Laser centre finder

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

Anyone know why you can’t seem to find those laser centre finders for milling machines any more?

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

SDA manufacturing. Calafornia based.

[Phil PParticipant @philp]

There are a couple on ebay if you want one. Item numbers below.
The first one has a polariser included.

800251141975

278093664030

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

Ok Thanks.

They were sold by the usual suppliers but they don’t seem to list them now.

 

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Buffer

I imagine there are some laser safety regulation issues getting in the way of widespread commercial sales to tech casual user.

Fundamentally these devices involve pointing a decently collimated laser beam at, usually, a fairly effective specular reflecting surface. The users eye is quite close to the surface.

Regulations for unenclosed low power lasers, pointers et al, basically assume a diffuse or scattering reflecting surface where much less power is thrown about into the human eye aperture.

That sort of thing tends to get the laser safety folk excited however low the laser power is. 25 – 30 years ago when i was working with lasers in an optics lab we had quite enough trouble with the safety officers panicking the moment they saw “laser” and refusing to accept rational discussion of the real hazard level. Around about that time some of my co-workers were involved in re-working the safety regulations to cover laser pointers and other applications of the then new packaged laser diodes. The controversy was less than pretty.

Presumably its impossible for a commercial product to demonstrate conformity with the regulations unless sufficient shielding is interposed so as to make the set up largely useless.

Clive

[Phil PParticipant @philp]

I have had one for many years, to be honest it does not get a lot of use. I am always a bit wary that the dot size is bigger than I would like for accurate work.
It does come in handy when centering work on a faceplate if you hold it in the lathe tailstock.

[Author]

Posts