dividing measurments

[Lew Hodgett]

That's why all my layouts were done lightly with 6H lead and an electric eraser at my side.

Lew

[Charlie Groh]

[-MIKE-]

I think we're getting lost in the words. Since a picture is worth a thousand of them, I made a diagram explaining how that accordion pantograph thingy would work easily.

I have two blue blocks spaced apart. I have six yellow blocks I want to space evenly between the blue blocks. I spread out the divider tool and put each end into the blue block a distance equal to half the width of a yellow block. This gives me centerlines for the yellow blocks that result in even spacing.

[Leon]

Probably so!

cut a spacer to the required space width.

[-MIKE-]

Yeah. I think it has a lot to do with being right or left brained. They say you're one or the other, but I find I go back and forth depending on what I'm doing.

[Charlie Groh]

...right, cut a stick. Sticks rule...pardon the intentional pun.

cg

>

[mark]

I found the problem with using a spacer stick is that if it is off by a tiny amount the errors accumulate. 1/32" error X 16 baluster and you are off by 1/2" at the end. It helps by starting at the midpoint and working both way, that way you would only have 1/4" at either end and your eye is less likely to pick it up. As for marking the centers for baluster, could you not simply extend the tape beyond the starting point by 1/2 the baluster width and the same for the end.

[Leon]

I found the problem with using a spacer stick is that if it is off by a tiny amount the errors accumulate. 1/32" error X 16 baluster and you are off by 1/2" at the end. It helps by starting at the midpoint and working both way, that way you would only have 1/4" at either end and your eye is less likely to pick it up. As for marking the centers for baluster, could you not simply extend the tape beyond the starting point by 1/2 the baluster width and the same for the end.

That is a good tip!

How in the world do you determine the midpoint?

;~)

[Robatoy]

Midpoint? Simple. It is usually somewhere around two quarters of the total distnace between the two endpoints from the left and 3/6th from the right. If you want to get really accurate, you can use 7/14th's. Sky's the limit *S*

[Morris Dovey]

Fold it in half and crease the fold. When you straighten it out again, the crease will be at the midpoint.

:o)

[Leon]

Half would make 2 pieces?

[Leon]

Midpoint? Simple. It is usually somewhere around two quarters of the total distnace between the two endpoints from the left and 3/6th from the right. If you want to get really accurate, you can use 7/14th's. Sky's the limit *S*

Same as 1/tooth, right?

[Lee Michaels]

You know the classic centering trick with a combination square. Measure from each side of the stock and pick your point in the middle of the two lines is there is a discrepancy. I am suspicious of tape measure measurements. They can be deceptive and often wrong for no apparent reason. I find this to be true more and more as I get older and my eyesight is not as good as it used to be.

Sooooo.... if I needed to be absolutely sure of a midpoint, I would come up with a stick that is a little longer than midpoint. Mark from both sides. Then go to the middle of that. It is hard to screw this method up. It is easy to screw up with a mesuring tape.

And measuring twice does not always catch mistakes either. I am finding by using the stick method, I make less mistakes and waste less wood.

[Morris Dovey]

Umm - if you broke it, just smear the ends with bondo and re-assemble.

Try to not break the next one. ;-)

[luigirecnorm]

Put your balusters together, measure (Call this "A"). Then measure the total distance the balusters go in (Call this "B"). B minus A =3D "C" & divide "C" by the number of spaces (probably one more than the number of balusters). Ta da!!!

[Tom Veatch]

Remember that dimension, call it "D", is the width of the opening between the balusters, not the distance between centerlines. Call the width of the baluster "W".

From the edge of the opening measure D. From that point measure W. Those points mark the edges of the baluster. Then repeat the measurements D & W from the edge of each baluster until you've marked all the baluster locations.

OR: mark the edge of the first baluster with the dimension "D", then repeat from that point with the dimension D+W. That locates only one edge of each baluster, but that's all that's really needed.

OR, and the way I do it is: Cut a couple of spacers with length D and use them to locate top and bottom of each baluster from the edge of the opening or from the last baluster installed. Tolerance stackup can cause perceptible mislocation of the last few balusters installed. Especially if you work from one end toward the other. Instead, I'll locate the center baluster(s) and work toward each end from there. If there are an odd number of balusters, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc. the centerline of the center baluster will be at the midpoint of the opening. If there are an even number of balusters, the center of a space between balusters will be at the midpoint of the opening. Position and install the center baluster(s) and work from there with the spacer. That cuts the tolerance buildup and baluster mislocation in half.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[Charlie Groh]

...sticks are great! If I'm following myself (and who doesn't like that?!) I'll use sticks to layout *and* position the posts. If I have this luxury, then it follows to use said longer sticks as layout markers for the balusters, then, using the aformentioned smaller sticks for nailing/screwing helpers becomes really simple...plus you'll always know where you stand as far as creep goes, there shouldn't much! If the bay sizes vary, choices have to be made...the main choice is 'do you want to vary the spaces between balusters from bay to bay, or keep those spaces the same for the entire job?' Here, I usually opt for door #2 and keep those spaces the same; letting the end measurements vary *evenly* side-to-side. This allows me to keep using the same longer sticks as layout guides, indexing from center points.

cg

[Tom Veatch]

Agree!

Variation in spacing from bay to bay is more visually objectionable than a smaller spacing at the ends of bays. The visual flow is already broken by the boundary of the bay (post, wall, etc.), so there's where the "odd sized" spaces should be.

Since the maximum baluster spacing is often set by code (don't want children to get there heads caught between balusters), that makes a good start point for laying out the pattern.

1. Choose the spacing you want, "D", less than or equal to the code required maximum.

1. Let the width of a baluster be "W" - assuming all the balusters are the same width.

2. Calculate the number of balusters in the bay, "N", where the length of bay = "B": Since the number of spaces is 1 more than the number of balusters, B = W x N + D x (N+1) and solve for N = (B-D)/(W+D).

1. Since that calculation rarely gives a whole number for "N", round it up to the next whole number, and you have the number of balusters for that bay. Round up instead of down so that the end spaces are smaller than "D" instead of larger than "D".

2. If N is an odd number, the centerline of the center baluster coincides with the midpoint of the bay. If N is an even number, the space between the two center balusters is centered on the midpoint of the bay.

1. Layout the baluster positions from the centered baluster(s), with "D" separation, using whatever method pleases you - spacers, story stick, tape measure, whatever.

Really simple - One decision (width of baluster spacing, D), two measurements (width of bay, B, and width of baluster, W), and one simple calculation and the entire bay of balusters is fully defined.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[Tom Veatch]

We have a bay 6' 4" long that we want to fill with 1 3/8" balusters with 3 1/2" open space between balusters.

D = 3.5" B = 6' 4" = 76" W = 1.375"

N = (B-D)/(W+D) = (76-3.5)/(1.375+3.5) = 14.871 Rounding N up to the next whole number, N =15

Since the number of balusters, 15, is odd, the centerline of the center baluster is centered on the bay (38" from either end), the clear space between each baluster is 3 1/2", and the clear space between the end balusters and the end of the bay is 3 3/16". Calculating the end spacing, 3 3/16", isn't necessary and is left as an exercise for the reader, if so inclined.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[Keith Nuttle]

I don't know where you live but before you proceed to far you may wish to check the building codes. Some have very specific ideas about how far balusters should be apart. I believe the basic is that a small child's head should not be able to get his head through the spaces.