laser light?

[Olaf Vogel]

A few months ago I picked up a Oneway hollowing rig. Overall, I pretty happy with it and keep wondering how I hollowed out pieces without it.

The one issue I have is the laser light, its been pretty flakey and frequently dies out.
Apparently these are problematic.

Does anyone know of a good replacement? I don't mind having to McGyver it in.
Olaf

[Dale Gillaspy]

There were several threads going around for awhile. I don't remember them exactly, because at the time, mine didn't have that problem. One of the fixes involved wiring a small transformer and AC plug instead of the battery.

[Peter Blair]

The one that comes with the Kobra is exceptional. If anyone knows where it could be purchased it would sure be a step up. Very small battery pack on the back end and tiny laser on the working end. When I get out to my shop today I'll take a magnifying glass and see if I can find any information on the unit. If I do I'll post again later today.

[Marty Tippin]

There are dozens of different miniature lasers available on Amazon and elsewhere for practically nothing; the trick is finding one the right size for whatever you're trying to adapt it to and one that has the right beam shape (some are slits, some cross-hair, some dots) and can be focused at the distance you need. There's not much to wiring them up - they generally all come with a pair of leads that you hook to the battery or whatever power source you're using. I bought a couple of different varieties a few months ago when trying to fix the laser in my Monster hollowing rig; I ended up just buying a replacement from the folks at Monster Tools as I never found a third-party one that would fit properly.

[Paul Williams]

I don't have the URL right now but DigiKey carries the laser and battery box with built in switch. Many homebuilt and some commercial units use their product.

[Olaf Vogel]

Very small battery pack on the back end and tiny laser on the working end.

That sounds like the best option. The top carrier has a fair bit if vibration which I could see damaging internal components.
so mounting the electronics near the back, with the laser at the front, seems best. Any info on what is, would be great.

The Oneway laser looks like a $10 laser pen...
I'd to find a way to stabilize the top carrier, but that's another story.

[Paul Williams]

Look at digikey.com for VLM-635/650-03 series laser module. It is a small tube that contains the laser and runs off 2.5 to 5 volts dc. They also sell battery boxes if you don't have something laying around to provide a few volts and a switch or plug. I think the whole set up cost less than $10 and puts the battery over you support post with the laser at the end of the arm.

[Paul Williams]

Here is the information on the digi-key products from a 2012 Jon Prouty post.

Here is what I used:
Laser and battery pack...
Digi-Key (www.digikey.com (http://www.digikey.com))
Laser- P/N : VLM-650-03-LPT-ND (~$ 10.00)
Battery Holder with Switch-
P/N : SBH-321AS-ND (< $ 2.00)

[Olaf Vogel]

Here is the information

Digi-Key www.digikey.com
Laser- P/N : VLM-650-03-LPT-ND (~$ 10.00)
Battery Holder with Switch- P/N : SBH-321AS-ND (< $ 2.00)

These look perfect - and good price too!

Are the laser units mounted at the front, over top of the wood, or near the back (less vibration)?

If its at the back then I seems like I'd need a fiber optic cable to direct the light to the front.
The number of options there is a bit overwhelming.

Thanks for the URL and part numbers - thats great!
Olaf

[Sparky Paessler]

I have used this laser and battery case from Amazon with good results.

Quarton Laser Module-VLM-650-01 LPA (INDUSTRIAL USE DOT LASER)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Two Wire Lead On/Off Switch 2 x1.5V AA Battery Cell Case Holder
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Wes Ramsey]

Anyone ever fit their hollowing system with an endoscope camera, a la Trent Bosch's visualizer? I've been collecting parts and materials and such the last several months to build an articulating arm hollowing system. I plan to build a unit this summer where I can use the laser for the bulk of the hollowing and the camera for finishing touches so my laptop doesn't have to endure so much shop time and dust. Don't mean to hijack the thread, but was wondering if anyone else had a setup like that.

[Glen Blanchard]

Anyone ever fit their hollowing system with an endoscope camera, a la Trent Bosch's visualizer? I've been collecting parts and materials and such the last several months to build an articulating arm hollowing system. I plan to build a unit this summer where I can use the laser for the bulk of the hollowing and the camera for finishing touches so my laptop doesn't have to endure so much shop time and dust. Don't mean to hijack the thread, but was wondering if anyone else had a setup like that.

Wes, I have such a rig. Rather than hijack this thread, if you start another thread, we can discuss it there.