof.
-Overall design looks better.

Non-threaded end caps:
-Not as heavy duty
-Laser case is smaller.
-Removable end cap can slip off on accident.
-Laser case is most likely not waterproof.
-Overall design looks plain.

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23 comments

Nov 6, 2009. 2:44 AMdanielpower says:

I can buy a 150mw waterproof green laser pointer with $150.

Jul 22, 2009. 3:46 PMmgysgthath says:

If you want a great laser (the best really) for less (a lot less) money than a wickedlaser go to optotronics.com they are top quality and a lot cheaper. Consider also dealextreme.com which has 5 to 200mW for $10-$40, and the 200mW is a burning/cutting laser. The RPL series from optotronics is like a flame thrower compared to a match, with any other brand, including Wicked's $1699 laser, which is woefully inadequate next to the RPL (and pricier). Just a tip for anyone wanting a real quality laser. Good build though!

Jul 22, 2009. 5:26 PMswargy (author) says:

Thanks for the comment but there is a reason why wicked lasers are so expensive yet still considered to be one of the best lasers around. You provided me with 2 sites. The 2nd one you provided is just awful. Those are crap lasers BECAUSE the power output that they specify is incorrect. What those lasers do is they remove all the filters then measure the power output, so they are no longer measuring the actual output of the light (532 nm), instead they are measuring the IR and UV and all the other invisible light that is coming out. Also this is very dangerous to your eyes! These are the same cheap lasers they sell on ebay. NEVER buy them! As for the optotronics. Yes those are real lasers not like the cheap ones from the other site but once again there is a reason why WL is better. The opto lasers are powerful and cheaper but they are huge a require a large heatsink to not overheat. The wicked lasers on the other hand pack a powerful laser into a pen size (or a little bigger) module and they do not overheat. It is a lot costlier to make a powerful laser that doesn't overheat in a small enclosure which is why they are more expensive. If you do want to buy a powerful "cheap" laser then buy from optotronics but they will be large lasers and not pen sized

Jul 24, 2009. 12:25 PMmgysgthath says:

In fact I own a wickedlaser and it is quite subpar compared to even the "crap" lasers from DX. You're right there is no IR filter, but if you're silly enough to use a >5mW laser without safety goggles for the wavelength and furthermore shine it in your own eyes (IR is not blocked by most goggles), you deserve what you get. Optotronics makes both the Pen style high powered (higher than WL) lasers, and also the RPL professional series with increased build quality and heat dissipation. Just trying to inform people that WL is not what they're cracked up to be. They are good lasers, but definitely not worth the cost.

Jul 27, 2009. 1:12 PMswargy (author) says:

Oh I completely agree that they are not worth the price. I got mine for about 2/3 the price due to a problem I had with them with an initial order, but I still believe that the DX lasers are worse. I had a 5mw laser similar to one from DX and so has 2 of my friends and although they are cheap and kinda bright, they are crap. 2 out of 3 of them broke. It should be illegal to sell those lasers as they don't have filters. I'm just saying that the 5mw they claim or the other power output they claim is all fake. There is a site somewhere that actually did an article on them. I also never said that the optotronics were bad, they are quite nice but there is a reason why they are as cheap as they are (compared to WL).

May 31, 2008. 3:25 PMcheating-master says:

(removed by author or community request)

Nov 28, 2008. 5:44 PMSupercoke says:

well it depends on which laser you like, if you like big powerful cheap lasers, then I would recommend dragon lasers, but as swargy said "with wicked lasers you get what your paying for", and also if you want a laser just to point with i recommend going to radio shack

Jul 9, 2008. 4:27 PMqballcat says:

i like dragonlasers.com but wicked lasers is good too

Oct 23, 2009. 12:34 PMColonel88 says:

i like .99 cent lasers because they're cheap and do their job.

May 31, 2008. 9:23 PMswargy (author) says:

It all depends on how much you are willing to spend and how much power you want out of a laser. But an awesome site is wickedlasers.com. They make very nice lasers that are reliable and small. There is also techlasers.com which are usually bigger, not as reliable, but cheaper. Then there is ebay. With ebay you get a very cheap laser that will last at MOST a year but usually about a month. If you are new and don't want to spend too much get the wickedlasers core. If you are willing to spend around $150 get a 35mw laser or above, but since you are new to lasers keep it under 100 mw until you become more familiar with them. It is always a good idea to use goggles with any laser over 5mw also read up on how to clean the lens properly. I ruined one of my first lasers by cleaning it incorrectly. Good Luck, Have fun, and BE SAFE!

Oct 18, 2008. 3:34 PMjunits15 says:

wtf wicked lasers is soooooooo expinsive!

Oct 18, 2008. 7:08 PMswargy (author) says:

Yes, they are pretty expensive, but you get what you pay for. they have great lasers and great support. I've had 3 lasers go bad due to me mistreating them, and they replaced all 3 free of charge! I now protect my 4th laser with this case and have yet to have a problem with it. I personally believe that they are worth it. The ebay lasers are a joke, do not get one! spend $150 on a 35mw laser from wicked lasers and you will be happy.

Oct 19, 2008. 7:06 AMjunits15 says:

actuly the site i told you about before has a new site www.aixiz.com the site isnt finished yet so it can be a little slow at times.

Oct 19, 2008. 6:50 AMjunits15 says:

actuly i prefer to buy the diodes from axiz only downside is i have to make some sort body for them but they are good for things like lego laser writers.

Oct 19, 2008. 8:21 AMswargy (author) says:

Well yes diodes will be less expensive. The main reason WL are so good is because they can pack a lot of power into a small body without them overheating. So they are using quality products that are good at dissipating heat.

Oct 20, 2008. 11:43 AMjunits15 says:

hhm mabey ill consider getting one! :D

May 17, 2008. 2:08 AMmarkxp4000 says:

its cool

Dec 29, 2007. 8:52 AMHelioplasma says:

Hey its very nice ! good job ! Although it would be even more perfect if you put an on/off switch to be able to use it in a pool or something like that..

Dec 29, 2007. 12:22 PMswargy (author) says:

Thank you for the comment. This case is not meant to be an underwater case, it is just meant to house the laser and protect it from water, drops, and other things. It would be cool to add a on off switch but with a hard case like this it would be pretty difficult since I would need a water right seal.