Axminster Red Line laser

[Cutting Crew]

Hello all,

Please bear with me as this is a difficult question to explain.

In the latest Axminster Tool Deals catalogue they show a Red Line laser that projects horizontal and vertical lines, what I would like to find out is would the projected lines go round a curved surface. For example if it was projected onto a ball, would the line curve go around the part of the ball that can been seen from the front? Obviously it wouldn't go round the back of the ball.

I rang Axminster's technical dept but they said that without getting one from stock and trying they had no idea, does anyone on this illustrious forum have one or a similar laser that may do this? If the laser beam did bend with the curve of the surface it would help me tremendously with marking out the decoration on the thin wall vases I make.

Regards....Mike

 

[tim]

Mike,

It won't 'bend' because the light will only travel in one direction , however if the beam has a horizontal projection ie produces a line then it will show on all parts of the ball that you can see from the laser projector point.

Does that make sense?

Cheers

Tim

 

[Mcluma]

It will if you use mirrors, I have done so, but make sure the mirrors are absolutely level to the boject you'r marking up

McLuma

 

[StevieB]

Light travels in straight lines. Thus it will mark a straight line on a curved surface. Imagine a ball 10 cm high, and a line projected at 9cm high. The line will be 1cm below the top of the ball all the way round the ball where the line strikes it.

I think what you are asking is will it act like a straight line drawn on a piece of paper which is then wrapped round a curved surface? (Apologies if I have mis-interpreted the question) the answer is no, the line should still be horizontal.

HTH,

Steve.

 

[Offcut]

Just to re-iterate what SteveB has said. If the laser generates a straight line on a wall i.e horizontal. Place the curved surface in front of it and it will produce a straight line across the surface.

If you can see it then the laser can see it.

Andy

 

[Knot Competent]

Mike, can you not put your pot on a rotating platform and mark where the laser falls as the pot goes round?

Regards, John

 

[Cutting Crew]

Thanks for the help, general opinion seems to be that it would work and as the Red Line lasers are not all that expensive one would always be useful for something else if it doesn't work on my pieces.

John, I use a dot laser as a guide to getting the thin walls (1/16") even over the length of the vase. I also need vertical lines and it means a lot of work doing them that way.

Regards....Mike

 

[RogerS]

Mike

Tried my Homebase laser and it does work ..starts to get faint as you reach the outer edges of the ball (before it starts to go 'dark side of the moon ' if you get my drift)

Roger