This is a very simply and rather basic solution to one of the silly things that annoys me about the red diode laser used for aiming. Besides it not being combined back at the tube…and forget me ever modifying my 3 lasers with a beam combiner…the other issue with the side aiming diode is the beam is too big and bright and is wonky.
I like a small tight beam so I can get the actual CO2 beam spot on and not off by 1-2mm simply due to a wonky stretched red diode.
So attached is a simple LB file i use on all my lasers to make a beam attenuator for my red diode aiming beam. It is basically a cap that slips over the diode barrel and has a .5mm hole in the center. This will fit, for me, all the diode barrels I have but may not for you.
I use 3/16" plexi and leave the paper on to block any leaking but you could use baltic birch ply or opaque plexi but basically anything that blocks the beam accept for the center hole.
Works for me very well.
Yes it is easy peasy but works real well.
lensattenuator.lbrn (20.9 KB)
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Thanks for posting your simple solution. If I ever go back to a single red dot setup, I will incorporate your solution.
A great improvement!
Red dot laser light is polarized, so a polarizing filter will knock the brightness down even more. Your pinhole removes all the trash light around the beam and a polarizing disk on the outside will produce a truly tiny dot:
My pile produced some polarizing film, but a lifetime supply isn’t very expensive these days:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=polarizing+film
FWIW, a CO₂ laser cuts polarizing film like butter. 
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