Home-Made Collimator by vcw
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In this Page, I will show you how to make an Homemade Collimator for your laser!
A laser collimator is basically a laser beam adjuster.
You could adjust the beam of your laser to as thin as hair(great for burning).
Or you could adjust it to go as far as possible, also known as the mRad(the laser beam's divergence).

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Also visit my friends Home-Made Water Proof Laser Case Instructable:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Home-made-water-proof-laser-holder
I gave him my idea for the project, :)
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For more questions please PM me.
You can also find the original here: http://www.lasercommunity.com/lc_view_project.php?aid=16

To visit a laser forum press:
http://www.lasercommunity.com
To buy a High-Quality Laser visit:
http://www.wickedlasers.com
Posted by Laser Community member: Vic
 
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Step 1: Materials Needed

C:\Users\vw\Desktop\Laser\p2110042aa_137.jpg
Things needed:
-Concave Lens, ---About the size of your Laser(Look at pictures)
-Convex Lens, ---About the size of your Laser(Look at pictures) Should fit into large tube snugly with room for movement.
-Pen/Lead Pencil ---about as thick as your laser(Look at pictures) Convex lens should fit into larger tube.
-Fire Source ---(To heat knife)
-Knife ---(To Cut the "Pen/Lead Pencil")
-Epoxy Glue, ---ask a hardware store for the best glue for glass)
-File

For more questions please PM me.

Posted by Laser Community member: Vic
1-40 of 101Next »
BlessedWrath says: Nov 28, 2007. 6:13 PM
I'm not sure where the instructions are in this tutorial. I see a few hints at a few particular actions, but no step-by-step. For the complete beginner, I would suggest more than a few short sentences and 90 identical pictures of a laser pointer.
vcw (author) says: Nov 28, 2007. 9:54 PM
You don't see the Step 1, Step 2, etc... Icons? Next to the Intro, and "View all steps on one page: icon
BlessedWrath says: Nov 29, 2007. 9:52 AM
I see icons, but that's about it. Where are the lenses? How are they inserted? How are they kept in place? I see at least six pictures of a completed collimator, but nothing that illustrates how to put the peices together, or anything that shows the inside of the device.
rynyip says: Dec 2, 2007. 3:53 PM
(removed by author or community request)
BlessedWrath says: Dec 3, 2007. 1:03 PM
For a person who insists on abbreviating a three letter word, you hardly have any right to question my intellect. Go over it again, and actually read what I wrote. The pictures do NOT show the inside of the device. They show a completed device. Once you have graduated from kindergarten, we can speak again.
rynyip says: Dec 3, 2007. 4:43 PM
("I'm not sure where the instructions are in this tutorial."), ya...and YOU were saying....?
BlessedWrath says: Dec 4, 2007. 12:45 PM
That comment has no basis in reality. If you want to communicate something to me, you're actually going to have to say something that makes sense. This is the only time I will repeat myself. This tutorial does not clearly illustrate how to insert the lenses. It is vague. It is confusing to me. This means that it does not explain things well enough that I can undestand it. How many other ways can I say this? How can I dumb it down enough that you can understand me? Maybe I should go destroy a few brain cells, so that I can properly communicate with you.
rynyip says: Dec 4, 2007. 8:29 PM
first thing, dude, ur on your computer quit that elegant ways for your speaking and type like normal ppl do, ok? and number 2.. what the hell r u talking about, "How can I dumb it down" and number 3 go get a sn and IM ppl so u get y ppl abbreviate a 3 letter word. then, i guess now "I can properly communicate with you."
BlessedWrath says: Dec 5, 2007. 1:40 PM
First, and foremost, the use of a computer makes no excuse for blatant and intentional ignorance. I will not EVER submit myself to the destruction of the English language; not for you, or for anyone else. Second, I have long since given up on attempting to explain any sort of intelligent thought to you. You are obviously beyond it. Third, I had fully intended to respond to your final point, but since I could not decipher it, there's hardly any point to respond to. This is it. I'm taking this off of my automatic notification system, and completely rejecting any further commentary. Any reply you make will fall on deaf ears. You have proven yourself to be an unreasonable person, that you have nothing of value to say to me, and that you have many, MANY, years yet to go before you can throw off the infantile temper tantrums toward which you seem so susceptible. Furthermore, I humbly request the Moderators delete this entire discussion from this thread, so that it will not distract other readers from what little information they might learn from it. You, sir, are on my watchlist. Where your name appears, I will know to expect the most horrendous, stubborn, and unreasoning ignorance humanly possible. Good day.
ddalleinne says: Dec 7, 2011. 10:47 AM
small penis
MadBricoleur says: Jul 12, 2009. 10:20 PM
Dang, BlessedWrath, you are awesome. You possess the ability to conjure the most intelligent, logically correct, burning retorts. :D Great for you :D I hope I will argue like you someday!
hcold says: Dec 12, 2007. 3:05 PM
I love mind clashes.
Evyllity says: Dec 9, 2007. 9:04 PM
lol it's Horatio Hornblower
rynyip says: Dec 8, 2007. 10:34 AM
wow, ok, srew that, i have no freaken idea wtf u are talking about
Bradart says: Dec 14, 2007. 1:46 AM
I'm pretty sure he's right, rynyip. This: "and number 3 go get a sn and IM ppl so u get y ppl abbreviate a 3 letter word. " is probably the single most ignorant question i have ever heard. Words really can't describe how i feel about what you said. Aside from the fact that the internet has obviously pulled a 180 and actually served to make society even more stupendously unintelligent than it normally is, I find it embarrassing to have all the animals of the earth look at me and know that you and I belong to the same species. In fact, now that i think about it, how are you a member of the same species as I am? Furthermore, what are you doing with a membership to a website that teaches people things. I myself have a screen name (read SN). I am 20 years old. I can still type like i have a brain. Now, I'm noticing this: "We have a "be nice" comment policy. Please be positive and constructive with your comments or risk being banned from our site." And I'll risk the ban by saying only this: Rynyip, either pick up a book (and read it, not chew on it) or learn to disappear from places where grown-ups are talking.
rynyip says: Dec 14, 2007. 5:30 PM
(removed by author or community request)
heavy.metal.nguyen says: Dec 15, 2007. 6:39 AM
Wow, that was incredibly stupid. You called him an extraterrestrial because he is stating a point and gives much more defence than you could. And I take the following statement from you, "ur dumb dude." Well I agree with Brarart and BlessedWrath. But, I make abbreviations everynow and then, but I never go as far as you did. And if you do want to talk like that. Go get on an instant messaging site.
Bradart says: Dec 18, 2007. 1:43 AM
Thank you, heavy metal. Also, i forgot to mention that ONLY the internet is coded in html. Computers could not run on html because it is much too simple. Furthermore, the internet is also coded in css, perl, java, javascript, actionscript, and ajax. Tell me the last time you used an html tag while replying to an instructable, rynyip, and i'll tell you the last time you should have just shut up and drank a bullet.
Bradart says: Dec 14, 2007. 10:52 PM
Wow. You are profoundly idiotic. Writing HTML instead of "Hypertext markup language" is a lot different than writing "u" in place of "you". Lets talk for a minute about how you contradict yourself by saying extraterrestrial instead of ET. Should we not abbreviate everything it is possible to abbreviate? Your argument, much like your intellect, is wearing incredibly thin. Another problem with your argument is the fact that when i use the internet, i don't code in HTML. I type. I am not required to write programming tags every time i turn on the damn thing. Maybe you're just throwing in that extra step, in which case you would be wise to abbreviate everything because you're wasting time writing tags that are completely unnecessary. Come to think of it, are you also saying that everything goes down to its rudimentary language? in that case, everything is in fact longer because each letter is in fact written in binary. On that note 00110 10101 00011 01011 00000 11001 01111 10101
Joanassie says: Mar 17, 2008. 6:24 PM
dude not very good, putting profanity in binary.
Big Bwana says: Mar 7, 2008. 12:07 PM
Dam and I always thought HTML was "How To Meet Ladies"
stonebreakerm says: Sep 26, 2008. 3:35 AM
No HTML=How to Make Landmines
MerganserMan says: Jun 22, 2009. 10:27 AM
Ha, that's a good one!
The nerdling says: Jul 26, 2011. 5:07 PM
does the sled ting in the dvd player have a collimator on it? if it does i will use that
vcw (author) says: Sep 12, 2011. 5:26 PM
The sled from the DVD player does have lens in it, but those lens may not be right for collimation.
The nerdling says: Sep 12, 2011. 7:29 PM
all of the lasers i have taken out have coveres with lenses inside in the same order as your collimator so i think they have collimators
vcw (author) says: Sep 12, 2011. 10:00 PM
Yes, those lens are correct for focusing the laser light onto the discs, they may not work for adjusting to a distance.
The nerdling says: Sep 13, 2011. 1:12 AM
ahh ok
Dreistein says: Jun 28, 2011. 6:44 AM
can u use this to make a laser burn?
vcw (author) says: Sep 12, 2011. 5:27 PM
This device could possibly make your laser burn items, if your laser has the right power output for the desired item for burning. This device will not make your laser burn, if that's what you're asking also.
dxsword45 says: Oct 7, 2010. 7:59 AM
hmm.... i wanna ask.... what it really use for?
did the tools and what we need easy to get? how the tools do?
thank you~
vcw (author) says: Oct 7, 2010. 12:52 PM
use to make beam thinner and go farther, tools are on the page.
redlizard5 says: May 6, 2010. 3:36 PM
how can u tell the difference between the lens
vcw (author) says: May 10, 2010. 1:38 AM
Between concave and convex lenses?
If these lenses are at a greater index of refraction than it's surroundings, then for concave lenses, when light passes through them, the light will diverge(spread apart); and for convex lenses, light will converge(intersect then spread apart).
greymatter21 says: Apr 24, 2010. 2:14 PM

i only got 1 question:
where would i get a concave lens from?

vcw (author) says: Apr 24, 2010. 3:07 PM
You can get them from disposible cameras, old cameras, binoculars, telescopes, etc..
greymatter21 says: Apr 25, 2010. 8:10 AM
kool thx.
Colonel88 says: Dec 20, 2009. 6:14 AM
Wicked Lasers is overpriced. I donut wanna buy a 80 5mW laser that I could buy in the dollar store. Making my own now from a DVD...
baatrhnearbtyon says: Dec 8, 2009. 10:42 AM
I’m going to try to make a big laser from scratch, would this still work if it were up-scaled(I mean really up-scaled)?
vcw (author) says: Dec 8, 2009. 10:32 PM
Ya, it would work, you'd just need lens that are up-scaled too
1-40 of 101Next »
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