Goldfinger Gadgets
Laser Cutter
Ah, how little we all know.
The famous, “No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die”, sequence, with Bond strapped to a golden table with movie-world’s first ever laser beam heading towards his, erm, important bits, is really a guy under the table with a blow torch and super-imposed post production red light beam. We won’t let that spoil the fun though. It was chosen ahead of the book version’s buzz saw, because screenwriter Richard Maibaum thought it, “The oldest device in cheap melodrama." There are many types of commercially used laser machines around now. You can have your eyes lasered, your tattoos lasered, but we couldn't find any lasers that dealt with your private parts, or for that matter, for burning big holes through the doors at Fort Knox. Laser Cutters are growing in popularity with technical departments of schools, colleges and universities. It makes sense - Computer controlled laser cutters or engravers are safer than more traditional sharp edge cutting instruments such as knives, hacksaws and drills. The risk of several school 20 students using craft knives is overcome as the sharp bit is enclosed in a box where it remains harmless. Laser Cutters can cut and engrave a wide range of material including acrylic, wood, textiles, card and engraving laminate, so the range of projects that can be tackled is extensive. The majority of the machines are available in standard bed sizes from A3 to A1. Apart from odour extraction and power, the costs are materials and the laser cutter itself, which start at around a £1,000 and go up to tens of thousands. Below are some examples of the sorts of things that can be made by kids in Junior Schools. The scope is great for the education profession and keeping the children engaged and interested is relatively easy.
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Photos: Goldfinger 1964 Danjaq, LLC, & United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved
