Laser beams have been used to engrave, sculpt and even cut through metals and hard objects. The power of light is such that it is used during complex surgeries in the medical field as well.
It may certainly be a very advanced technology but that does not stop modders and DIY artists from creating their own little gadgets at home, which mimic the technology in a realistic way. Groover at Instructables has announced his latest project called the DIY Mini Desktop Laser Engraver. It is a handy device that could be used to cut out papers, cardboards and make amazing designs.
The idea was to create a low cost laser engraver that could be used in a small workplace. Moreover, the DIY Mini Desktop Laser Engraver itself offers very small workplace but then again, it is made at home and that too by someone without many resources. The modder has used low cost materials and with his limited electronic and laser knowledge, he has managed to create an impressive laser engraver which would help you to engrave designs on cardboards, papers and probably even slightly harder surfaces.
The device comes with very low power, but then there would always be room for improvements. The guy has used a ~200mW red laser which could be quite dangerous while working with. If you plan to do this at home, you should make sure that your eyues do not come in to contact with the laser beam as you may lose your eyes.
This is certainly an interesting project and there is a lot of scope for future improvements. Those who are interested in the wonders of laser technology are bound to try and recreate DIY Mini Desktop Laser Engraver at home. You could also take a look at the cool DIY Laser Slingshot. The DIY Pulse Laser Gun and DIY Laser Death Ray are other cool projects that you could try at home.
