John NC Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 I searched the forum, got nothing, Googled, got nada again. Let me ask y'all here: Is there an easy way to lay out the triangular pattern (spacing of the legs) of a tripod? I'm working on three legged bowls and am having trouble getting the 120 degree dimension between adjacent legs even. What I'm looking for is a quick way to draw an equilateral (equiangular?) Y on the bottom of the bowl. Some sort of stiff-yet-flexible template maybe? :confused: Thanks in advance, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 make and equilateral triangle of three equal length rods that has an inscribed circle equal to the diameter of your bowl at the point you want to place your legs. Set the bowl inside. Where it touches the bowl is where you want to mark for your legs. No need to get fancy. Eye ball every thing just make sure all three lengths of the rods are equal. When they are and the placement looks good mark it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 (edited) Or take three strips of hard plastic - like from a bleach bottle. Punch a hole in one end of each and put a small bolt/nut through it. Now measure out equal marks from that pivot point - like in a ruler. When you need to use it, spread it out flat with the three legs spaced out about the right angles. Then measure the distance between equal marks on each leg. When the distance is the same from each leg to the others, then it is spaced out correctly. Tighten your bolt/nut to hold it all in place. To use, just lay it on the bottom of your bowl/dish. Then press each strip down around the sides and mark. A quick check with a flexible ruler between your marks should give you equal distances. I keep one of those plastic rulers they sell for seamstresses/sewing in the shop. The old ones were cloth, the modern ones are plastic. It conforms around things much easier that trying to use a straight-edge ruler. The only worry I have is that I have occasionally gotten it a bit too close to hot iron when measuring! Only one "melted" edge spot -- so far. I use it all the time. Like measuring the circumference of a pipe. Or how long a piece of 1/2 square bar to make a second double-scrolled sign bracket. I also keep some of the old copper electrical wire handy - like the old farm overhead wiring stuff. I cleaned that old fiber/tar coating off. When I need to lay out a scrolled sign bracket, I bend that copper wire out to the approximate size/shape I need. This allows me to tweak the size of every part before I start heating/bending/drawing the iron bars out. And I can lay the finished piece right on that copper wire "pattern" to check. It also gives me something to measure to get the approximate length of iron bars to start with. When done, I just roll it up and stash it on the shelf for the next project. Occasionally I anneal that copper wire. It does work harden over use. Mikey Edited June 29, 2009 by Mike Ameling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martensite Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 A loop of string and three magnets.Set your points ,the string will let you see your "Y" .Do it by eye or measuring ,mark your placement and your good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 why not just lay a large hex nut on it and use three of the corners ...every other corner is 120* apart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil shelton Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 take a pair of dividers and draw a circle the diameter of the leg centers then with out changing the dividers mark around the outside of the circle it should have 6 marks. use every other one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John NC Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Lots of very good ideas here. Thanks all! Considering the un-uniformity of my bowls I'll have to try a few of these to see which ones work best in which situations. Mike, I love flexible plastic rulers. I have one right here in my desk, one downstairs in my wood shop and one at the shop. Couldn't do without 'em. And the bend-a-facsimile-out-of-wire trick was one of the first things I learned when I started smithing! Thanks again, all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ameling Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Hey, glad to help. I'm more of a "visual" designer. A few quick bends/kinks with copper wire gives me size, proportion, lengths. But Jay at Big River Forge grew up in that design/drafting school. He prefers to sketch things out on the computer using one of the CAD programs. And then he lets the computer tell him lengths of material to use (plus the guess-ti-mating for drawing tapers). Now, when I make up some of those Spider frypans (a skillet with three riveted on long legs) I just eye-ball it. A slight variance matters little with them. And this also shows up when you look at some of the originals from the 1700's. Mikey p.s. Now to get back to making a couple 1700's style shovels/spades, and then "convert" them into a small frypan - like the one original they found that some Rev War soldier made up. The fun ... projects ... we play with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John NC Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 (edited) Ok folk, here's what I came up with based on an amalgam of your ideas.Introducing the Super Tri-Star 3000! (R.I.P. Billy Mays) First, draw an equilateral triangle on half a manilla folder (thin flexible plastic would be more durable, but I couldn't find any around the house), then bisect the sides. Then, cut out the star shape, punch a hole in the center, and every 1/2 inch down each leg. To use, apply to bowl with magnets or masking tape. Choose the holes you want to use to mount your legs and mark. Bada bing, you're done. Thanks again, all. Edited June 30, 2009 by mod07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Now THAT is a solution!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 "thin flexible plastic would be more durable" does any of your binders(notebooks) have the thin plastic page keepers in the front? they'ed be about right for that template even a copper sheet would work as it would bend to fit the contour of your pot.. I like it I'll have to make one up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 i always use a large nut and use and draw outline then point to point but only extend every outher line outwards, bol jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John NC Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Good idea jimmy, that would certainly be faster than my method! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 John, Consider that idea stolen. Good thread; good solution. BTW, I dig your Gumby ruler. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Brilliant!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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