How does "Laser Straight" go around corners?

[Fiona]

they keep running the commercial, and it's been driving me bonkers for weeks.

How does a laser beam go around a corner?

[jellybelly]

1. I think it's reflected off a mirror

:shrug:

[Fiona]

4. hrmm....

presumably you'd have to turn the mirror at a 45 degree angle and make sure it was exactly vertical. Must require two other Laser Straights to align the mirror :)

[jellybelly]

8. the commercial said something

about the laser beam reflecting.....something:shrug: I'll pay attention next time...:P

[BattyDem]

2. LOL! I thought I was the only person who couldn't figure that out!

:toast:

On edit: Did you see the "corner shot" in the commercial? The thing does a hard right angle for no apparent reason! :shrug:

[arcos]

3. same here!!

:toast:

[ZenLefty]

5. It's not a line, but a plane

A laser beam transcribes a line in space, but inside of these laser levels they sell now, there's a little prism that splits the beam so it makes a flat, level plane.

And don't waste the money on "Laser Straight". Go to the hardware store and pick up a real one. It'll work better and last longer.

And the stud finder doesn't work in old houses.

I'm just a cornucopia of esoteric knowledge tonight, eh?

[Fiona]

12. but that still doesn't tell me how it goes around corners.

[7th_Sephiroth]

6. it doesent fire a beam like a pen laser does

it fires a beam in a wide, fantail angle, i have one

[Fiona]

7. but how does it go around corners?

[ZenLefty]

13. The laser plane will follow the path of the wall

If the wall corners towards you, the light will fall on that wall. If it corners away from you, it won't. Hard to explain without drawing it.

[Fiona]

18. so you're saying an inside corner

will work, but not an "outside" corner. but the commercial shows it going around an outside corner!! AAARRGGHH!! They're messing with my mind!

[ZenLefty]

19. The commercial lies.

It won't do that. Unless there is a perfectly positioned mirror on the opposite wall, then I guess it could...

[ZenLefty]

21. Okay, I just watched the commercial.

I think they had the laser level pointed at the corner such
that the light splayed on both sides.


                           /   
Laser Level              / 
    |                  /
    x -  -  -  -  -  /
                      \
                        \
                          \
                            \

[7th_Sephiroth]

33. you aim it at a corner

and the wide beam does the rest, think of the pattern as a baseball diamond, wich starts at home plate and widens out

[ZenLefty]

15. They're cool, aren't they?

And apparently, only we know the secret cornering trick. I can't seem to describe it in words. B-)

[sundog]

9. it reflects off the baby nuns

:P

sorry, I couldn't resist :7

[Fiona]

11. Hey, that's not funny!

Oh wait, yes it is.

[sundog]

20. just be glad

I decided to censor *dead* from my original post

feel free to re-insert it where appropriate

[MidwestTransplant]

10. It was just born that way!

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

14. Ok now I don't feel stupid

I asked this same question to somebody the other day. Maybe I should have taken Physics, but I can't figure it out.

[Catholic Sensation]

34. BLUES CLU---

oops it's traffic level 1, no signatures... nevermind... :*

[RandomKoolzip]

16. What is "Laser Straight" and does it have anything to do

with that cockpit story making the rounds?

[tridim]

17. It has to be pointed at the corner at a 45 degree angle

In other words, IRL it would not be at all useful because
you'd have to balance the laser on a tripod or furniture. It'd
be impossible to get level.

           O laser
          /
wall     /
--------|
        | w
        | a
        | l
        | l

I want the one that levels with water.

[ZenLefty]

23. Yeah, like that.

:D

[tridim]

My ASCII-Fu beats your ASCII-Fu anyday

:headbang:

[ZenLefty]

30. In your ASCII dreams

Highlight this text and you will see all your ASCII are belong
to us!

MMMMMMMMMMBRXI+=+;==++=:.+..;=++i+++++iYVIIIt=iIIIiiRWWWWWWWWWWWWWt
BBBMBBBBBXYYtiii+;,:;+=..,.,,..;,;+=iIYItIt+++;;++===XMMMMMMMMWWMMt
BMBBBBRRRYtit=+i==:..........::.,,;:=+iit=,:,:==;+==+iBMBBBMMMMMBBi
BBBBRXXXVYIti;,::;............,....;:;t+,,:;===;;,..,;tRXXRBMMMBRX+
RRXVVVXYtIIIIt+;,................,.,.=:.:::..::;;:...=+IYVXBMMMBXY+
Yt++iIVIitttii+i=::;=++==:,............,;:=:;,....,:.,=itIVRBMBRYi;
+=:;+YYtti++itYt+itYVVVYVVI;,........:,,,.....,,:,....,:iIVBMMBRI=;
IIIIVVt+==+ttYIIiIYVXXXXVXXVI+=;;:,::++++=:,.....,,:,,..,iVRBMMBVI+
BBBBXYi+==iiIIIitIYXXRRRXXXXRXXVYYYttIIYVYi=,.....;=+=+;;tXBMMMBRBi
MMMBVi++iiIYt+iIVXXRBBBBBRBRBRBBBBBRXXXXXXVYi=,.....,,,;:IBBMMMMMMt
WWWBVYIItYYi++IVXRRRRRBBBBBBBMMMBBBBRBBBXXXXYI+=,,...,..,YBMMMMMMMt
WWMXXYttIt+=tYXXXBBRRRBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBRRRXXXVVI+,..:,:,.,IMMMMMMMMt
WWMXVtIIt++tVXXRBBRBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBRBRXXXXXXXV+...,:,,:+BMMMMMMMY
WWBYi++iIttYVXXXXXRBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBRRRXXXXVVXVYt:......,=VMMMMMMMt
WWRIiiiitIVXXXXRRRRBRRRRRBMMBBBBBBBBBBRRRRXXXVVVYi,.....==XMMMMMWWt
WWMiiVYIYVVVVVVVVVVVVVYYVVVRRRBBBBBBBRRRRXXVVVVVVV+,..,,:iRMMMMMWWt
WWWVititVVVVVVVYVVVXXXVVVYIVXXXVXXVVIIIIYYVVVVVVVVI;....iBMMMMWWWWt
WMMYYiYYVVVVVYIt=;;,,=IiiItiXBRVYi+tIYVVVVVVYIYVVYY=..:,VMMMMMMMWWt
WMBIIXVYVVXXXVVVVVVVVVVIIVYtXBBVit+==:;=+iIIYIYYVVVi;++VMMMMMMMMWWt
MMRVVXVYYVVXXXRXVYYVVYYVVVIIXRRVtVVIIIi+I=;;+tYVVYIi+iiBMMMMMMMMWWt
MMRRXVVVVVVXXRRBRRXRXXXRXVVVXXXYtIVVYYYVVVVVIYVVYIIIIiVMMMMMMMMWWWt
MMMXVVVVVVVXXXXRRBBBBBBRXVVVXXVYIIYXXXVIIIIYVRVVYttIItMMMMMMMMMMWWV
MMMMMXVVVVVVXXXRRBBBBBRXVVVVXXVVIIVXXXXVVVVXXXVYIiIYtYMMMMMMMMMMMWI
MMMMMRVVVVVVVVXXRRRXVVVVVVVRBBXVYIVRBBRXXXVVVVYItiIVVRMMMMMMMMMMMMi
XBMMMVVVVVVVVVVVVXVVVVVYItYVVVVYtIIYVXRXVVVVVYItttIIXMMMMMMMMMMMMMt
:iXBBYYVVVVXXVVVVVVVVVVVVItYIYIiitIVVVVVVVVYIIIttVXBMMBBBBBMMMMMMMV
..:tRXYVVVVVXVXXXVVVXXXXXXXYYVVYYYYVVVVVVYYIIIIiXMMMMBBBBBBBBBBBBBX
...XWBYYVVVVXXXXXVt=:iIYVYVYIYYIYYYYVVVVVVYIItitBBBBRRXXRBBBBBBRRRV
.;RWWWXYVVVVXXXXXVXVYtIVVXRXBRVI=,:iVVVVVVVIIiiXBBRXVYYVXBBBBRXVVVY
YWWWWWMVXVVVVVVXXRRRXXVVVIIti+=++tYVVVVVVVIItiVBBRXVIttYVRBBRVYItIY
WWWWWWWMVVVVVVVVXRRRBXXXXXVVVVVYYVXVVVVYYYItiYRXXYIi+;=tVRBRVYi++iI
WWWWWWWWMXVVVVVVXXRRBBBXRXVVVVVVVXXVYYYYYIiiIVYIt+=:..,+YRRXVt=::;t
WWWWWWWWWWRVVVVVVXXRBRRBBRRXXRXXXVVVIIIIttXBRXVIti+;::=tVRRXVIt+iiI
WWWWWWWWWWWMRVXVVVVXXXRRBRRBXXXXVVYItttYRWWWWWWMBXYIItYVXRBRXXVVXXV
WWWWWWWWWWWWWMXVXXVVVXRRBRBRXVVVYYIItVBWWWWWWWWWWWWMRRXXRBRBBRRBBBX
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMRVYVVVVVVXVVVVYIIIIYVMWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMBXXXXXXXRRV
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWBRVYVYVYYYIIYYYYYYVMWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWBVVYYYYVV
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMRXVVVVVVVVVVYYXWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWBXVYIIYi
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMRXXVVVYVYYVBWWWWWWWMWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMY+;:,.,
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMBXYIIVRBWWWWWWWWWMMWWWWWWWWWMBXVVYt;.......
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWViiiIIMWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMBXYi=:..............
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMi,.....:MWWWWWWWWWWWWWWX=,.................
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW;.......;BWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWYi:..............
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMI,......RMWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWX:............
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMt.....=MWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWBi;..........
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMWWWWB....=;YWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWV.........
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWt.,:..;:VWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWBi.......
 
 

[Xithras]

25. Bingo, I was about to post that myself (I have an LS)

I own a Laser Straight (got it as an Xmas gift) and that's EXACTLY how the instructions tell you to do it. To go around an outside corner you need to either mount it on a tripod or an opposing wall so that the beam fan is directed at both walls.

It's cheap, but I have to admit that it works pretty well...the beam is well defined, has good range, and basically works as advertised. My problem with it is that is has this weird sticky "goo stick" that you adhere to the bottom in order to mount it. When the goo gets too dirty to stick anymore, you have a high tech pair of THUMBTACKS that can be used instead (no joke, it even has a nifty thumbtack mount below the battery cage so you can safely store your thumbtacks inside your Laser Straight). I'd never buy one and I certainly wouldn't recommend them to anyone, but I guess I can't complain too much about free tools (my wifes 89 year old grandmother bought it for me).

[ornotna]

27. I believe this is how you do it

you have to mount it on an opposite wall from the outside corner. I don't own one so this is a guess.

[gaia_gardener]

22. What drives me nuts about that commercial

is they are showing the things being done after all the initial prep has been done - in other words, after it is too late.

A light switch (and really, who cares if light switches are at the same level when they're around a corner?) goes in when the house is being built. It's not something that most people will ever do (please God). I'm sure occasionally, someone will have a light switch box installed after the house was built, but even then, installing the plate is the last thing you do. You would have had to already make the cut in the wall and put in the box and do all the wiring, etc (again, not something the average person should do). You can't exactly adjust the light switch plate, it goes where the box is.

The pictures? The nails had to have been driven, etc. If the nails are level, the pictures will be level - no need to have a laser going across the top.

I think it goes around the corner because it is being shot at the corner, rather than hung on the wall.

[tridim]

24. Plus the bubble level would be VERY inaccurate

over 3 or more feet. You'd have to have someone else on the other end with a tape measure as you adjusted the laser level. Might as well just snap a chalk line while your friend is down there futzing with the tape measure.

[Az]

26. Its not projecting the way you think it is

The ads are slightly misleading (Big duh). The impression from the ad is that the laser is on one wall and the line goes around the corner.

Instead what is really going on is that the laser is behind the camera and the line is being projected at the corner and along both walls.

Think of pointing a flashlight at the corner. Its light goes to both sides of the intersection. Same principle here.

[Fiona]

28. thank you all

now I get it. yes, the commercial is very misleading.

[w13rd0]

29. It's bounced off the eyeballs...

...of overhead airliners...

[Must_B_Free]

31. You are all wrong

it reflects off a doodoo that you have to lay yourself...

This is the ONLY WAY it can be done. I swear.

[gfr4656]

32. it doesn't tell its parents