0:00
Right. Then I've started doing laser
0:02
reviews. Don't blame me. It was never
0:03
something I was interested in until
0:05
Bamboo released a H2D and that has a
0:08
laser option. So I started doing laser
0:10
reviews as no more than a comparator and
0:13
a way I can say, "Hey, Bamboo, I know
0:15
lasers. Can I have a free expensive 3D
0:17
printer, but then something happened. I
0:20
started to enjoy them." But then
0:21
something else happened. Dozens of
0:23
people warned me about optical safety
0:25
and just how dangerous these things are.
0:28
And it got to the point where I became
0:29
so paranoid that where I started to get
0:31
blurry vision one day after using the
0:33
Falcon's IR laser, I got worried it had
0:36
potentially blinded me. Now, thankfully,
0:38
my optitian confirmed I was no more than
0:40
overcaffeinated and proved I had no
0:42
laser damage. But it left me cautious
0:44
enough to consider this as a lucky free
0:46
pass. And going forward, I will never
0:49
operate any laser device without the
0:52
correct certified safety glasses,
0:55
whether the device comes sealed by
0:56
windows or otherwise. And since this is
0:59
in my home, I'll also never allow anyone
1:01
to enter my office when I'm using a
1:04
laser. But above all, I just don't want
1:06
to do any more laser reviews without
1:08
having this video live that I can refer
1:10
people to as a very clear warning not to
1:14
take the piss with this stuff. So, hi.
1:16
I'm Ross and this is Fauxham Hammer
1:18
Videos. So, first up, before optical
1:20
safety, actually, first I need to say
1:23
I'm not a laser safety expert. Don't
1:25
take this as professional advice. This
1:27
is more me covering my ass before giving
1:30
you a starting point to do your own
1:33
safety research before bringing one of
1:35
these devices into your home, especially
1:37
now that so many brands are advertising
1:39
them like everyday consumer products.
1:42
So, here's some stuff to know. First,
1:44
lasers can and often do cause materials
1:47
to catch fire. In many cases, these
1:49
should self-extinguish, or you can blow
1:52
them out. Some high-end lasers even have
1:54
the option for CO2 extinguisher add-ons
1:56
and sensors to handle all of this
1:58
manually. But all laser devices, or at
2:01
least the ones you consider, should have
2:03
working emergency stop buttons. And
2:05
another thing you should know is if
2:07
you're using a laser, you should never
2:09
leave it unattended. You don't need to
2:10
stare at the whole job. In fact, you
2:12
probably shouldn't. Just stay within
2:15
actionable distance. But without a
2:17
doubt, have a CO2 fire extinguisher on
2:20
hand and learn how to use it because,
2:22
well, you can't breathe CO2. And if you
2:24
try and extinguish flames in a really
2:26
small room with the door shut, think
2:28
about it. But let's talk about what you
2:30
can breathe. Not the given off by many
2:33
materials you'll be marking, engraving,
2:35
or cutting. So, here's a list of
2:37
dangers. You can pause and read through
2:39
them whilst I'm talking. And this list
2:41
isn't everything. And if you're new to
2:43
lasers, the chances are you probably
2:45
won't know what half of the stuff you're
2:47
cutting is actually defined as. So the
2:50
TLDDR is you shouldn't be breathing this
2:52
stuff. Most home lasers come with
2:54
enclosures and extraction hoses, and you
2:57
really want to be chucking all of those
2:59
fumes outside. Now, in lie of that, some
3:01
brands do offer indoor filters of
3:03
varying qualities, but I'm yet to see a
3:05
brand directly confirm what any of these
3:08
actively block or how much of it. What I
3:11
do know is that with all of these
3:12
filters, I can still smell burning wood
3:14
every time I laser wood. So, I have to
3:17
wonder what else could be getting
3:19
through. And I probably won't know for
3:20
about a decade if I'm sat here smelling
3:23
regret. So, ideally, get this stuff out
3:26
of your work environment. I've got a
3:28
separate video about using resin printer
3:29
enclosures and using aircon window
3:32
socks. Now, personally, I had a plumber
3:34
mate drill a 100 mm hole in my garage
3:36
wall, and I'll be having proper direct
3:38
ventilation installed soon. That might
3:40
be a future video. Is it something you'd
3:42
be interested in? Anyway, let's get on
3:44
to the meat of the video. Optical
3:46
safety. And this one took me days to
3:49
work out using YouTube videos, Google,
3:51
and getting misled by chat GPT several
3:54
times. If anyone's used Chat GPT5, I
3:58
personally I think it's absolute
4:00
bollocks at the moment. Anyway, laser
4:02
light is incredibly strong. Just 1 matt
4:05
of laser energy directed into your eye
4:07
is enough to cause irreversible damage.
4:10
And for those of us who forgot most of
4:12
what we learned in elementary school,
4:14
don't feel bad. I had to double check
4:15
this, too. There are a,000 matt in a
4:18
watt. And the lowest power laser I've
4:20
used so far is 10 watt. So, think of
4:23
that as 10,000 opportunities to blind
4:26
you every fraction of a millisecond that
4:28
a laser is on. And it's not just staring
4:31
at the laser either. Laser light can
4:33
reflect off anything. I've had people in
4:35
my comments tell me they've damaged
4:36
their eyes because all of the walls in
4:38
the room were white and it reflected and
4:40
bounced off the walls in the room. The
4:42
point is wear glasses, but we'll get to
4:44
that. In fairness, the light would need
4:47
to reflect into your eyes to cause the
4:49
damage, and the chance of that happening
4:51
might be small. But let's say even if
4:54
it's only a 0.1% chance, and I'll bet
4:58
it's actually much higher than that,
5:00
that's still a 0.1% chance of 100%
5:04
causing irreversible eye damage. Or for
5:07
a more amusing way to put it, 0.1% of
5:10
the time it'll blind you every time. And
5:12
maybe to more experienced laser users, I
5:15
could come across as fear-mongering.
5:17
Please know that's not my intent. I said
5:19
in the intro, I'm no expert. So, please
5:22
feel free to correct me or validate me
5:23
in the comments and I'll update the
5:25
video description. So, if you're
5:26
watching this, check the video
5:28
description for updates. What I do know
5:30
is that as an absolute beginner, I had
5:33
no idea about this stuff. And Lumi Tool
5:36
sent me their machine knowing I had no
5:38
idea about this stuff. I remember
5:40
staring at a piece of material as I was
5:42
trying to engrave it using the infrared
5:44
laser without glasses on, wondering why
5:47
couldn't I see it marking anything.
5:49
Yeah, that's exactly the sort of dumb
5:52
that beginners would do. And do you guys
5:54
realize how close I was to shouting,
5:56
"Hey kids, come and check this cool
5:58
device out." Now, for those of you who
6:00
are beginners, infrared light is
6:02
invisible. Stainless steel, which I was
6:04
engraving, is incredibly reflective, and
6:07
the lens of your eye does an incredible
6:09
job of focusing light onto the retina.
6:12
So, infrared can blind you faster than
6:15
your brain can even register pain. And
6:18
because it's invisible, you don't even
6:20
have the luxury of a blink reflex to
6:22
marginally reduce the damage. Now, I
6:24
know I was harsh on Lumi Tool for their
6:26
lack of user guides, but in reflection,
6:28
pun intended, with their absolute lack
6:31
of any safety warnings for me or any
6:33
user, if these guys operated in the
6:36
Western world, they'd probably be locked
6:38
up if they managed to get this thing on
6:39
the market. And for those of you
6:41
watching, you'll probably think, "But
6:42
they sent you safety glasses. Yeah, I
6:45
can hear the winge." Well, two things.
6:47
One, I was a complete beginner, as I
6:49
said, and yes, an idiot one at that.
6:51
I'll admit it. But I'm not alone in
6:53
this. Lasers are being pushed to
6:55
consumers. There will probably be more
6:57
people like me and people doing stupider
7:00
things than me who might actually look
7:02
straight down an active beam to see if
7:05
it's working. So yeah, I'd rather scare
7:07
people a little if it makes them take
7:09
safety precautions. But the other call
7:11
out here is what a lot of people have
7:13
said on my videos. With a lot of these
7:15
brands, the glasses they send you are
7:17
absolute crap. They are cheap shite and
7:20
do not offer adequate protection. So
7:22
this is where we come to the real meat
7:24
of the video. Choosing the right
7:26
glasses. And no, a welding mask is not
7:28
adequate safety. Yes, it blocks light,
7:31
but we need glasses that block specific
7:34
wavelengths of light. Now, in the home
7:36
market, there are typically three types
7:38
of laser. Diode lasers with a wavelength
7:40
in the 450 nm range. Infrared lasers are
7:44
becoming more popular for engraving
7:46
metals and they're in the 1,64 nanometer
7:49
range and even CO2 lasers because, well,
7:52
they're freaking awesome. And they
7:54
operate in the 10,600 nanometer range.
7:58
And you need glasses that protect
8:00
against those specific wavelengths. It's
8:02
not a case of just get the CO2 lasers
8:05
glasses because they'll cover everything
8:09
No, it's glasses per wavelength. Now,
8:12
you can sometimes get dual wavelength
8:14
glasses. For example, X Tool sent me
8:16
glasses that cover both diode and IR,
8:18
but they've got different optical
8:20
density ratings for each. And that's
8:23
another important value depending on how
8:25
strong your laser devices. So, here's a
8:28
table I put together from various
8:29
sources online that suggest a minimum OD
8:32
value for glasses at each laser
8:34
strength. Once again, this isn't gospel.
8:37
It's based on what I learned online. And
8:39
if there are any recommended changes to
8:41
this, I'll update my video description.
8:43
So, go check there first before you buy
8:46
anything. But even then, this video
8:48
should only serve as the start of your
8:51
research. Go and verify it. And yes,
8:54
bear in mind that the recommendations
8:55
you see in most places are potentially
8:58
overkill. I mean, a lot of these lasers
9:00
already have shielding on, right? But
9:02
safety experts being what they are seem
9:04
to always base their advice on
9:06
preventing the worst case scenario, like
9:08
your device giving you a full-on Cyclops
9:10
level blast to the eyes rather than just
9:13
an errant reflection. So, personally,
9:15
I'm going to get glasses with that in
9:16
mind because I don't know when or if
9:19
I'll ever need to perform maintenance or
9:21
if there's some circuitry in these
9:23
machines that could short and fire a
9:25
laser at the wrong time. So, I went
9:28
looking for safety glasses. One thing
9:29
stood out. They're all bloody expensive.
9:32
And when it comes to cheaper
9:33
alternatives, I stumbled across a brand
9:35
on Amazon called Free Mascot or Free
9:37
Mascot or Free Mascot, whatever. So,
9:40
after a bit more research and binging
9:42
some great videos by the channel Laser
9:44
Everything, someone who actually blasted
9:47
a laser at paper through these glasses
9:49
to show the marks, or lack thereof, I
9:52
still wasn't totally sold. No marks on
9:54
printer paper doesn't necessarily mean
9:56
no damage to your retina. Even though
9:59
apparently the thickness is about the
10:00
same. That's a fun fact I learned on
10:02
this little safety journey. So now you
10:04
know it too. Might be handy for a future
10:06
pub quiz night. Anyway, I emailed Free
10:08
Mascar and asked them to show me their
10:10
CE certificates and they happily
10:12
obliged. For those who don't know, the
10:15
CE marking and certificate means that
10:17
they meet EU standards for laser safety.
10:19
And the test report they sent was from a
10:21
third party certifier rather than just
10:24
something they knocked up in Photoshop.
10:26
I hope. Now, I didn't go as far as
10:28
contacting that certifier for
10:29
verication, and the skeptic in me
10:32
wonders, what if the testing company is
10:34
just their mate down the road handing
10:36
out gold stars for cash? Now, I'm sure
10:39
I'm not the only one thinking that, but
10:41
personally, there was enough for me to
10:44
make my own decision to trust them. And
10:47
if you do the same, then it comes to
10:49
buying them. And when buying, you do
10:51
still need to be careful. I bought a
10:53
load of pairs just to make sure they
10:55
were all actually CE branded and they
10:58
were. But I also wanted to check the
11:00
fit. Amazon listings are a bit of a
11:03
mess. There's a ton of different lens
11:04
types and styles and they're not easy to
11:07
sort. Now thankfully on many of the
11:09
product pages there's a grid at the
11:11
bottom separating them by lens type and
11:13
then on each listing you can choose the
11:15
glasses style. But here's the trap.
11:17
Whilst the title might scream OD6 or
11:20
OD8, the product graphs and detailed
11:23
descriptions often reveal that the
11:24
ratings only apply to specific
11:26
wavelengths, which is why I now keep
11:29
separate pairs for both diode and
11:31
infrared, and why I actually have to
11:34
remember which bloody laser I'm using
11:36
before putting the right ones on. A good
11:38
example is glasses that say they are OD8
11:41
in the title are only OD8 for the
11:44
infrared laser. For a diode laser,
11:49
So, read the descriptions carefully.
11:52
Now, when you're looking at these,
11:53
there's also something called
11:54
transmittance, which basically means how
11:56
much normal light gets through. The
11:58
lower the percentage, the more it's
11:59
going to feel like wearing sunglasses
12:01
indoors. And as for styles, some look
12:04
cooler than others. Some have extendable
12:05
arms, some have silicon straps. All of
12:08
them come with surprisingly nice
12:10
protective cases. Now, since I already
12:12
wear glasses, I found a lot of these
12:14
left gaps around my eyes that I could
12:17
still clearly see through. And some of
12:19
the pairs did this even without my
12:21
regular glasses on. So, in the end, I
12:23
went for the incredibly large ski goggle
12:25
style because they fit over my glasses
12:28
and actually cover my eyes properly. And
12:30
no, they don't look cool. But who's
12:32
going to see me wearing them? Apart from
12:34
my own family members occasionally and
12:36
the tens of thousands of people watching
12:38
this video, but they won't see you. So,
12:40
if you want them, wear them. But that's
12:43
it. By all means, get a laser. I don't
12:45
want to scare people out of not getting
12:47
lasers. They're incredibly fun. Just as
12:50
I said in the intro, do not take the
12:52
piss with safety. And for video
12:54
skippers, this is not professional
12:56
advice. Check the description for
12:58
updates and let this be the start of
13:00
your laser safety research. Get a fire
13:03
extinguisher, vent your fumes outside if
13:05
you can, or at least have a smoke
13:07
filter. And always, always wear safety
13:10
glasses when using lasers. Wear
13:12
sunscreen, too. That was good advice,
13:14
Baz. I will put affiliate links for free
13:16
mascot and the fire extinguisher in the
13:19
description. These are the ones I
13:20
personally chose to trust. Whether you
13:23
use these links after making your own
13:25
personal choice to trust them, or you
13:27
buy an ebook or some random kitchen
13:29
gadget you don't really need from
13:30
Amazon, if you click that link
13:32
beforehand, I'll make a commission and
13:34
that's at no cost to you. but it's how I
13:36
keep the channel running. And if I've
13:38
scared you, educated you, or entertained
13:40
you, or completely pissed you off, let
13:42
me know that in the comments and hit the
13:44
like button. All of this helps
13:46
engagement. Engagement helps reach.
13:48
Reach gets views, and views build the
13:50
channel. We're so close to 500,000
13:52
subscribers now, at least compared to 3
13:54
years ago. But tell me, tell me your
13:56
laser experiences, too. I want to make
13:58
sure that I stay relevant for future
14:00
videos. I want to say thanks for
14:02
watching and a huge thanks to our
14:03
members who keep this channel going by
14:05
literally paying me. They get early
14:08
access, their names on screen, Discord
14:10
rolls, and exclusive videos. So, please
14:12
consider joining up or dropping a super.
14:14
Thanks. Anyway, I hear you. Shut up,
14:16
Ross. That's enough now. All right, I
14:18
will. Until next time, I've set my laser
14:20
from stun to kill. Fammer out.
