Quazar
Enlightened
I have been working professionally with lasers for almost 10 years. Back then, there were no DPSS lasers aroud, just big heavy argons and kryptons. A laser typically weighed 60 lbs, needed a 100lb 3 phase power supply and generated a whole load of heat. They were also fragile and didnt like being moved around much. After all, most were designed to be used in laboratory conditions. OPerating one on top of a scaffold tower in a club full of smoke and haze was never what they were intended to do.
Having spent the equivalent of $5000 on your new toy, you kind of looked after it, the 400 volts @30 amps electricity supply and 2 gallons of water a minute were never a good combination!! Therefore utmost respect, almost to the level of paranoia was given to laser equipment. Admittedly, we used to do the cigarette lighting trick (at arms length), but that was about it.
Unfortunately, with the advent of cheap mass produced DPSS lasers that are available for the cost of a decent torch, much of the respect for what is essentially a piece of industrial equipment has been lost. Nowadays, kids can buy lasers with the money they make for doing a paper round for a few weeks. The laser has become little more than a toy and as such, everyone is "showing off" their latest acquisition without regard for the consequences.
A friend of mine who is also a professional laserist, has a severe eye injury caused by a laser. After sending a 2W argon laser off for regassing, he was checking it over before firing it up. With ion lasers, you need the cathode to warm up for a few seconds before arcing. After regassing, it is essential to have the cathode running for a while longer before the first strike is attempted. My friend was (carelessly) looking into the back of the tube to check the cathode was glowing nicely, when the tube ignited. Unknown to him, the tube had been refitted the wrong way round and he got a 2W argon beam into the eye from about 4" away. This accident happened over 6 years ago and to this day he still has a large black spot in his vision.
Please treat lasers with the utmost respect, they are not toys by any means. Misuse them and they will bite back, hard. You dont get a second chance, its too late. Be warned, play safe.
Having spent the equivalent of $5000 on your new toy, you kind of looked after it, the 400 volts @30 amps electricity supply and 2 gallons of water a minute were never a good combination!! Therefore utmost respect, almost to the level of paranoia was given to laser equipment. Admittedly, we used to do the cigarette lighting trick (at arms length), but that was about it.
Unfortunately, with the advent of cheap mass produced DPSS lasers that are available for the cost of a decent torch, much of the respect for what is essentially a piece of industrial equipment has been lost. Nowadays, kids can buy lasers with the money they make for doing a paper round for a few weeks. The laser has become little more than a toy and as such, everyone is "showing off" their latest acquisition without regard for the consequences.
A friend of mine who is also a professional laserist, has a severe eye injury caused by a laser. After sending a 2W argon laser off for regassing, he was checking it over before firing it up. With ion lasers, you need the cathode to warm up for a few seconds before arcing. After regassing, it is essential to have the cathode running for a while longer before the first strike is attempted. My friend was (carelessly) looking into the back of the tube to check the cathode was glowing nicely, when the tube ignited. Unknown to him, the tube had been refitted the wrong way round and he got a 2W argon beam into the eye from about 4" away. This accident happened over 6 years ago and to this day he still has a large black spot in his vision.
Please treat lasers with the utmost respect, they are not toys by any means. Misuse them and they will bite back, hard. You dont get a second chance, its too late. Be warned, play safe.