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Help with curve radii

ruffmike | Posted in Construction Techniques on July 20, 2006 08:30am

This is a profile of the top of three sides of a picket fence I would like to build. It is supposed to be a wave w/o a repeating pattern.

The simple drawing was done on Paint to scale (ft.).

Can any math whizzes help find the radii or maybe point me in the right direction?

I am hoping to get some at least close numbers to make some cheap jigs to assemble the fence.

                            Mike

    Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.

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  1. User avater
    zak | Jul 20, 2006 08:54am | #1

    Here's a resized JPG of the file to make it more palatable.  I'll look around for the formula to find that sort of stuff, I've got it somewhere.

    View Image

    zak

    "so it goes"

  2. Philter | Jul 20, 2006 08:56am | #2

    Place nails on the end points, and a nail on the high point on each board you want to cut.

    Attach two crossing laths or sticks together,on left and top/and right and top (picture a chevron) nails.

    Take out the top nail, and scribe the arc that the chevron describes, as you swing the guide (chevron) from end point to end point.

    That make any sense?...

     

    "If 'tis to be,'twil be done by me."

    1. ruffmike | Jul 21, 2006 02:20am | #5

      That make any sense?...

      It probably makes perfect sense, but I'm not grasping it. ; ^ )

      Thanks for the tip though. Those other sites are gonna help me.                            Mike

          Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.

  3. User avater
    zak | Jul 20, 2006 09:02am | #3

    radius of a circle with a chord 13' long, segment above chord 1' high: 21.625'

    radius of a circle with a chord 9.5' long (half of 19'), segment 1': 11.781'

    radius of a circle with a chord 11' long, segment 1' high: 15.625'

    Hope that helps.  I got it from this site: http://www.1728.com/circsect.htm

    zak

    "so it goes"

    1. JoeBartok | Jul 20, 2006 06:53pm | #4

      Ruffmike: Try this Circular Arch Calculator.

      Click here for links to more Circle Calculators.

      There's an explanation of the theory and diagrams with most of the calculators in case you want to make notes to use on-site in future.

      If you change your mind and would rather use elliptic or other strange and weird curves rather than circles give me a shout.

      Hope this helps. :)

       

      Joe Bartok

      Edited 7/20/2006 11:55 am ET by JoeBartok

      1. ruffmike | Jul 21, 2006 02:21am | #6

        Thanks, one of these site will get me what I need.                            Mike

            Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.

    2. ruffmike | Jul 21, 2006 02:27am | #7

      Thanks for the link. Just what I needed.

      I see you are coming to the Bay Area. If you stick around long enough, they MIGHT get started on the suspension section of the Bay Bridge.

      I'm in Alameda if you want to see the fence.                            Mike

          Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.

      1. User avater
        zak | Jul 21, 2006 03:12am | #8

        Maybe I'll come by and check it out sometime.  I'm moving to albany/berkeley in 2 weeks.

        I wouldn't mind getting a job on that bay bridge, but I think it's too far off for me.  I prefer to work in small groups anyway, and I get the feeling that would be big time.zak

        "so it goes"

        1. ruffmike | Jul 21, 2006 05:22am | #13

          I'm commuting to the city now and as nice as it would be to say "I built that bridge", its just too dangerous to consider.

          My carpenters local's logo is the Bay Bridge, I guess that's as close as I'll get.                            Mike

              Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.

  4. User avater
    Gene_Davis | Jul 21, 2006 04:26am | #9

    It's a sine curve, Ruff.

    Or a cosine curve, Mike.

    Whichever, get out your old trig calculator, the one they made you buy back in ninth grade, get some new batteries, and figure it out.

    The exercise will do you good.

    1. ruffmike | Jul 21, 2006 05:01am | #11

      Next you'll bring up parabolas                            Mike

          Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.

      1. User avater
        Gene_Davis | Jul 21, 2006 05:18am | #12

        I cannot find the key for a parbola on my old calculator.

        Punching in "PAR" on my cellphone brings out the paramedics, and I am not in need of any right now, thank you.

        1. ruffmike | Jul 21, 2006 05:24am | #14

          Maybe I'll put a parabolic gothic tip on the pickets. ; ^ )                            Mike

              Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.

  5. TRIGGER | Jul 21, 2006 04:55am | #10

    Looks like you need to assemble this fence with the pickets running wild. Then lay out your pattern until you like it. The nail deal will work great. Then when you are finally happy, Cut that "Sons O Biatch" before you change your mind.

    TRIGGER

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