Laser diode mounting brackets

thingiverse

Numerous Amazon-purchased laser pointers from China feature an internal barrel-shaped laser diode and small circuit board, such as this one: http://www.amazon.com/Green-Laser-Pointer-Black-Casing/dp/B000P0SYPS/ref=sr_1_3?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1352421078&sr=8-3&keywords=laser+pointer. After disconnecting the internal electronics from the battery tube, you may require a mounting solution for attachment to another substrate; this design can assist. I was building a laser kaleidoscope with motor mounts and decided to adapt my existing design file, resizing the cavity to 13mm to fit the diode. A top slot for a zip tie allows tightening the parts together, but in reality, the size closely matched the diode, enabling insertion without further adjustment. However, alternative laser diodes with varying diameters may require file resizing or alternatively, you can use the included files designed for those sizes. As an added bonus, I recently received a couple of 6mm diameter diodes in the mail! Don't forget to try Autodesk Inventor Fusion - it's free and quite useful.