Electronics

Home-made laser rifle laughs at your puny pointer

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Patrick Priebe's laser rifle could be one heck of a tool for highlighting things in a PowerPoint presentation
Patrick Priebe's laser rifle could be one heck of a tool for highlighting things in a PowerPoint presentation
The mostly aluminum-bodied 12-lb (5.4-kg) rifle incorporates a 7-watt infrared burning laser, along with a 2-milliwatt red aiming laser
Power comes from an 18-volt rechargeable battery pack converted to run at 12,000 volts, while a 12-volt pump circulates one liter of distilled water to help keep things cool
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German laser weapons hobbyist Patrick Priebe, the creator of such one-off curiosities as the Iron Man Gauntlet and the Crysis 2-inspired Gauss Rifle, has now gone and made a laser rifle. While it won't bring down a storm trooper or an alien facehugger, it'll make short work of things like wood, Styrofoam and glass.

The mostly aluminum-bodied 12-lb (5.4-kg) rifle incorporates a 7-watt infrared burning laser, along with a 2-milliwatt red aiming laser. Power comes from an 18-volt rechargeable battery pack converted to run at 12,000 volts, while a 12-volt pump circulates one liter of distilled water to help keep things cool. An LCD screen indicates when the temperature of that water is getting too high (28ºC/82ºF), at which point the gun has to stop shooting things for a while.

Priebe tells us that the rifle seems to work best at a distance of about four meters (13 ft) from its target. It took him about 250 hours to build and as usual, no, he won't sell you one ... which is a good thing.

It can be seen burning and melting things in the video below.

Source: Laser Gadgets by Patrick Priebe

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11 comments
Matthew Adams
Wish someone would make something like this and sell it. No one wants to make a buck anymore?
maybe even try to figure out something more powerful.
Derek Howe
Mathew Adams - Because It's illegal to own a laser this powerful (in the US).
Abdul Aziz
patrick has offered to make these for people in the past but they are very expensive.
The Skud
Screw this for a weak effort - gimme the truck-mounted one also in this Gizmag post.
Sascha Humphrey
I think I have a more powerful stare, this is quite a feeble effort! :P
drgnfly004
looks like a lot of work to melt ice, and burn stuff like my magnifying glass did as a kid
jerryd
It's sad that a 7 watt laser needs cooling anymore than a CPU chip needs, easily done with metal heat sink or tiny heat pipe.
Why the need to 12kVolts? Wouldn't 3vdc LED's work far better for the energy source?
Matt Fletcher
Why is there always someone making misleading comments, with no actual knowledge of what they write.
This laser is not illegal to own in the USA nor are most any other lasers illegal to own in the USA. It is illegal to do harm with them or point them at automobiles, aircraft or police officers but other than that anyone can own one. Most wood shops have lasers that can cut quickly through wood & many machine shops have laser metal cutters and printers that can heat metal quickly to bonding temperatures. You can even buy pretty powerful lasers for cutting from the back off magazines PS.
Buzzclick
The annoying noise it makes it feel cheap too. Much stronger than a pointer, but will quickly feel like it lacks power...
Would make a great novelty cigarette lighter from twelve foot distances for parties and such.
Edgar Castelo
Been there, made that, and this one, you can order your Plans to Laser-Cut the pieces, and assemble it! http://cncking.com/collaborations/laser-cutter/edgar-the-inventor/ray-gun.html