I am framing an arch into an existing interior 60in. passageway. does anyone know where I can get premade arches, or have any quick easy techniques for this. existing walls are drywall and premades will be mudded over.
thanks in advance
Jim
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Check out this website
http://www.flexc.com/arch.pdf
Wait till you see this website.
http://www.arch-rite.com/
You can frame them using plywood also.
Orban arches are easy to frame with plywood and blocks. Cut a sheet of 3/4" plywood to the width of your opening. Snap a centerline on the sheet. Extend the centerline as far as is necessary to scribe the radius that you are looking for. I like to leave a minimum of 1 1/2" of plywood at the top of the opening so I add 1 1/2" to my radius and mark it on the center line. Drive a 8d nail at your center point and scribe your arch with a tape and a pencil (or string/ wire).
After cutting your piece scribe it onto another piece of 3/4" and cut it as well. Many times you can flip this over and cut it on the remains of your original sheet.
How wide is your arch. If it is 3 1/2" rough (to match a 2x4 wall) subtract the 1 1/2" of plywood and you come up with 2" blocking. Install a continuous ripper across the top and block as necessary for your sheetrock backing. I recommend every 6-8".
If you do not know what radius to scribe but know how far down the wall you want the arch to come you can figure that. Hook a tape at the top of the plywood where you want the arch to hit and hook another tape where you want it to hit the wall (on plywood template after centerline has been marked). Pull both tapes together on the centerline and adjust until both tapes read the same.
Bi Radius arches get a little trickier.
Wood is Good
Adam Greisz
Given the 60" width, consider going with elliptical arches. A semicircle that big would get in the way of people walking down the hall.
-- J.S.
"Given the 60" width, consider going with elliptical arches. A semicircle that big would get in the way of people walking down the hall."
Nonsense. An arc can be made at any radius to accomodate a 60" opening easily, without interfering with foot traffic.
View Image
That's a chord, not a full semicircle. The ellipse and semicircle make smooth transitions to the vertical, a chord has a sharp angle there. If you have 10 ft. ceilings, a true semicircle might look OK, but with 8 ft. ceilings it would sure get obtrusive.
The chord is fine if you like the look. Personally I think the ellipse is a bit more elegant and traditional.
-- J.S.
Here is a circular arch I framed for an opening that wide, worked fine.
Uh, OK, I say arc, you say cord. Potayto, potahto. There was nothing in the original post about a semicircle, only that he wanted an arched opening. As for which is more "traditional", I guess that's a judgement call, I'd say an arc is more traditional from a historical perspective, but an ellipse might be more traditional from a certain architectural-style perspective.Anyhoo, my point was only that an arc'ed arch will accomodate foot-traffic as well as an ellipse. Shakka bruddahView Image
I agree with John, an ellipse would be better. Easy to do, I just did four of them.Do a search for drawing an ellipse. There is more than one way, websites can describe it better than I.
mike
I FRAMED AN ELLIPTICAL ARCH DURING MY SECOND FLOOR REMODEL LAST YEAR. I BOUGHT MINE FROM KOETTER WOODWORKING. IT WAS A 5/0..... IT WORKED OUT GREAT. I THEN DRYWALLED WITH A BULLNOSE EDGE ON BOTH SIDES. LOOKS GREAT. KOETTER HAS MANY OUTLETS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND SRE ON THE WEB.
The hook on your Stanley tape measure has a slot in it. Drive a nail into your floor someware then hook that slot onto the nail. Hold your pencil at the desired radius on your tape then swing your arch.
With a little geometry you can create a full scale mock-up.
thanks everyone for your help. I've framed in a few archs in the past. I was looking for shortcuts like the flexarch products.
thanks again
Jim
.. allot of achs about arches lately, so do what you learned in school, tack a sheet of ply above the opening, drive two nails into the plywood template, equadistant from each opening edge, and along the same horizontal line (these will be the foci) .. now place a loop of string over the nails with some slack. Put your pencil in the string pull it tight and draw .. you change the dimensions of the ellispse by moving the foci closer of further appart, or making the string loop longer or shorter .. have fun .. draw a couple and see which looks better ..
Jim - if its a non-bearing partition wall, here's a shortcut I've done in the past: carefully mark and cut the arch out of the existing opening (I cut the sheetrock on both sides using a template, then sawzall the framing members). Then fill in with small blocks, attaching with drywall screws through the drywall into the blocks. Along the bottom of the arch use drywall screws to attach a layer of scored sheetrock, or to add a measure of rigidity use a staple gun to attach a layer or two of masonite. If you're using bullnose, you'll need to add a layer of rock 1/2" in from the edges. Use a nailgun to toenail some long finish nails from the blocks into the cripples and to each other. Add cornerbead using screws not nails, and mud away.View Image
Edited 8/13/2005 1:48 am ET by Huck
Nice response Huck,
Looks like a great suggestion if his situation is as you described.
Wood is Good
Adam Greisz<!----><!---->
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