Guide DVD laser into laser pointer

Engadget has a very nifty walkthrough on how to extract the laser diode out of a DVD burner and install it in a mag-lite case. I've just finished it, it works quite nicely. None of my photos turned out, so I'll just give some pointers, rather than a complete walkthrough:

Disassembling the laser module isn't as easy as it looks. The one I got was glued shut, it took two pairs of pliers and a fairly strong friend to get it open.

Likewise, removing the old diode from the module takes a good bit of effort. Expect to destroy it in the process.

As long as your new diode has long enough pins, you don't need to solder anything - remove the plastic bit that the bulb plugs into on the mag-lite, and stick the power pins into the sockets where the bulb's pins went. You'll need to break off the extra pin on the diode, make sure to test it so you break off the right pin.

The laser is very, very bright. When focused properly, you can see it on a stop sign a half-mile away or further, in full daylight. At night, you can make spots on basically anything, out to a couple miles.

Disclaimer: The laser in a DVD burner is a class 3 laser - it can cause eye damage given not very much exposure. This laser is not a toy. Do not shoot at or near people. I am not responsible for any and all damages you cause with a laser, or for damages to your mag-lite or DVD burner. Do at your own risk.

As soon as it gets dark, I'll go shoot some pictures.

 

that guide has been on metacafe for a while and its done by kipkay who has done alot of really good quality guides for stuff. i was going to try thing but never really got round to it and i couldnt get a laser module

 

I totally want to make this (but being totally responsible and not blinding anyone at all in the process of course) but I'm wondering a few things and maybe someone can help clarify it for me.

1. Is a "good" drive like the 16x LG used in the video required? I'd rather not butcher a $40 burner and end up ruining the diode while trying to extract. However, a DVD-ROM may be an acceptable loss.

2. Is the laser diode housing really necessary? Does it contain some sort of control circuitry or is it just a housing to keep the diode safe or cool?

This looks like my next mini-project.

EDIT Also do I need a little lens like in the keychain pointers or can I just use the laser straight from the burner and have the same effects as in the video? I would assume I would need one but the video and Instructable don't mention a lens.

 

It's not worth going blind for, seriously

Even IF you made it properly, once you turn it on, the thing has so much power that it can reflect off an object in the distance, straight back at you... maybe it reflects onto your leg? maybe it just misses you? or maybe it get's one of your eyes? Even a milisecond is enough to stuff one of your poor eyes... imagine the beam moves ever so slightly horizontally, and gets both of your eyes!!!!!

Try to walk from one end of your house to the other, and then back again with both eyes 100% shut.

Was it hard?

How many things did you bump into?

Did you fall over?

Now walk to the milk bar with both eyes shut.

Did you get run over this time?

How long do you think you could own this thing before someone loses one or both eyes? Maybe you won't blind yourself, but how about your friends & family?

Losing a $40 dvd drive is the least of the problems with this project... what's next? how to make a taser that can fry your organs from 10 meters away, using an old pc psu?

If you wanna injure people & set crap on fire then join the army - end rant

 

Quality rant there. Its more of an experiment, I just want to try some stuff with it and then put it away. I have every intention of being extremely careful with it to prevent blinding myself or someone else. Thank you for your concern, if in the slim chance I do build this thing and it does work it really has no use, so it won't be a hazard for long.

 

I can just imagine that on Blue peter

 

I want one of these for my center brake light. Maybe a full array to kill tailgaters...

How many lasers would I need to get the 'scanners' effect?

 

I just took out my DVD RW to see what it says on the casing about its laser class, and it said it was only a class I laser product. Does that mean the diode inside isn't a class IIIb thats in the 200mW range? Or is the fact that the laser is completely safe in its housing and unable to harm people so the rating is dropped to a class I laser.

 

I think I'm gonna make one of these. I took a laser out of an old broken LG dvd rom. Does anyone know if that laser would be the right class? I didn't have the sticker on it to have a look.

 

My LG dvd writer in my pc says Class I laser, but it also says on a different warning label: Caution: Class 3B visible and invisible laser radiation when open. So, i think your assumption is correct.

Edit: My last post is a different dvd drive, and it's already broken. So perfect for me.

 

that's a bit old...
Here is the video:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/756433/laser_flashlight_hack/

 

Its not a good idea to be shining laser light into your eyes no matter what the classification. Okay class 1 lasers are fairly weak but quite a lot of the protection from injury is based on the blink reflex caused by having a very intense light source entering your eye. Whilst a class 1 laser might not boil your eyeball out of its socket, it can still do some low level damage if you have sufficient exposure.
I actually work in a Laser Physics laboratory and I have seen some pretty high powered lasers in action, I even got a burn on my finger from a Class 3b due to a faulty safety shutter - damn painful it was too and it took a long time to heal. I also know of someone who did get a high powered beam refelcted into an eye and it did destroy his eyeball - although he did it before he came to work with us.

So folks, lasers can be very dangerous, even low powered pointers, so be very careful with what your playing about with - they have been sealed and covered in warning labels for a reason.

 

Not recomended the lasers in burners in particular can be powerfull to cause eye damage from an object that provides a scattering effect not even direct reflection. If using one only shine on dark matt surfaces.

 

I guess I won't be shining it into my crystalwear set like I do with my cats pointer...

 

Definitely a fair bit cheaper than a 'Wicked Laser'...blooming dangerous in the wrong hands though!

 

right now who is going to upload plans to turn a dvd burner into a fully functional jedi light sabre

 

i can hardly wait till all the kids have these... :/

 

nha... they need a computer DVD-WR... they don't have time to do this, nor get one, or have the patients to do. They are too busy making trouble.
The only moment where you will see a kid have it in his hand, is when he probably stoled it from his brother or something.

 

Or some rich ass kid who just bought one off the internet for like $400.

 

dead blu-ray drive spare n e one ?