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Thread: Laser Saftey - Eye Protection ?

  1. #1

    Post Laser Saftey - Eye Protection ?

    I am constantly (I don’t mean standing and staring) looking at my Epilog Laser to see if it is doing what it is suppose to be doing….I am concerned about the laser beams damaging my eyes….do any of you guys wear laser protective glasses…I did a Google and they want 500.00 plus and buy by wavelength….
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]James Wright - Haventouch Enterprises Inc. Dahlonega, Ga. (Epilog Laser Mini 24 - 45 watt, CorelDraw X3, PhotoGrav 3.0) "Who is John Galt ?"

  2. #2
    James,

    When I designed CO2 lasers in my previous life, CDRH allows the lasing area to be shielded with plexiglas or lexan as far as clear materials, which means you can use plexiglas safety glasses. If you're talking about YAG, argon or any other wavelengths, get ready to spend some money. Having said that, safety glasses won't have a sticker or label on them indicating that they can shield CO2 radiation, but it's what we used when we didn't have glasses around that covered CO2, YAG, etc.

    Another thing you can do is if you want to verify that the beam is there there are sticks coated with chemicals that you can place in front of the beam path to verify that the beam is there. You still should wear glasses because of the reflected radiation.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Sammamish, WA
    Posts
    7,630
    If you read the warnings on the laser and the manual, the hazards are limited to improper use such as having it running with the door open or sides/front off. All radiation is normally contained within the unit, so it should not be a problem to watch through the glass top.



    Sammamish, WA

    Epilog Legend 24TT 45W, had a sign business for 17 years, now just doing laser work on the side.

    "One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop." G. Weilacher

    "The handyman's secret weapon - Duct Tape" R. Green

  4. #4
    One other thing I want to add - the glasses I'm talking about are NOT impervious to CO2 (10,600nm) wavelength radiation. In other words, if you directed a beam at them at the proper energy level, you may shatter them. For the application you're describing (your not looking directly into the beam but viewing it from an angle) it should be fine.

  5. #5
    Joe's got a good point. I made the statement based on how I worked with lasers on a daily basis and not from a commercial product standpoint. If the beam is enclosed at all times you don't need the glasses.

  6. #6
    Thanks ...I read all the manuals...and I thought that was the case...that you could look through the protective cover....Hope to have my web site up and running the 1st of March....

    Right now I am working exclusively with 1/8 hardwoods…. With all that a laser will do I really had to narrow my product line…it was like I could offer hundreds of different things….that there would be some many I couldn’t fill orders being a one person operation…if you know what I mean…the laser is so amazing….my creativity was overwhelming me with ideas…..
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]James Wright - Haventouch Enterprises Inc. Dahlonega, Ga. (Epilog Laser Mini 24 - 45 watt, CorelDraw X3, PhotoGrav 3.0) "Who is John Galt ?"

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