Re: Home-made lenses, scatter problem

andy the pugh writes:

However.... I want the fan to be produced at right angles to the laser
axis, so I have been trying to make my own optical elements by machining
polycarbonate.

The cheap laser levels generate a line. I thought they used a hologram,
not a lens. Doesn't that plus a bit of mirror do what you want?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92494
.