Home-Made Collimator

Intro: Home-Made Collimator

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).

*************************************************************************************
Also visit my friends Home-Made Water Proof Laser Case Instructable:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Home-made-water-proof-laser-holder
I gave him my idea for the project, :)
*************************************************************************************

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

STEP 1: Materials Needed

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

STEP 2: Step 1---Getting the Measurements

Step1: Test your lens(concave in front of laser, move convex lens back and forth) and write down the distance between the 2 lens that you think has the best divergence.

If your stuck at this step, feel free to PM me.

Posted by Laser Community member: Vic

STEP 3: Step 2 & 3---Heating and Cutting

Step2: Heat up a knife until it's red, make sure the knife's handle isn't metal, if it is, make sure to wear gloves.

Step3: Look at pictures below to see where to cut, leave some extra space for the larger tube.

If your stuck at this step, feel free to PM me.

Posted by Laser Community member: Vic

STEP 4: Step 4---Perfecting Steps 2 & 3

Step4: Cut off/file down the pieces until you think the lens will fit (screw the 2 pieces together and look at your measurements from Step1, look at Diagram1 and file down to about 1-3mm behind the dotted red line, DON'T GO PAST IT!!)

If your stuck at this step, feel free to PM me.

Posted by Laser Community member: Vic

STEP 5: Step 5---Putting Together

Step5: Mix a small amount of Epoxy glue, and use a toothpick to apply it to where you put the lens, look at the pictures below for a more detailed description.

If your stuck at this step, feel free to PM me.

Posted by Laser Community member: Vic

STEP 6: Step 6---Let It Dry

Step6: Let it dry
Now let it dry.
Read your glue package for the recommended drying periods.
You should let your lens dry in a upright position, so the lens wouldn't shift during the process.

For more questions please PM me.
You can also find the original here:

Posted by Laser Community member: Vic

STEP 7: Step 7---Attatching to Laser

Step7: Use tape to stick it in front of your laser

For more questions please PM me.

Posted by Laser Community member: Vic

STEP 8: Step 8--YOUR DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Step8: Your done!!!
Have Fun!!!
And be careful!!
Remember, do not point into eyes, planes, vehicles, or any moving objects, etc...

If you want to see my laser performance, click HERE.

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

Comments

[struckbyanarrow]

where do i get cocave and convex lenses!!!!!!!!!????

[fuzzybruce]

I got a bunch from Amazon. under $5.00. they didn't work for me as frankly other than concave and convex I have no idea what to order? They were touted as a laser collimating set. Granted for $5.00 I'm not expecting everything to be PERFECT. But I had hoped to get some sort of positive signal? Going to revisit it a few times, but I think without some sort of numbers to order.....?
Good luck.

b

[lasermaster3531]

vcw just said where twice!!! try to read like a normal person, please.

[lasermaster3531]

make that thrice

[vcw]

You could search the Internet. I used lens from an old digital camera. Try to find a cheap used/broken digital camera from ebay and take it apart for the lens. The lens from my digital camera were also high quality.

[alcurb]

Nice, but I don't understand a couple of things:

I'm a bit confused about the steps. I don't see pictures on how to put it together, just repeated images of where the lenses go.

What is a source for the lenses? My junked camera, for instance, have a concave lens but it is too big to fit in the pen design. Where did you get yours?

You gave a link called "HERE" to go to the YouTube page where we can see your modified laser performing. However , the link points to your YT personal page. I don't know which video to look at. I would like to see your modified laser perform under different collimation adjustments.

[BlessedWrath]

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]

("I'm not sure where the instructions are in this tutorial."), ya...and YOU were saying....?

[BlessedWrath]

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]

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]

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]

small penis

[MadBricoleur]

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!

[rynyip]

wow, ok, srew that, i have no freaken idea wtf u are talking about

[Bradart]

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.

[hcold]

I love mind clashes.

[Evyllity]

lol it's Horatio Hornblower

[The nerdling]

does the sled ting in the dvd player have a collimator on it? if it does i will use that

[vcw]

The sled from the DVD player does have lens in it, but those lens may not be right for collimation.

[The nerdling]

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