Homemade CO2 Laser Tube
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- čas přidán 12. 03. 2021
- As this video seems to be gaining traction, I feel I need to address a few things:
1) I didn't actually achieve an output here, I thought the camera picked up on some IR that I couldn't see, but on further research, there is no dang camera in this world (excluding IR cameras) that would pick up the 10.6 um that this tube should be producing.
2) I called what was happening here "lasing", it is not. What I achieved here was an electrical discharge, which is a big step in the right direction, but certainly not "lasing". (yet!)
I'm new to all of this and still learning! Just sharing my progress as I make it, and as with any learning process, there will be mistakes. I'm not trying to spread misinformation here!
I'll go over all of this and more in the next video! Thanks for watching!
Just trying to make my way into the future man
Excellent resource for homemade co2 lasers:
www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasercc...
outro music is by a friend of mine, check him out!:
/ badamericansofficial
intro music:
bensound.com - Jak na to + styl
" I myself have no special talent . Curiosity , obsession dogged endurance combined with self criticism have brought me to my goals." Words of Einstein. I see all these traits in you. Well done.
Dude, thank you.
This comment definitely made me feel things
Dude new favorite quote thank you
I think people mistake talent for being born with some skill innate to yourself. Nah. Ever wondered why autistic people seem to have very specific talents?
Realy all it is is caring about something enough to do it every day. Thats what talent is. And you definitely seem to have it.
The Einstein quote is "have no special talent. I am only passionately curious"
@@cranktowncity
Can I use gt2 6mm belt for x and y?
Because it is only available in my place!
All of your videos are insane. Love the effort you put into your DIY projects, dude. I’m super impressed.
That's a very brave attempt at building a precision optical system.
Great you're being careful,
Best of luck to you!
I love your presentation / delivery / style on these videos. Keep up The Great Work.
Very cool! Mirror adjustment is definitely a key part of such a laser, I’d consider installing one of those 2-axis adjustable mirrors like you see on laser tables. Perfectly isolating the water jacket from the electricity would also be very useful, and I hear JB weld is surprisingly good for vacuum systems.
It may also be worth trying to assemble the whole thing out of borosilicate, seeing as you already appear to have welding equipment.
The gap between the mirrors has to a resonant cavity.
This requires a mirror to be "Tuned" to the wavelength of the light emitted by the lasing medium.
Lol - "Hope we don't get an implosion, or if we do, it looks cool." The bite marks in the chair comment was also gold.
Dude! You named the vacuum chamber the “suckbox”😂 that was the last straw… I’m subscribed now! Great content man!
Didn't even finish the video and subscribed. So impressive
The most likeable youtuber I've ever come across. Awesome content!!
The lasers I used to run were DC pumped, I think you're on the right track.
3 whatever you were doing was great to watch subbed can't wait see were this goes. First video Ive seen from you. 👍👍
Love your work. Great video. Keep em coming mate 👍
just found this channel and 5 mins into this video you have already got my sub. love the little jokes and what not. keen to see where this goes
Saw your post about this on hackaday, and after watching your videos I immediately new I have found The source of great videos.
Man o man! You would be a fun neighbor with these cool science projects! Thanks for the great video!
I love the high quality presentation.
I'd align mirror perfect and use a improvised output mirror with a tiny hole in the 100% coating. Your vacuum hoses should be the internal mesh re-enforced kind, and fine valve adjustment is mandatory.
Great new channel.....Just love those who take your approach to projects. When I built my laser cutter I just bought a 60w CO2 tube....lol. Never though of making one. Regards Kevin
you did a nice job and did get a output from it. You may want to work on your power supply, most neon lights use a AC supply. So your laser has to trigger or light up on the very top and very bottom of the AC cycle. Like they said, use a DC supply with a current limit or bias resistor. This will have the high voltage to trigger the gas and then keep the laser run with out blowing the fuse on the varactor. Also, you do need very clean mirrors too.
Have fun and be safe. In 72, in high school, we built a neon laser. Shot it down the hall from the science room to the counselor office door, (50yds). It left a mark. 😎
Just found your channel - love the presentation style.
Yours works much better than the one i built when i was 12. i mean, they both lit up but yours is actually lasing. Well done mister. can't wait to see how a DC supply changes things for you.
What a great video, hilarious, I loved it, can't believe you pulled this off, you're a genius, thank you.
Killer project and video. Keep it up!
The video editing is top notch
OK. Was NOT expecting this video. It was like watching Woody Harrelson with hair working as a mad scientist. I think that is what I just watched. Having said that, this was really cool. Can't wait to see it cut metal.
... And all this is with the benefit of the knowledge of those who went before - it makes you really respect the people who did it for the first time.
Awesome stuff man!
Amazing work
I very rarely if ever subscribe partway through the first video I watch from a new creator, but you made me do it.
I'm super impressed. This is the kind of resourcefulness every loner with a survival bunker wishes they had. When the end-times comes and we're eating sawdust and dirt grubs, you'll be sittin' pretty on the skull throne.
Well done brother I'm watching you from Gabon, Africa 🇬🇦 keep going
This is dope man. Clean Beam indeed.
Instead of trying to rectify and filter a 15Kv source (which might not like a high capacitance on it's output), you might want to consider a Cockcroft-Walton multiplier. It's basically just a ladder of diodes and capacitors. It's one of the simplest ways to design a step-up converter, but it turns AC into high voltage DC, and apparently powering lasers is one of it's main uses.
would have loved to hear more about this build and how it works and so on but loved the vid. vary inspiring!
Thanks so much!
I didn't get too in detail as I'm just learning this myself. I posted a link to a forum in the dooblydoo that has a huge amount of info on these lasers.
Once I button down the design more I'll do a more in depth explanation in the next video!
@@cranktowncity sounds good man keep it up!
New sub. Love your curiosity!
I really like your approach, well made, no nonsense, enthralling video. New to your channel, can't wait to see your future endeavors! :)
I enjoyed the seemingly unintentional "rectify" pun in your summary at the end :D
New sub, looking forward to your progress on this.
master. many time wait for co2 laser. thanks
craziness. nice work!
Most of youtube: I'll build a laser cutter, heres the co2 tube i bought
This man: hold my welder
I really like how you do things with what you have. No frills. Sort of Festuvus for the rest of us.
Oh, man, you gave me flashbacks. When you were shoving the glass tube into the aluminum with the O-ring, it made me remember when I was pushing a glass tube into a rubber stopper (chemistry class). Heard a "click", and thought, uh oh. Yup, the glass tube had broken and drove into my middle finger. 50 years later and I still have the scar, and the still-numb area due to the cut nerves. Just sayin', be careful applying force to glass with bare hands!
The number of chem students who do that is... staggering. (count me in)
I have some damaged tubes, you are a genius, I am a programmer and the operator of CNC machines from Morocco
Well, in my physics studies, we used heavy tables with additional mechanic decoupling of the ground for laser experiments.
The most difficult part in your setup is IMHO is the alignment of reflectors, they must be exactly parallel, since an amplified photon ray should bounds back and forth infinitely, to get the full amplification effect.
So I would have expected some 3-point adjustable mounts in your build. Don't ask me how, I am a theorist, I don't know and would have to look it up too.
I know telescope some (cheap) telescope mounts use heavy springs with a washer and a bolt to implement an adjustable mount.
First video ive seen from you and i subbed. Good shit
The tube is the missing link in diy co2 cnc. Great progress!
For me too...😀
Thanks. Feel better. Found your channel attempting to be assured somebody wasn’t going to run down the road with a homemade laser
Hey that's like my science fair project from 30 years ago! I burned some stuff with that. I also concluded that DC was the way to go, but never actually got to that point before it broke.
think I found my new favorite channel
Great video dude! Keep it up.
Great ingenuity !
Literally my favorite youtuber ever 5:56
great video, thanks
This is great. Thank you man!
way to go into the unknown! Never hesitate trying something new!
Coming to comments to look for statements regarding voltage not being deadly. Just amps
Edit for those curious:
Your average taser/stun gun runs at around 50,000 volts or 50 kilovolts. Compare that to his neon sign transformers that were 10 and 15 kilovolts respectively.
Now the difference is the 15 kV neon transformer is 60 mA. Which is in a range of amperage that can cause respiratory arrest, muscular contractions (inability to let go), and even death.
While the taser/stun gun is around 50 kV it is usually less than 5 mA. Around 5 mA you will get shocked, but still be able to let go of an object. Intense involuntary spasms are possible, however, death is very unlikely.
😂😂 at 4 :05. G.D. that is priceless...greasy fingers on important mirror
Very, very cool! Didn't know it was possible to DIY a laser tube.
Thanks man!
It's definitely giving me a hard time but we'll get there!
Necessary, useful device for household chores! I think everyone should make such a device. Only in this design, special water is needed for cooling, otherwise there will be a short electrical circuit!
Jeff Lebowski's son does physics. Perhaps a nice rug would really tie the shop together.
Bro it's so amazing 👏
variac fuse gets me every time hopefully auto zones open
How did you align the mirrors to be perpendicular to the axis of the tube (and perfectly parallel to each other)?
very good effort. worth subscribing
Immediately subscribed. Make a CNC cutter to cut parts to make another CNC cutter and then slowly build a self building factory.
Great video! One tip. When you tap aluminum, don't use oil, use alcohol like pure ethanol or isopropanol. Just put the tap in the alcohol and go to the town with that hole... This makes huge difference. Just give it a try next time.cheers.
Never heard of this before, I'll give it a shot!
Thanks man!
I used 99% denatured alcohol and isopropyl alcohol for years at a machine shop I worked at, I can confirm it works great for aluminum (it also works for brass or other nonferrous metals, but it will _not_ work for hard ferrous metals). I had an airbrush connected to a switched solenoid valve that I used as a coolant spray system, the airbrush was on an articulated arm and could aim wherever it was needed. The airbrush also drastically reduced the temperature of the alcohol by evaporation, the workpiece would get so cold that water would condense on its surface. There are some small size high-speed machining centers that only use alcohol as well, but they are rare and can create a serious fire hazard, most of them purge the enclosed machine with inert gas.
You are brilliant.
Work with co2 laser dayly and it always amazes me to look in the resonator. Are you planing on take it further to build a small cnc laser ? :)
Great videos, keep it up! Subbed
nice!! leaks are major issues when dealing with low vaccuums in my experience.
I know a guy who had a funky discharge from his outlet port. Probably due to contamination through contact with a funky inlet port. Anyway, penicillin cured it.
Very crazy! And awesome!
Very cool!
good choice on the neon sign transformer. not lethal like the old microwave oven transformer...
great video have subscribed
A neon transformer at 30 mA will kill you just as fast as a MOT will.
Output mirrors I can't find any source other than a working unit. What kind did you get???
To smooth power after a rectifier, a low pass filter that uses a coil, ground, and a capacitor is needed. If you just use a cap, it will not take out all of the noise on the DC. Ideally, you would rectify, filter, then connect a battery, but at these voltages that isn't possible. You are also going to need to use wiring and components that can take that high voltage or you will fry them, even the wiring. You might want to consider building a voltage multiplier using diodes and ultra capacitors and just make a pulsed laser. There are demos of this circuit type on other channels on CZcams, but I must stress that if you are not trained to handle high voltage circuits safely, DO NOT build a voltage multiplier for high voltage.. It can easily kill you or start a fire.
1:18 the greatest part for those wearing a single wireless earbud on max volume
been shocked by neon back in my theater electrical contractor days ..shit aint no joke!!
Hey, what sort of mirror did you have on the other end?
Before I am off to part 2: Wow-factor 1x10^infinity 😍
Damn awesome channel glad I found it
Crazy amount of work to build an old pump. Wow.
Impressive!
Info i've seen from a few tube manufacturers is the mixture needs to be He:N2:CO2 ,8:1:1 +5% xenon. the gas pressure inside the tube should be 70-100 mbar (1-1.4 psi). Commercially available RECI power supplies are 35kV DC@ 23mA..
so the issue is you do not have an optical cavity because the mirrors are likely misaligned the mirrors have to be perfectly parallel to each other. few things: you might want to start with a dye pumped laser first, that will teach you the basics of what you need to achieve. Next you might want to get different o rings, the wrong type of plastic or sealant can introduce off gassing into the tube before the gas mixture can get into the system. You also might want to try to actually remove the mirrors entirely and instead put in a bit of glass that is transparent at the wavelength of light you are looking for this way you will be able to put the mirrors outside the tube and dial them in. Also look into getting some sort of optical table built.
Fuck yeah! Get your glow on. I remember my first homebrew CO2 laser almost 20 years ago.
My guess is that you had not pulled enough of a vacuum initially. Gasses become much more electrically conductive as they approach a pure vacuum, and to generate plasma you typically only want a few tenths or less PSI. Tech Ingredient's video on plasma tubes is a good overview of the issue.
Awesome work! So Cool! For helium, the helium sold for balloons is nt pure helium, that way teenagers don't get asphyxiated when they try to breath it. I think it's even less than 50%. (I didn't see anyone else say this, so I thought I'd chime in). Can't wait for video #2!
The one I found says it's 95% helium, although I do have my doubts haha. I'll be buying a bottle of the good stuff once I button this whole process down.
thanks for the support!
@@cranktowncity 95% nice!
its amazing, but how do you find out how many volts/amps the tube can handle?
Nice video, thanks :)
Bro i can't believe i haven't found you sooner
Just for reference, any contact with first surface mirrors causes damage, and the very act of cleaning them destroys their surface. Wear ultra clean gloves when handling them and only touch the sides, or you'll lose a ton of power and efficiency to scattering. I was cringing when I saw those dirty greasy fingers contacting that gorgeous surface🤣. Great work though, that's beyond what many laser hobbyists are willing to go as far as building your own tube, good luck getting it fully functional.
You should try to tune by varying the length of the cavity . How ?? By placing mirrors outside the vacuum tube
That heat-cutting technique works a little better if the glass is scored with a glass cutter, first.
Hello, do you have the purchase link for the ZnSe partial reflector. thanks!!!!
lol this guy is like a character from a videogame. this is dope as hell. one day ill have plasma cutters and lathes and shit
This is a lot like the one i made back in high school. You can use plain old air as your nitrogen source if you like. The other gasses dont throw the lasing out by much.
This hits correct. Also, the rest is what, 20% oxygen and some trace gasses?. Simply use up the oxygen by putting it in a box with a candle or something. The resulting carbon dioxide can be calculated and factored into the mix.
Thats pretty awesome
also regarding the problems with the power output maybe its not related with the power you are supplying but with the alignment of the mirrors, the chance of a photon hitting an excited atom is quite low, for that to happen with a frequency high enough as to get stimulated emission you need the photons to go through the tube many thousands of times which means the mirrors must be really well aligned and the amount of atoms in an excited state should be enough, you are putting in 300w, idk for sure but that sounds like enough, the mirrors are aligned however with the accuracy that the lathe gives you for what i can see, that is most likely not good enough