YouTuber builds world's strongest handheld laser, melts titanium and fractures diamonds

[midian182]

WTF?! We're now living in times when a YouTuber is able to build what is apparently the world's strongest handheld laser. The device is powerful enough to melt titanium, fracture diamond, weld razor blades, and even make synthetic rubies.

Drake Anthony – better known to his 3 million YouTube followers as styropyro – is a chemist and YouTuber with a fondness for building huge lasers and playing with electricity and chemicals. His latest project was a build "so far off the laser-danger chart the eye-hazard is incomprehensible."

Styropyro is referring to the Laser 2025, a 250-watt, battery-powered blue-diode array he claims is the strongest handheld laser ever filmed. The device occupies a power class normally reserved for industrial metal cutters and research labs, and is 50,000 times the 5-milliwatt ceiling that the US Food and Drug Administration sets for consumer laser pointers.

Styropyro begins by gutting a surplus police microwave-radar gun, which has a roomy aluminum shell that offers both shielding and a pistol-grip form factor.

He packs the gun with 20 high-power Nichia-type blue diodes. Power comes from a buck-converted driver bank, which feeds the array with nearly 30V at 10A, while the temperature is kept in check using a PC water-cooling loop (CPU block, pump and radiator).

A focus lens in a threaded barrel lets Styropyro move between a 3mm "cut" spot and a 30mm flood beam. Soft targets like paper and plastic burst into flames instantly, and it's able to scorch a 2 x 4 in under two seconds.

Aluminum cans, copper, and titanium all melt when subjected to the Laser 2025's beam. A penny also briefly bursts into flame when fired upon.

Probably the most impressive moment is the gemstone experiment. By focusing on a pressed pellet of aluminum-oxide mixed with chromium, Styropyro melts and recrystallizes the powder into tiny synthetic rubies. He's also able to blacken and fracture a lab-grown diamond with his invention.

Styropyro emphasizes the dangers in creating a device this powerful – he used protective gear throughout and built in several safeguards.

While building lasers this powerful is not illegal in the US, selling them, taking them outdoors, or aiming them skyward is prohibited by law.

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YouTuber builds world's strongest handheld laser, melts titanium and fractures diamonds

 

[Str8Shot]

This is exactly what we need, as well as an EMP gun. The tech-Revolution in AI and robotics taking place right now will make all conventional guns and weapons on the retail market obsolete. The government doesn’t even have to ban guns (2nd amendment) anymore; they’ll simply evolve to make our weapons useless against their robots and materials. (The Terminator style). Props for the YouTuber.

 

[Neutronbeam]

This is exactly what we need, as well as an EMP gun. The tech-Revolution in AI and robotics taking place right now will make all conventional guns and weapons on the retail market obsolete. The government doesn’t even have to ban guns (2nd amendment) anymore; they’ll simply evolve to make our weapons useless against their robots and materials. (The Terminator style). Props for the YouTuber.

Also, a gravity gun. ;-)

 

[klawton]

"While building lasers this powerful is not illegal in the US, selling them, taking them outdoors, or aiming them skyward is prohibited by law."

So the second picture of the article shows him breaking two laws. He should include a second person and a bag of cash in the picture to hit the trifecta.

 

[stewi0001]

Honestly, I would love to have a laser for welding and rust removal that doesn't break my bank account.

 

[wiyosaya]

Now if only he could phase conjugate the array, he could help Hegseth with the Golden Dome.

I'm skeptical that this is real. Why? You don't see even visible light in the air unless there's something to reflect the light in the air like smoke, raindrops, or something. Without that, he probably used AI to construct realistic looking, but total BS photos.

Its too bad there are not people with better BS detectors to call BS on this.

 

[JohnRambo4]

The military is so behind that it's sad lol

 

[Hexic]

Now if only he could phase conjugate the array, he could help Hegseth with the Golden Dome.

I'm skeptical that this is real. Why? You don't see even visible light in the air unless there's something to reflect the light in the air like smoke, raindrops, or something. Without that, he probably used AI to construct realistic looking, but total BS photos.

Its too bad there are not people with better BS detectors to call BS on this.

I have a 2.5W laser, and I can confirm it has a solid beam all of the time - even during the daylight. It’s slightly more diminished during the daytime, but you can definitely see it.

 

[boogiethecat]

Now if only he could phase conjugate the array, he could help Hegseth with the Golden Dome.

I'm skeptical that this is real. Why? You don't see even visible light in the air unless there's something to reflect the light in the air like smoke, raindrops, or something. Without that, he probably used AI to construct realistic looking, but total BS photos.

Its too bad there are not people with better BS detectors to call BS on this.

Talk about BS, clearly you've never played with a laser in the sky. There's enough "stuff" in the air at any time on any night, to see even a legal 5 milliwatt pointer laser beam. 5 watts looks like a neon tube on a clear night.
250 watts? OMG it will look EXACTLY like the photo Styropro posted. You ought know what you're talking about before you post silly incorrect opinions.
This isn't my opinion; it's fact. I have been in the visible laser business since the late 60's when Helium Neon lasers first came out. I have done this first hand and seen it with my own (very good) eyes.

 

[p51d007]

Oh goodie...someone will build one of these, point it at an aircraft and blow it up. /s

 

[mcnabney]

He is not melting titanium with a 250W laser. The lasers that can cut thin steel have 3x that power output and are in the more effective IR frequencies. The melting point of steel is around 1400C and titanium is a few hundred degrees higher.

 

[JohnRambo4]

Now if only he could phase conjugate the array, he could help Hegseth with the Golden Dome.

I'm skeptical that this is real. Why? You don't see even visible light in the air unless there's something to reflect the light in the air like smoke, raindrops, or something. Without that, he probably used AI to construct realistic looking, but total BS photos.

Its too bad there are not people with better BS detectors to call BS on this.

YouTuber styropyro is legit.

 

[airbornex]

This feels less like DIY and more like mad science with a YouTube budget. The fact that he's creating synthetic rubies and fracturing diamonds casually in his garage is both terrifying and incredible.

 

[ActualGardevoi]

Now if only he could phase conjugate the array, he could help Hegseth with the Golden Dome.

I'm skeptical that this is real. Why? You don't see even visible light in the air unless there's something to reflect the light in the air like smoke, raindrops, or something. Without that, he probably used AI to construct realistic looking, but total BS photos.

Its too bad there are not people with better BS detectors to call BS on this.

This is simply untrue. I have a $14 green laser from Amazon thats probably illegal and you can see the beam at all points when used at night. Please educate yourself.

 

[EasyJep]

"While building lasers this powerful is not illegal in the US, selling them, taking them outdoors, or aiming them skyward is prohibited by law."

So the second picture of the article shows him breaking two laws. He should include a second person and a bag of cash in the picture to hit the trifecta.

Did you point a high power laser at your eyes as well as frontal lobe?
First, he's on his property. He always make sure his experiments are limited to his property.
Second, he lives in a hilly, large property. Pointing at a 15 degrees upward isn't shining it in the sky.

 

[EasyJep]

This is exactly what we need, as well as an EMP gun. The tech-Revolution in AI and robotics taking place right now will make all conventional guns and weapons on the retail market obsolete. The government doesn’t even have to ban guns (2nd amendment) anymore; they’ll simply evolve to make our weapons useless against their robots and materials. (The Terminator style). Props for the YouTuber.

The government doesn't need robots or anything like that, as the crowd that is always screaming "hurr durr muh guns" are the same people that are always ready to lick the boot.

 

[wiyosaya]

This is simply untrue. I have a $14 green laser from Amazon thats probably illegal and you can see the beam at all points when used at night. Please educate yourself.

Power doesn't make a laser illegal. 5mw or over, and it has to have a CFR compliant warning on it, in the US at least, to be able to sell it with some other restrictions depending on what the laser is designed to do.

Where you point a laser could be illegal. 5mW is the threshold for permanent eye damage without appropriate safety glasses if the beam from it enters the eye, that's why pointing it into the sky, such as that idi0ts pointing them at airplanes a few years ago, is problematic. Anyone can build a laser of any power. Doing so does not make it illegal.

OK, so yes, there's enough crap, outside, in the air that you can see a beam in the air. I've seen 1W, continuous blue diodes indoors where there should have been enough crap in the air to see the beam. The beam was not visible.

This feels less like DIY and more like mad science with a YouTube budget. The fact that he's creating synthetic rubies and fracturing diamonds casually in his garage is both terrifying and incredible.

Why terrifying? There is a scientific explanation. You can create and grow synthetic ruby crystals with an oxy-acetelyne torch and the right setup. Many materials will fracture if you heat them so quickly that they cannot dissipate the heat.

Talk about BS, clearly you've never played with a laser in the sky. There's enough "stuff" in the air at any time on any night, to see even a legal 5 milliwatt pointer laser beam. 5 watts looks like a neon tube on a clear night.
250 watts? OMG it will look EXACTLY like the photo Styropro posted. You ought know what you're talking about before you post silly incorrect opinions.
This isn't my opinion; it's fact. I have been in the visible laser business since the late 60's when Helium Neon lasers first came out. I have done this first hand and seen it with my own (very good) eyes.

OK. so there's enough crap in the air outside to see it. I stand corrected. It doesn't change the fact that you need crap in the air for the beam to reflect off of in order to be able to see it.

I do like the fact that he cools the contraption with a CPU water cooler.

 

[StrikerRocket]

Now if only he could phase conjugate the array, he could help Hegseth with the Golden Dome.

I'm skeptical that this is real. Why? You don't see even visible light in the air unless there's something to reflect the light in the air like smoke, raindrops, or something. Without that, he probably used AI to construct realistic looking, but total BS photos.

Its too bad there are not people with better BS detectors to call BS on this.

Have you ever used a relatively powerful laser?
Then you would know (see?) that the photos are not fake. Why mine, which is way less powerful than this one (commercially available in China), you can see the green beam and the specks of dust very clearly when used at night, exactly like in the photos!

 

[timbo9]

Now if only he could phase conjugate the array, he could help Hegseth with the Golden Dome.

I'm skeptical that this is real. Why? You don't see even visible light in the air unless there's something to reflect the light in the air like smoke, raindrops, or something. Without that, he probably used AI to construct realistic looking, but total BS photos.

Its too bad there are not people with better BS detectors to call BS on this.

I've personally used green laser pointers that are easily visible in clear air. Not sure why this would be hard to believe.

 

[jeffbert]

The air is the medium through which the beam shines; given visible light & enough power, it ought to be visible.

 

[wiyosaya]

Yep. Legit.