A 2017 Hackaday report described maker styropyro’s homemade pulsed ruby laser as a powerful build that damaged its own optics. Its striking feature was the scale of the electrical system: the builder reportedly said the capacitor bank could store 20 kilojoules. That figure was reported, not independently measured, and the article did not provide verified laser-output measurements or a complete design.
How the homemade ruby laser worked
In Dan Maloney’s December 19, 2017 Hackaday report, the laser’s working assembly consisted of a large ruby rod surrounded by a coiled xenon flashlamp inside a polished reflector. The flashlamp supplied the light used to excite the ruby, producing a pulsed laser rather than a continuous beam.
For general context, OSHA lists ruby laser wavelength as 0.694 micrometres in its Technical Manual. That is a general ruby-laser value, not a measurement of this particular device.
What powered the flashlamp
The report says the builder’s supply used microwave oven transformers, a large Cockcroft–Walton voltage multiplier, and a capacitor bank. The builder reportedly said that bank could store 20 kilojoules; Hackaday did not independently measure that capacity. A 555 oscillator and an old car ignition coil generated the high-voltage pulse used to trigger the flashlamp.
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That stored-energy figure describes the reported capacitor bank, not the laser’s optical output. The article does not give independently verified output energy, pulse duration, peak power, or a complete power-supply schematic. Hackaday noted that it wanted to learn more about the supply design, so the story is not a build guide or a validated engineering account.
What the report establishes about performance
Hackaday characterized the laser pulse as powerful and reported that the builder destroyed his own optics. Those details convey the project’s outcome, but they do not establish a numerical output or a formal hazard classification. Without measurements for the pulse and beam, the build cannot be ranked reliably against other ruby lasers.
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How dangerous is a high-powered laser?
This should not be treated as a casual home project. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains that a narrow laser beam can remain hazardous at a distance and that the eye can focus it onto a very small retinal spot, potentially causing a burn or blind spot. The FDA also cautions that apparent brightness is not a reliable indicator of laser power or eye hazard. A beam that looks dimmer is not necessarily safer.
OSHA describes Class IV lasers as immediate eye and skin hazards from direct or reflected beams, with a possible fire hazard. However, the available report does not establish that this homemade device meets Class IV criteria—or identify its output parameters or hazard class at all. The FDA says Class IIIb and IV products should be used only by appropriately trained people for legitimate applications. Neither the report nor the general safety guidance establishes protective equipment suitable for operating this specific build; generic eyewear should not be assumed to make it safe.
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