BIG SAFETY REMINDER:

The lasers in an optical drive can cause serious damage to your eyes!

Never (and I mean NEVER) look straight at them without proper protection. And even with, don't.

Sam's Laser FAQ has a good intro to laser safety, and for further reading please consult Dr. Google.

Be particularly careful when you run a laser straight from your own current source, as we do in this project. You might be cranking up the power well beyond the normal operating point. And already that point is dangerous.