The laser beam of an inexpensive green laser pointer can be easily seen across a great distance. The intensity of a green laser pointer, however, is quite weak because the efficiency of the laser diode has been dialed back to less than a third of its full potential. Anyone who can use a soldering iron can turn a weak green laser pointer into a powerful laser that can burn through paper. The entire process can be completed in less than a half hour.
Instructions
1. Put some newspaper down on a work surface. Remove the battery cap and the batteries from the green laser pointer. Put the batteries and the battery cap down on the newspaper.
Hold the green laser pointer in your left hand. Take the needle nosed pliers in your right hand and circle the pliers around the seam where the two casings of the green laser pointer meet.
2. Twist the needle nosed pliers back and forth to crack the glue and separate the two casings. Put the needle nosed pliers down. Pull off the front casing of the green laser pointer and put it and the back casing, which has the laser mechanism now exposed, down on the newspaper.
3. Tighten the screw on the laser mechanism using the jeweler's screwdriver.
Heat up the soldering iron
4. Hold the tip of the soldering iron to the small circuit board directly above the screw on the laser mechanism. Remove the tip of the soldering iron after 10 seconds.
Unplug the soldering iron and put it down to cool.
5. Put the front casing of the green laser pointer back onto the back casing. Apply bonding glue to the seam between the two halves and hold it till the bonding glue sets.
6. Put the batteries back into the green laser pointer. Screw on the battery cap.
Aim the green laser pointer at the newspaper from a few inches away and press the button to activate the laser light and burn a hole in the newspaper.
Tags: green laser, green laser pointer, laser pointer, soldering iron, laser mechanism, needle nosed, needle nosed pliers