I was thinking about a gift for a friend, and she really likes guns (military brat). And after making my Light Up Space Poster, I figured I could use the left over parts and make a little light up toy gun. Of course, make a Laster Pointer gun! I got some basic ideas from Blue Ray Laser Gun at HackNMod. To make a long story short, I found that the Dollar Store is the best place to get toy guns. To my surprise, they also have super cheap laser pointer key chains. So the 2 main components, were about $1.29 each (yeah, they should call it the buck-twenty-nine store now). Here is the complete list of parts and tools:

• Toy Pellet Gun – Dollar Store, $1.29
• Cheap Laser Pointer Keychain – Dollar Store, $1.29
• Wire
• Push Button Switch (Trigger)
• 150 Ohm Resistor
• 9 Volt Battey
• 9 Volt Batter Clip – Radio Shack
• Solder and Soldering Iron
• Hot Glue and Glue Gun
• Philips Screwdriver

The gun I got, had 3 screws, and popped open. Its very cheap plastic, so be careful pulling it apart. Same with the laser pointer. I used a $10 Black And Decker Laser Pointer for one version (before I found the one at the Dollar Store) and that is in an all aluminum case, so you will need a file to cut it about 1 cm from the base of nose. The Black And Decker was noticeably brighter and a higher quality laser.

One the diode is removed, we need to bypass the switch. Solder the negative batter leas to the side of the switch closes to the diode.

It took me a while to find the best place to solder the positive side, with the resistor to the diode. For the $1 pointer, its on the back, for the $10 its on the some bronze plating.

I used a resister just to be safe and to get he voltage down to about what the device was created for. Using a 9V was done for convenience only. It was easy to stick that sucker in the handle and connect it with the battery clip. The $10 pointer could take the 9V without the resistor, so if you want more power don’t use the resistor.

Be careful soldering the switch up! I ruined one holding the soldering iron to the lead for too long and melted the plastic housing. So do not linger with the soldering iron when soldering the switch.

I had to cut/melt away some of the gun for the switch to fit through when the gun was placed back together. The plastic is cheap enough, it is easy to manipulate. Remove bits so you can fit the batter, switch, and laser diode in the barrel. Secure the switch and diode with generous amounts of hot glue. Try to make sure the diode is aligned so it aims true (mine is a little up and to the right). I also wrapped my 9V in tape so it didn’t rattle around when the gun was placed back together.

That should do it. Now, aim, fire, and avoid shooting your eye out!

When I was in middle school, I read all about Light Amplification by Stimulated Emissions of Radiation (lasers). I saved up almost $100 for a crappy laser pointer (now they are practically giveaways). One book, the Laser Cookbook, was all about projects you could do with lasers. One, which every middle-schooler would love, is making a laser gun (a harmless one, but cool nonetheless). But it required a Helium Neon laser tube, and some fancy circuitry for a power supply and a big-ole hip holstered battery pack. But after spending all my lawn mowing money on that crappy laser pointer I couldn’t afford to build the laser gun. Thus the interest slowly faded away…

Many years later, I found a Desktop Helium Neon Laser Lamp Build tutorial on Hack N Mod, and BAM! I got so excited! I new where to get most of the parts, but not the laser. After searching the webs, I found Meredith Instruments which had good information and the parts I needed. But the everything there new, and more money than I wanted to spend. Searching the internets some more, I kept seeings “Sam’s Laser FAQ.” So I read that to learn how to actually put a laser and power supply together. Then I found his HeNe Laser Kit 2 and saw the price! It was just what I needed, and it had those brackets I could not find anywhere.

So I bought one of those kits, went to Hastings Plastics Co. and got my acrylic mirror sheets cut so I could mount the laser. I also got acyclic solvent from them to glue the pieces together. I lined up the laser on the acrylic and drilled some holes to mount the brackets. Glued the pieces together. Soldered the switch to the power supply. Connected the project box base to the mirrored stand. Done.

I made a complete parts list of all the parts I used and where I got them. I pretty much copied the Hank N Mod tutorial. Though my wall power adapter came already connected to the power supply. Finally, here is the pic of my HeNe Laser Lamp:

Now where the heck do I put it?

So a friend sent me a link to a NY Time article about working with your hands and how sweet it is. And I totally agree.  Growing up I used to build model cars, planes, robots, X-Wings, TIE fighter’s, etc.  Lego’s too.  We had nice garage full of tools, and I would play back there.  During college I managed to rewire a 1966 Ford Mustang.  Got it running.  That was so awesome.

After I got my engineering degree, I got a job and sit in front of a computer and program all day.  Its almost, but not quite, entirely unlike working with your hands.  You type out code with your hands to create a virtual machine.  I miss making real machines.  Though, after I make the models or robot kits, I never did anything with it.  Usually just threw it away, because the process of putting real physical objects together to form another physical object was the most fun.  So over the weekend I went to Fry’s and got a Tamiya Bull Dozer kit.  Its a very easy, basic kit.  There is a wired remote control that sends power to three little motors. Moves the arm up and down and the tracks forward or backward.  Here’s a little video of it in action for my Pop.