ultraviolet laser tube?

[Chuck Stone]

Here's one for the old hands..
I've been working in someone's shop the last few days and using their laser.
Nothing like what we use.. this is an ancient beast. The laser tube is overhead,
(about 7' off the ground) and is filled with oil. But at the very ends I can see
the ultraviolet light. The last two days I can home feeling sunburned.
Is that my imagination? My face is red, but for all I know it could be from the
wind.

Interesting the way this machine works.. it uses a bar code reader. Strictly a
raster machine, no computer attached. You tape down your artwork under
the bar code reader and the whole table moves.. not the head. When the
reader 'sees' black, it fires the laser. (so don't get your artwork dirty!)
Hard to see what is going on with the engraving, as the table moves
pretty fast with your substrate clamped to it. But it works well enough.
I've been using it to cut masks for sandblasting slate.

[Martin Boekers]

UV laser...interesting. This one seems to do it all.

www.dpss-lasers.com/samurai2.html

[Joe Hillmann]

You wouldn't have any pictures of it, would you? Sounds like an interesting machine.

[Mark Sipes]

Converted Tanning booth ?

[Chuck Stone]

I haven't found any pics.. I'll bring a camera over there next time.
Made by Laser Manufacturing Inc. in Somerset WI. (LMI) Model L30
Found the company, they seem to make industrial equipment. I was
told that this one (mfg date 1990) was owned by 3M and used to
mark or cut sandpaper. Dunno how.. if it ever hooked up to a computer,
it would have been a 286 at the time.

Funny, I just picked up a tanning bed on the side of the road a few
weeks ago. Seemed like a good idea at the time.. after all, 7ft UV
lamps go for $15 ea, and it has 24 of them. I brought it to an auction
hall to see if it will bring anything at all. I could always salvage the
lamps.. might be good for UV curing. (but who needs 7' lamps??)

[Bill Cunningham]

I remember back in 1990, the first laser I read anything about sounds like that one. The original artwork was mounted on a table beside the business end, things went back and forth, and when the 'eye' seen black it fired and reproduced what it seen on the other table. I think the price tag on it was 100k or so, but it was huge..

[Gerd Spatz]

The last two days I can home feeling sunburned. Is that my imagination? My face is red, but for all I know it could be from the
wind.

If this is true, i think you need really good sunglasses!

[Dan Hintz]

Didn't we have a similar story a few months back? Are you highly sensitive to the sun? If not, that tube isn't going to give you a sunburn.

[Chuck Stone]

Bill.. that sounds about right.. that's how this one works.
Gerd.. I didn't have safety glasses there, so I did wear sunglasses.
Dan.. might have, but not from me. And yes, I burn from watching
Frankie and Annette movies on TV.

[Dan Hintz]

Dan.. might have, but not from me. And yes, I burn from watching Frankie and Annette movies on TV.

No, it was definitely someone else... they were using a large-bed Chinese laser, constructed all manner of cubicle wall blocks around it, had their son come in and try it, etc.

[Chuck Stone]

No, it was definitely someone else... they were using a large-bed Chinese laser, constructed all manner of cubicle wall blocks around it, had their son come in and try it, etc.

Ah.. I would have opted for one of the neighbor's kids.

"Remember kids.. if someone pulls up beside you in their
car and offers you a free keychain, yell STRANGER DANGER!"