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by Kipkay on November 16, 2008

License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)

Intro:

step 1: What You Need...

1. Walther PPK CO2 Pistol
2. Laser guide for pistol. Mine was from a JKX-313. The Umarex just didn't fit the bill.
3. Get the Blu Diode Here
4. Housing for Laser Diode also from Build-a-Blue-Laser
5. LM317, 100 ohm variable pot, 1 ohm resistor, circuit board.

step 2: Get the Diode...

You can skip this step and just buy the Blu Diode HERE
Disassemble the XBOX360 HD DVD Drive. Here is a good tutorial from The LLAMA
Then extract the diode from the drive carriage. Use care!

NOTE: Not all XBOX 360 HD DVD drives have a 150mW diode. You have to bench test it to measure the mW rating or just buy the diode.

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step 3: Install it in the Housing
Install the diode in an Aixiz-style housing which you can get here and add 2 wires observing the pinout diagram.

How to Install it: First remove the laser warning label and unscrew the housing so it is in two parts. You may have to use pliers or vice-grips or a vice to unscrew it. If it
came with an exisiting laser diode in it (5mw), remove it and the circuit board leaving on the housing. The new blu-ray diode gets pressed into the housing. Be sure it is
straight and flat around all the edges. I used a pair of vice-grips and carefully squeezed the diode into the housing. Once you have it in your hands, you will see how it is
done.

step 4: Build the Driver Circuit

Build the driver circuit on the smallest circuit board you can find. I built mine and then "dremeled" the board down to size. Using a multi-meter, measure the mA
output and adjust the 100 ohm pot so that it is just under 150mw. DON'T run it higher than that. Be sure to discharge the cap before soldering in the diode.

step 5: Modify the Laser Guide

Remove the laser and the LED from the laser guide leaving the wiring for the batteries intact. I bent back the tabs in the battery compartment and added one more
button cell battery to make a total of 6 volts. Then I installed the circuit and laser diode in the laser guide and attached it to the pistol.

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 step 6: Use It
The blu diode should be real bright. Use the collimating lens on the housing to focus the beam to a point. It will burn a number of things. It will also "write" on thermal
paper but that did not show up good on the video.

Disclaimer: CAUTION! As you know...lasers can be dangerous! Never point them at any living object! Do not look at the beam! This is not a toy, and this
should not be used like a conventional laser pointer. In other words, don't use it in presentations, or to play with pets, or allow children to use it. It should
only be operated by responsible persons who understand and respect the potential laser safety hazards.

Have fun, Be safe!

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