Here’s how to turn a MiniMag flashlight into a powerful laser pointer using a DVD player laser – Link.
From the pages of MAKE:
Mini High-Power Laser. MAKE 10 – page 142. Liberate a 200mW laser from a DVD burner. Subscribers–read this article now in your digital edition – Link.
14 thoughts on “Laser flashlight”
Comments are closed.
This is such a bad idea on so many levels. It’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt… Just an instant looking into that beam and your eye will be toast. Even secondary reflections with that power level can cause blindness.
@p914 – the same could be said about any project that has something sharp.
i also posted a link to our how to because i think it might be better for some to check out the magazine with the way we do it…
==
Your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and determining whether you have adequate skill and experience. Power tools, electricity, and other resources used for these projects are dangerous, unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear. Some illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps more clearly. These projects are not intended for use by children.
Use of the instructions and suggestions in MAKE is at your own risk. O’Reilly Media, Inc., disclaims all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense. It is your responsibility to make sure that your activities comply with applicable laws, including copyright.
Always check the page associated with each project before you get started. There may be important updates or corrections.
I agree with p914 on this. Makers have moral and ethical responsibility for what they bring into the world.
@Fredex – i don’t think making this is a moral or ethical question, it’s what you do with said project. people work on cars for hobbies but cars kill tons of people. a high powered laser is only bad if the person using it decides to do bad things.
all that said, if someone made a project and purposefully hurt people with it, we wouldn’t write about it or encourage it.
It’s true, the whole essence of ‘hacking’ is knowing how to do something, not necessarily doing it.
What I was really getting at was that the design of this project totally disregards safety. There is no momentary switch so if you drop the flashlight, the laser stays on, shining who knows where. There is no key interlock or other safety switch to keep kids and strangers from flicking the switch and looking into the laser. The flashlight is small and lightweight, making it very easy to point the laser into any desired, or undesired, direction. Anyone who has ever used a penlaser knows how easy it is to accidentally catch a reflection or shine the laser in an unanticipated direction (oops).
If one has to make a “project” SAFE for people before posting, there wouldn’t be much content on any of these sites. The whole point of getting ideas out there is to share and improve.
No safety switch…well show us where to add it! Instead of fretting that we’ll “poke our eyes out”, show us how to make it safer!
Let’s improve, not retard!