Homemade Gas Mixer For My DIY Laser Tube

This video got a little lengthy, thanks for stickin it out with me!
Link to code on github:
github.com/cra...
Outro music by a friend of mine, check him out:
/ badamericansofficial
intro music:
bensound.com

[@DantalionNl]

If you ever want to get more accurate readings from analog sensors you can use techniques such as 'star grounding' or 'floating grounds' to reduce noise, just given you some terms if you are interested. Another, more simple trick is twisting the leads of analog sensor wires.

[@DStageGarage]

I think you were actually very close to achieve your goal with this optoelectronic measurement. If you'd just put a non transparent ball on top of the liquid and have a threshold set to just detect complete blockage of laser beam (in whichever way you were doing it, a ADC, comparator, transistor, whatever), that really should work and the whole thing is very clever idea.

[@bigwendigo2253]

This is what I had in mind. When he mentioned the laser diode and photo resistor. I figured the water would cause the laser to scatter a little but it’s still getting ambient light without the lid and I’m sure some light from the laser is still hitting the photo resistor. I’m just a hobbyist that follows schematics and am unfamiliar with using solenoids and relays and their speed, but that’s the gist I got from it from my dabbling with LDRs.

[@KyleMakeStuff]

Bro, I found your channel like 2 months ago and I'm actually super surprised you don't have like a million subs. I'm also oddly addicted to watching your vids, they are amusing

[@cranktowncity]

Thanks so much!

[@nitrousman8882]

you're a very talented fellow. did you look at mass flow valves as an option? you can get them pretty cheaply on eBay. It wouldn't be as elegant.... but it would be able to mix the gases simultaneously. If you ever decide to make your laser a constant flow system, that might be the way to go. Again, congratulations on a very innovative solution! Doug

[@edgeeffect]

Sounds cool too! Sounds like a TV hospital drama.

[@GUCR44]

You the man.. Hey. I used to work in a laser shop was very cool. I have many hours on a lumonics super 48.. We had a different setup for our home made mixer... It mixed 3gases right from the bottle into regulators using flow meters like on a mig.. And we recirculated the gas all day.. Worked pretty well.. So cool what you are doing bro.. Peace.

[@ThePcGamingBoss]

Your channel is WAAAAYYYYYY under viewed. Dude! You're awesome. Just found your channel and love watching!!

[@0redthunder0]

That's absolutely sweet! Very clever with the air shim🎉

[@romangudev8770]

Looking at this, and learning from your mistakes, I’d propose an ultrasonic sensor pointed down the volume tube, and we add a float in the tube to ensure reading of the gas volume and not the distance to the bottom of the tank.

[@dondywondy]

I know it's been a year but I just watched this and I was going to say you could float a ball (or a cork) to block the beam in the tube, but DStage already said it! Thanks for the videos, we know it takes a lot of work to prepare, record, edit and post these videos, not to mention the work being recorded, so Thank You! Appreciate it!

[@JPMontello]

very cool project! Typically you can fill an evacuated tank with your laser gasses by partial pressure to get the mix ratio you want... ex 10 psi (absolute) CO2 then add another 10 psi (absolute) of Nitrogen and then 50 more psi (absolute) of Helium. The result will be a tank filled with 70 psi absolute.

[@jesusisalive3227]

A metal float ball in the tube with some hall sensors could work also.

[@MakingStuff]

Dude, awesome project!

[@julias-shed]

Wow great project. You might have been able to fix the water bath sensors by ignoring the inputs during relay switching (technical term masking!) but actually the new design was brilliantly simple, robust, and you get the cool breathing sounds. 🙂 Well done for sticking with it.

[@cranktowncity]

I'll keep this in mind for future projects! Thanks for the support!

[@KalkigerKolben]

if you have problems with the switching peaks, you have to use two power supplies. one for the logic and one for the relay so your arduino is not confused the Term is galvanic Isolation :)

[@paulb8264]

I never passed my fluid mechanics class but I feel like there has to be a way to leverage the law of partial pressures, pressure transducers and your Arduino so make this much more simple. If I vaguely remember correctly you can, for a given volume, just mix gases in percentages based on the sum of the pressures of each type of gas in mixture. But like I said, never passed the class and I might be blowing smoke.

[@bsb0011]

Not sure if you are still checking comments on this video or not, but here are 2 thoughts that might improve how your pretty neat gas mixer works: First suggestion - why not simply float a round cork ball in the tube connected to the water bath / bladder thing? It would give you a clean on or off at your photoresistor. The water, even colored, is going to simply pass to much laser light through it. Anyway, in the end you came up with something that works - just offering my $0.02 in case you wanted a bit more control over the setup. Second suggestion - is related to the air that is introduced each time you switch gas cylinders. Adding one more relay, a tee fitting and a solenoid connected right before the air bladder gas inlet solenoid could be used as a purge valve to bleed the line of air before starting to fill the bladder after each gas cylinder change. This kind of setup is very common on NO2 assisted race cars to ensure the NO2 line is purged of air before they make a pass down the track.

[@projectboneyard]

If you use a larger diameter tube and suspend a float on the surface of the water. An ultrasonic sensor can measure the distance between the top of the float and the tube. You'd get the resolution your looking for. Just not sure on the precision without some experimentation. :)

[@yahavseligman4855]

I thought of a way to automate the mixer further; instead of manually changing the type of gas connected to the mixer; split the inlet in 3 and use a 3 input 1 output solenoid controlled valve; or create it using 3 valves and 3 rotary solenoids similar to what you did with the servo on the first valve you used.

[@Electronic4081]

I think you could do the water method with a plunger in the tube attached to a sliding variable resistor. I like the idea of being able to tell exactly how much gas is being added, it just satisfies my OCD a little more to be able to land on an exact value. I know given the jank of the whole system it won’t be exact, but at least it’ll be capable lol

[@gutrali]

Love your ingenuity and grit! I know hindsight is 20/20 but did you consider a peristaltic pump? They pump metered amounts very easily, and can handle gas. It can easily do 50psi, i think they can get up to 120psi actually. This type of pump is just a bunch of rollers along a tube driven by a stepper motor, resulting in a metered amount of gas per revolution, no valves needed. I am subscribed and watching all your vids on this co2 laser, keep up the great work!!

[@JerryBiehler]

Refrigeration compressors pump a lot of oil vapor out, you really want a filter to absorb all that otherwise it will go straight into your tube and kill your electrodes.

[@cranktowncity]

I did put a filter in, I guess I cut that part out in my frenzy of cuts to make this video not so long hahaha

[@brandondone2888]

Your drill sound speeded up sounds like a starwars driod. . . that is all. Carry on with the great work.

[@Vytor01]

You could have used a double acting pneumatic cylinder (PC) and 4 electric pneumatic valves (EV) and a flow control valve. The cylinder provides a know volume and with the Arduino and a sensor, measured the exact pressure of each gas as it fills the cylinder. The flow control valve controls the speed at which the PC fills with gas. This is important if you want exact volumes of each gas. On the end of the PC rod, mount a reflective IR sensor and rig up a measurement device using a seamstresses white vinyl tape and read the black tick marks as the reflective sensor sees them as the cylinder fills and empties if you need to stop at a certain point. With a bit of math you can get much more defined gas mix. 1) Turn on 1 EV hooked to the vacuum pump to pull a vacuum on the fill lines and 1 end of the cylinder. Then turn off the EV. 2) Next, turn on the fill EV to fill the evacuated side PC. Once filled, turn off the fill EV. 3) Turn on the Empty EV to let the gas escape and turn on the air pressure to the other side of the PC to force the gas out and into the collection tank. Once you have measured the cylinder being fully retracted and thus the gas forced out of the cylinder, turn off the Empty EV and turn off the pressure EV. 4) Rinse and Repeat for each gas.

[@lazyman114]

Wow super cool build. I think you should end up going full circle by replacing the gas bag with a balloon though.

[@markradcliff2655]

I'm glad I found this.

[@mfx1]

If you float a reflector on the water column you can point a laser distance measure down the tube to get the column height to mm accuracy so achieve any gas mix required. Opto isolated relay would be better also SSR or MOSFET switches cause less back EMF/noise issues but then you still have the solenoids to deal with (no big deal). Shame you gave up when so close, it wouldn't have taken much more to get it working perfectly/reliably.

[@Tims_Projects]

Great video, looks like you have a nice workshop, how about a tour?

[@cranktowncity]

Thanks man! Good Idea!

[@dustinandrews89019]

The opto-isolator was a good idea and would probably have worked. Probably. The Lung(TM) you built is pretty cool, and obvs. it fires the hell out of that laser.

[@chuckvanderbildt]

Impressive stuff, thanks for sharing it.

[@elektronikzmbrtlar1586]

The problem with light sensors are interferance. Pump turning on and of was creating emp which was disturbing analog readings. Shelding the cables would probably fix it

[@hablemosmaquina89]

Hey amigo Tuz videos son fantásticos Gracias por compartir tanta experiencia y sabiduría

[@TinkeringNerd]

Instead of dying the water, you could have used some sort of non-transparent float in that tube, to break the beam of your sensor.

[@bigwendigo2253]

Lmao that volcano of JB Weld on the water container made me laugh.

[@everythingquads]

Just wondering why you don't mix on the go with a needle valve per each gas and flow meters? Enjoying this series a lot. Subscribed.

[@seabeepirate]

I enjoy watching your process. Did you purge your gas lines when you switched tanks? You could be contaminating your mix, I don’t know how critical that is.

[@blackIce504]

i was thinking about your project and i know you done it but what about a MAP sensor from a car as they are very common and lots for data sheets on them and its cheap to get from a wrecked car or scrap yard...

[@MrGTMan002]

Nice job - I enjoy watching your videos about building things. Nice job with the arduino circuit animation.

[@Enderbro3300]

I was thinking what if instead of the laser diode you used a lidar sensor at the top of the column looking down at the water? Granted I don't know if lidar works with water but the sensors are like, 20 bucks I think. It'd give a much more precise reading of the level

[@UltimateMaking]

You my man are amazing

[@TheRainHarvester]

Thanks for pushing the limit!

[@leonpalnau6839]

I gotta say..that's quite a project to build a tool for another project. I was pretty uncertain what exactly you were building it for until I checked the tube video. I'm a bit of a maker myself so I just have to ask. If I found a need to build a device from scratch to measure ratios of gasses my mind would've went straight to some kind of flow meter. Basically like a little wheel with a little cavity in it that takes gas from one side of the line and moves it to the other by being rotated inside a housing. Each revolution would move the same amount of gas from the source side to the storage side. What made you take this route? Am I missing something?

[@cranktowncity]

I mostly did it this way because of the simplicity of it. To build a flowmeter from scratch that I can be absolutely sure is moving the same amount of gas every time would be very difficult(for me at least). With this setup, I could tell visually that I'm getting the same amount each time.

[@synterr]

Very cool breathing maschine! :)

[@jakobfindlay4136]

wouldnt you get a more accurate reading if you used flow regulators to measure how much of each gas has made it into the tank?

[@Jan_Seidel]

Cool idea. I will in close future also bounce against gas mix ratio. Maybe yyour way will also be my way. Cheers mate :)

[@Deadwindshadow]

Just use a water level sensor?

[@Deadwindshadow]

Great idea with the bladder and limit switch too!

[@wpigot]

Wouldn't an ultrasonic distance sensor have worked to get the volume of the tank?

[@cranktowncity]

I had the thought, but was worried about water sloshing into it when I move the machine

[@wpigot]

@@cranktowncity A JSN-SR04T is waterproof for example. I don't know if it would work reliably though. Pretty creative solution and a terrifying sound

[@GermanMythbuster]

0:38 - It saves you a lot of gaswork 😂

[@nicktohzyu]

do you have a video explaining suck boi? it looks like a vacuum pump adapted to a vacuum chamber then adapted back to a vacuum pump

[@samykamkar]

Very cool!

[@cranktowncity]

Thank you!

[@marouaneladjel1907]

Excellent plise make a video how to rechage a metal laser radio frequency

[@laszlovona]

That handle tho.. 🙄 I thought I knew what overkill was, until I came across this video. 😂😂

[@kjgfalsk]

About your sensor, why not a time of flight sensor at the top and a "swimmer" in your tube? Should be well precise i guess!? (sorry for my bad english, i am from germany xD)

[@thevide666]

F**K YEAH!

[@bonkbonk92]

I probably would've done an aluminum piston in a glass cylinder or something. Good project though.

[@DLMM29]

05:45 - Minecraft bell noises

[@mlab3051]

the sound and moving blader look terrify. it look like creature respiration.

[@weldmaster80]

I like your plasma cutter, you take odd jobs?

[@stevesrt8]

very cool!

[@krugtech]

I service CO2 lasers. If you're in the USA I can hook you up with some parts to play with. Just don't put your eye out!

[@cranktowncity]

That would be absolutely awesome! how can I get in contact with you? And don't you worry, if i lose an eye it'll be to something much more dumb than working on a laser hahaha

[@krugtech]

@@cranktowncity email me [e-mail] kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ_Gomhph7qBidU I'm usually in GA, VA and NY depending on the point in time at which you choose to observe me. I tired building a CO2 laser over 30 years ago, I never finished it, I had no reason to. I talked myself into a job playing with bigger ones. I got stories.

[@cranktowncity]

@@krugtech hahaha that video had me on the edge of my seat! I'd love to hear some of these stories man, I'll shoot you an email!

[@gavendb]

one time at band camp, i stuck a co2 laser in my...

[@MrSpad007]

holly stick batman. gas collator entablulator for dummies. now you won't be able to unlock your car door.

[@cranktowncity]

hahaha I still got a crowbar, and a rock for when that don't work

[@andreashabijan2514]

As always, a good video! The Soundcloudlink doesnt`t work. You should have a "buy me a coffee" button so i can send you money for beer. :D

[@cranktowncity]

Thanks for letting me know, I fixed it!

[@KieranHolroyd]

you're this old tony if he was a stoner 😂

[@caseysmith5585]

Still binging

[@zglove44]

haha mixing lung go brrr

[@GermanMythbuster]

*Why so complicated?* Just use a Peristaltic Pump with a Stepper Motor 🤯🤯🤗😄 You can get them in all sizes, even down to µL dosing ammounts and they are affordable (not the µL ones but yeah 😅).