"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
On 2010-01-14, Royston Vasey wrote:

"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...
On 2010-01-14, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
I added a laser guide to my press brake:
http://www.metalworking.com/dropbox/LaserGuide.pdf

A neat idea.

Note that there are tiny cartridges available with the laser
diode and the line generator (which appears to simply be some small
round glass rods stacked side by side. This is present both in the one
which I have, and in the slide-on line generator in my laser level. It
should be possible to make one for use with a laser pointer.

[ ... ]

Interesting, so looking from the side the line generators are like this?


oooo CIRCULAR BEAM oooo OOOOO --- LINE OUT ------

^^^^^
Row of n rod lenses

Nope -- more like this:

O
O
oooo CIRCULAR BEAM oooo O --- LINE OUT ------
O
O

It doesn't seem to matter just where the beam hits the plane of rods.
And I've seen some which have a second plane of rods at right angles to
the first one (not overlapping) to produce a cross-hair. Sort of like
this (laser's view, not side view like the above):

===| || |
====| || ||
=====| || || |
====| || ||
===| || |

Rod ends cut to form a rough circle for fitting into the holder.

Enjoy,
DoN.

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Thanks Don (& Winston), neat, there's lots of interesting stuff to learn
hey!