Laser Pointer mod Guide

[Cisco]

OK I am going to try and do the best I can to do a step by step build on modding this laser pointer with a 901 atomizer. I have a pretty good understanding of what I am doing so please If anything I say here is not complete or descriptive enough feel free to let me know and I will edit so that even beginner modders can understand. I used some pretty elaborate tools but simpler tools will work just fine with some patience. I will break this down into 4 steps (disassembly, fabrication/modification, electrical/soldering, and assembly) each with Its own post so I can have 5 pics per post. Its possible to do a 510 but there is more involved that I can post as an addition to this guide at a later time.


Laser pointer from EBAY: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=110356529590

Laser Pointer FROM DX: http://www2.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10760





Step 1. Disassembly
Remove the end cap by unthreading it from the shell. If you look inside the nose cone you will see a brass ring with notches cut into it (Fig 1). You will need a small screwdriver to thread the brass ring into the nose cone (Fig 2). You will feel an increase in tension just continue for at least another 15 revolutions to completely unthread the laser housing from the nose cone. Now you can push the assembly out of the opposite end of the shell with the screwdriver (Fig 3). The notched brass ring is now threaded into the laser housing and needs to be unthreaded, and discarded along with the focusing lens and spring. Push the switch cap into the shell and remove it. (Fig. 4) shows the entire insides removed in order. At this point I removed the nose cone from the shell but I would recommend leaving the cone attached because it needs to be drilled to accept your atomizer connector. If you're using a hand drill it is easier to drill with the 2 pieces attached rather than trying to hold just the nose cone by itself. Keep in mind the entire unit is made of plated brass and is very easy to mar the finish or distort the shape if put in a vise or held with pliers.

Disassembly is complete


Cisco...

 

[Cisco]

Step 2. Fabrication/ modification

This will involve drilling out the head of the nose cone (Fig.5). I will emphasize you really need some kind of drill press, drilling a hole without a press makes for a not so round hole and you could remove too much material and make the atty connector a really loose fit (Fig. 6). The atty connector needs to be a tight pressed fit to ensure a proper ground connection. It would probably be best to drill a smaller hole than is needed and work your way up with larger drill bits until you feel the hole is big enough for the atty connector to be pressed in. You can also use a dremel or file to widen the hole enough so the atty connector fits tightly (Fig. 7). If you try and clamp the nose cone you will ruin the chrome just like I did on my first one. The nose cone is chrome plated brass so it is very soft.
Nose Cone removal after drilling hole for atty connector:
Now you can remove the nose cone. you need a socket that's as large as can fit inside the shell with an extension (Fig 8). Holding the shell and steady the socket with one hand while you whack the extension with a hammer to knock out the nose cone. Its pressed into the shell so its pretty snug. Keep an eye out after a few taps to see if it's coming out and adjust your pounding accordingly (Fig 9).

 

[Cisco]

Now you need to cut the excess brass off the laser housing. The laser housing is partially threaded. You will need to remove most of the unthreaded area. Again brass is very soft so if you clamp on the threads you will ruin them (Fig 10). I used a cut off disc on a dremel, It gets a little hot while cutting so I held it with a pair of pliers (Fig 11). The last piece of fabrication is the end cap. If you look inside you will notice there is a bump machined into the inside surface so the negative end of the battery makes a good connection. If you look close the bump is very pointy almost to the point where it could puncture a hole in the batty casing (Fig 12). I used a dremel with a grinding stone to flatten out the bump (Fig 12a). And while I was in there the 10440's are very snug fit in the end cap so I used a stone to thin out the inside thread wall so the battery slips in with ease.

Fabrication is complete

 

[Cisco]

Step 3 Electrical/ soldering

OK here is where I officially turn into a ....... I have no finesse when soldering, I know all the tricks and have all the right tools but I just can't get a good handle on soldering such small intricate stuff. You need to solder a small length of wire to the center post of your 901 atty connector (Fig 13). If your atty connector is a press fit in the nose cone there is no need for a ground wire. If you feel your atty connector is to loose you will need to solder a ground wire from the atty connector to the nose cone. When you solder the atty connector you really need high heat soldering gun. If you use a low watt gun you need to keep the heat on for a long time and this could melt the silicone gasket that isolates the threaded adapter from the center pin. Unless you remove the center pin to solder, I don't because i find the silicone gasket tears very easy, you could wind up with a short. You also need to remove the large resister on the laser emitter PCB (Fig. 14). You could either cut it off or unsolder it. The positive terminal spring that is soldered to the top of the PCB needs to be modded. Its just a coil of wire, in fear of the end of the coil rotating into the vent holes in the battery makes me nervous. What I did was bend the cut end over towards the center (Fig 15).

 

[Cisco]

Step 4 Assembly
OK its finally time to start putting things together. Thread the laser housing/PCB back into the nose cone until it stops. Now feed the positive atty connector wire through the nose cone and laser housing Fig. 16). Align the atty connector in its hole. Now you need to solder the positive atty connector wire to the positive terminal on the laser PCB (Fig. 17) . Now you need to put the tact switch cap back in the hole in the shell. Put a dab of locktite on the atty connector and align the tact switch with the hole in the shell (Fig. 18)and firmly press the atty connector, nose cone and shell together (Fig. 19). Clean off the excess locktite before it dries.

 

[Cisco]

Step 5 vape
Finish shot without atty Fig. 20
Finish shot with atty Fig. 21
Install your 10440 battery and 901 atty and vape away
Enjoy.....
Cisco...

 

[framitz]

Well done, and very nice mod!
How is that switch holding up? Seems to be the only possible weakness.

 

[cddz]

With instructions like that I can imagine we will see an increase in price of pew pew pew laser pointers. Its like that pointer was made for our ecigs!

 

[scintar]

Nice one Cisco, I always enjoy your mods. I really like this one. Do you have a model# on the pointer? Where can i get a few?

 

[CanyonRunner]

Great write-up, Nice pics too!

You could just put a drop of solder on the spring end, they seem to solder very easily.

Really like this mod. Prolly gonna try one, I have some batteries I ordered for something else and didn't use!!

 

[Carlos49]

Cisco,
Great job!!!! I might have missed the post but how long does the battery last?
Looks like a pretty simple mod... again great job

 

[olderthandirt]

OK I am going to try and do the best I can to do a step by step build on modding this laser pointer with a 901 atomizer. ...

Thanks for the step by step Cisco. Among the best I've come across so far!

Contributions such as this really make for a great forum. Modders sharing info like this is truly appreciated.

Thanks again Cisco

 

[kinabaloo]

Very nicely done Cisco

Perhaps worth saying to remove the battery before peering into the nose cone looking for the brass ring.

And a question: do you think it would be possible to leave off the end cone and fit in a dc jack type 901 connector right into the main body?

 

[mars_mcc]

Thanks so much Cisco for the great instructions! I had ordered one of these from the same ebay vendor you did when I saw your other post. You can't go wrong with $4.99 with free shipping. Cheap!

 

[warp1900]

WOW Cisco, i bet it was a lot more work to do the step by step guide than the actual mod itself.
I love the way it looks, too bad its not for me, that lil battery would last me about 15 minutes lol.
You should have used an RCA jack instead of the battery connector for versatility, but i guess it was done even before i posted the idea.
Great mod and excellent execution, thank you Cisco.

 

[Cisco]

Very nicely done Cisco

Perhaps worth saying to remove the battery before peering into the nose cone looking for the brass ring.

And a question: do you think it would be possible to leave off the end cone and fit in a dc jack type 901 connector right into the main body?

The first step in disassemble is removing the end cap....

The PCB actually threads up inside the nose cone so I done think you could remove it completely, you need the space.


Cisco...

 

[Cisco]

WOW Cisco, i bet it was a lot more work to do the step by step guide than the actual mod itself.
I love the way it looks, too bad its not for me, that lil battery would last me about 15 minutes lol.
You should have used an RCA jack instead of the battery connector for versatility, but i guess it was done even before i posted the idea.
Great mod and excellent execution, thank you Cisco.

Thanks for the comments Warp,

Yea it was way more work to get this post together but I felt posting this information was well worth it.

Cisco...

 

[jimmieu]

Great mod. Super pictures. This project is beyond my sad modding skills, but I learned alot. Thanks for sharing Your sweet mod.

 

[kinabaloo]

The first setep in disassmebly is remove the end cap....

The PCB actually threads up inside the nose cone so I done think you could remove it completely, you need the space.


Cisco...

i see - that end ...

i imagine that a dc jack leg could replace the board as contact point. Would make the construction a bit easier and the unit a bit shorter; though the cone does look quite nice.

 

[Tom09]

Very nice mod! Thanks for writing the guide and making the highly instructional images available. Super!