Spread beam to Line

[madeinoz]

G'day one and all,

I'm very much a newb to all of this and was wondering if someone could point me to some material on creating horizontal/vertical lines with a laser (much like the DIY laser lines at the local hardware stores).

What I'm looking at doing is having a line being projected out of a top slot of my laser pointer barrel 90Deg from axis of laser diode, with the line being projected along the axis of the laser pointer.

What I'm looking at doing this is I want to create a line projection that I can use on the inside of a wall cavity, i.e. I drill a hole in the wall for a new data or power point and I need to climb into roof space to drop a pull through down, so I want to insert the laser pointer into the small hole at the bottom and then when turned on it projects a line along the inside the cavity up to the ceiling space and will ultimately project a line on the roof, bingo easy location in a dark ceiling space, then all I have to drop the pull through down along the laser line, (I saw something similar on TV and thought I'd try and make one myself)

I know I can divert the beam 90deg with a prism/mirror, but the question remains how do I make a line?

e.g.

[pre]side view

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ <- Projected line
^
----------] | [---+
--------->/ | beam exits pointer barrel 90degs then projects in line along the pointers axis
------------------+

top view

--------------------+
--------]---[-----|------------ <- Projected line along axis of pointer but facing up
--------------------+
[/pre]

thanks,

Stephen....

 

[SenKat_Stonetek]

Do a search on ebay for line generators - they are small "lenses" most of the time, that will fit right inside an aperture - or very close to the lens. Most line generators look like they have horizontal (or vertical - depending on rotation !) ridges on the medium that will distort the beam into a line.

 

[hydrogenman15]

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5928

 

[madeinoz]

thanks for that, look like I can remove the lens and do just what I want with some playing around.

cheers

 

[Dark_Horse]

The Module in the link above is a great value. I used to just buy the "dot-version" but then I ordered a couple of the "line", and the "cross" versions, they are much more than I expected. I have seen these little lenses sell for $30 or more, at DX they come in the module, for the same price as the one without it, that makes it free right, (with purchase of a $4.60 module)? ;D
DH

 

[LikeitBright]

You need a cylindrical lens.

 

[darklandz]

try this
http://www.novalasers.com/NOVAstore/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=6&idproduct=33

 

[heruursciences]

get a glass swizzle stick and break a small piece off and put it in the beam ;D