

Ask HN: How does one buy higher power laser? - iamwil

I thought it&#x27;d be fun to build my own laser cutter. However, I&#x27;m not sure where to buy the laser head. Anyone know where one buys such things?
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jbdigriz
Laser cutter for what material exactly? Anything beyond dark paper or
cardboard is going to require a very powerful (And dangerous) laser system
utilizing high precision optics and expensive active cooling subsystems - not
to mention it should only be used in controlled laboratory conditions by
experienced researchers. Of course, if you are in that category you wouldn't
be asking here...

That being said, a Chinese company named Wicked Lasers has been manufacturing
and selling highly portable and relatively powerful handheld lasers at very
reasonable prices - a lightsaber-like design for a few hundred dollars. By
even their most powerful 1.2W laser will barely burn through cardboard and has
no real functional use beyond showing off to friends. It will however blind
someone permanently up to 9 miles away and even flashing it in the sky will
land you in federal prison pretty quickly. There's also a good chance it gets
stopped by customs during shipment as lasers fall in a grey area from a legal
perspective.

These aren't toys - then can very easily maim someone unintentionally from a
huge distance, even if wearing proper eyewear. Light can be reflected off a
raindrop and blind you faster than your eye can even blink, literally. I
strongly advise doing some research and if still interested, pursue this hobby
in an academic or lab setting, if at all.

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moron4hire
>> not to mention it should only be used in controlled laboratory conditions
by experienced researchers.

Worst advice ever.

First of all, I suspect most laser cutters are employed in industrial job
shops--not research facilities--around the world. They're actually quite
convenient tools. I've used them for a number of projects and it takes all of
15 minutes to train a reasonably intelligent person on how to use one safely
and effectively. It's faster, cheaper, and more reliable than 3D printing for
anything larger than a cigar box. I consider them safer than CNC mills, as
I've only ever seen laser cutters catch on fire, but never catastrophically
shatter and explode like a CNC mill.

But more importantly, "don't try this at home" is my least favorite phrase in
the world. He's an adult. I'm sure he knows "these aren't toys". You're not
the internet's nanny.

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jbdigriz
You seem to make an awful lot of assumptions about someone asking where to buy
lasers on an semi-anonymous internet forum, in 2014. Worst advice ever? I
guess because you've only seen lasers catch fire, both these statements can be
taken as truths.

Irrelevant anecdotal evidence and exploding CNC straw man arguments aside,
lasers are dangerous and in ways that aren't familiar to most. I certainly
encourage pursuit of any worthwhile scientific or engineering endeavor, but
just like I don't want intern doctors treating Ebola patients without prior
explicit experience or safe equipment, I prefer not to find out what accidents
a handheld device that can blind someone from miles away bring from the hands
of a novice internet laser DIYer.

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moron4hire
LOL, handheld device. Okay dude, since you supposedly know so much about
lasers, tell me how you're going to use a 150W CO2 laser with all of its
accompanying cooling--and more importantly, focusing--hardware as a handheld
device?

And who cares about "worthwhile"? You're right, we have no idea what he'll use
this for. But it's not our job to be Cops of The Intarwebs. This "we must
protect information from the unknown threats, because we don't know what the
threat could be!" is how we get censorship. You _might_ mean well, but your
attitude is awful.

~~~
jbdigriz
Yeah because once again, fueled entirely by assumption, you've come to
determine what is the desired use and the appropriately powered laser. Your
entire life must be one never ending, unfunny episode of Seinfeld.

Your arrogant schizophrenic replies with fictional quotes from you're own
manifestations and irrational conclusions have added no value whatsoever. I
provided a name of a company and some cautious advice, nothing more yet you
feel the need to go on some crusade - and for what exactly?? Are you a staunch
advocate for the use of high powered lasers in uncontrolled, informal
circumstances?? Seriously, you ARE the personification of all your overly
active insecurities - a know it all who upon reflection knows nearly nothing.
Get the chip off your shoulder and realize if you don't like something, then
don't engage.

And yes, my handheld spider arctic 3 blue 1W laser is under 2 lbs, can run
continuously for 10 minutes and can absolutely BLIND anyone in under a second
from miles away.

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moron4hire
You can get used ones on eBay. They have a limited life span. BUt you might be
able to save a lot of money if you get a not-completely-used-up one.

~~~
iamwil
I assume they're usually pretty pricy then, given that the recommendation is
to get them used, rather than new.

~~~
moron4hire
Uhm, do you consider $1500 for a brand new tube "pricy"? I don't know what
your income is like.

What you might consider, if you're just interested in the CNC part of the
project, is to build a CNC router, using a Dremel or other cheap rotary tool.
I don't know what you intend to use this for, but such a tool would actually
be quite useful in the average hobbyist shop. If you decide you ever want to
upgrade, at least you'll know you have the CNC part of the equation down.

