It is not so difficult to have your home laser show.
The idea of having your own laser show can seem a bit far-fetched, but just think about how cool it could be! It may sound hard to build, but an inventor named Geoff Milburn has come up with some easy instructions.
By using materials like a lab style laser, a diffraction grating, an old pair of headphones and a few electrical parts, the device can be fairly simple to put together. All you need to do is to be able to wire a few things here and there and also do a bit of soldering. But before you start, you should make sure to read up on laser safety.
– 532nm green, set to 40mW, analogue (cheap Chinese DPSS without TEC)
– 660nm red, set to 100mW, analogue (Brenner diode from Pioneer DVR-110)
– 405 nm blue, set to 20mW, analog (xbox360 drive)
Australian artist Chris Poole has DIYed a different kind of laser graffiti device, compared to Graffiti Research Lab’s, as reported by Popular Science.
How it Works
BRIGHTNESS: The laser uses about 60 milliwatts, which can project an image up to 100 feet away, but Poole could easily substitute a laser with a range of as much as 400 feet.
FOCUS: By moving the salvaged camera lens—the last part that the laser shines through—forward or back, Poole can easily adjust the focus of the projected picture.
PORTABILITY: Poole can rejigger the parts to fit into a small case. The light bounces between a set of mirrors, then through the slide, a camera lens, and a hole cut into one side. He hasn’t used it much, however, since he’s been told it looks like a suitcase bomb.
Here’s the list of materials you need:
1x Laser diodes Ebay Store $36 dollars for 2
2x Old Scanners Salvation Army $10 Dollars each
2x ULN2003 Electronic Connection $5
1x Prototyping board RadioSchack $2
2x 3/8″ Aluminum Rod Home Depot $3 each
1x 3/8″ Aluminum Tube Home Depot $3
10x Brass Brackets Home Depot $1
1x 2″ cube of wood Home Depot $1
A bushel of Patience
Following is a video showing all the supplies you’ll need including the tools:
