I wanted to show off with some detail how I operate my laser scanner. This isn’t a nice, pre-built box of any kind. Things are mostly held together with zip ties and propped up with coins and paper. Read the post for more….

For starters, if you want to use anything other than a red laser, you will need to get some broadband first surface mirrors. I found some great ones at Anchor Optics that were less than a millimeter thin and about 15mm in diameter. This fit perfectly over the surface of the old surface. (For reference, I used an epoxy glue to bond the two glass surfaces together…)

You can view a great selection for this product here: http://anchoroptics.com/catalog/product.cfm?id=360

After you have attached the new mirrors and allowed them to dry, all you need to do is (put on your safety goggles…) and aim the laser at one of the mirrors. Instead of trying to describe the light path, view the photos below: