New member, and an optics fab question

[chale44incolo]

Hi All,
Someone at LinkedIn directed me to your forum here and I joined, thanks. The query I sent out via LI was whether anyone knew of any good optical fabrication tech forums (and thus this site), and whether anyone might have thoughts on how to go about fabricating some small fused silica windows from larger stock. Specifically, I'd like to get thoughts on how to take some available 20x20 mm x 0.1 mm thick flat/flat f.s. material and yield some 3 mm diameter pieces from it. I can readily dice up square pieces from this material with a diamond saw we've got, but then, how to go about making them round...hmm. Thinking of waxing/stacking some on the end of a mandrel and then grinding/turning them down on a lathe to 3 mm diameter...? Or one might make (or buy, but boy I don't know from whom--) a 'core drill' from a piece of brass or something, and try coring such pieces out (no doubt backed up with thicker sacrificial material in a 'sandwich', etc.). Any thoughts here? Anyone know of what you would find to be an even better forum for such optical-fab queries? Thanks, and I look forward to learning a lot here. Charley Hale, Beyond Photonics LLC, Boulder CO USA

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I would think a waterjet would be an appropriate tool for fast processing... cover both sides with a safety mask/film to avoid abrasion by the garnet, then process away. Final result should be pretty darn smooth right out of the machine, with only a bit of final sanding to relieve the sharp edges top/bottom.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com