How many cuts?

[Jamie Schmitz]

So I am watching a show on TV and they go to making an octagonal table top and a graphic pops up on top of the video layer saying "an octagonal top takes 16 cuts at exactly 22 1/2 degrees". To me it seems 8 cuts would be sufficient and there would be 4- 45 degree cuts off of 4-90 degree points. In the video they were cutting down a circular top but in my head that still makes 8 cuts enough.

The show was Blog Cabin-no episode reference. And yes I know not to believe every thing you read or hear but maybe I am not thinking on the right level.


Screen shot 2013-06-11 at 1.29.48 PM.png

[Art Mann]

If the table has an edge band around it, you will have to make 16 very, very precise cuts on the molding. Maybe that is what they were talking about. If they built the table using wedge shaped pieces, you would also have to make 16 very precise cuts - actually more than that.

[Larry Browning]

I think if you were turning a round table into an octagon it would require 8 cuts. But if you were making a octagon shape from scratch in a sunburst pattern you would make 8 pendant shaped pieces each requiring 2 cuts at exactly 22.5 degrees. Actually, If you did the layout correctly, you could reduce the number of cuts alternating the pendant point from one side to the other of the plywood sheet.
Sort of like this:

________________________________
\ /\ /\ /
\ / \ / \ /
\ / \ / \ /
\ / \ / \ /
\ / \ / \ /
___ \/_______\/______\/_____________

Ok, that didn't work at all.
I don't have any drawing tools so I guess I will have to describe it.

[Michael Dunn]

Sort of like this:

________________________________
\ /\ /\ /
\ / \ / \ /
\ / \ / \ /
\ / \ / \ /
\ / \ / \ /
___ \/_______\/______\/_____________

Ok, that didn't work at all.
I don't have any drawing tools so I guess I will have to describe it.

Lol!!! It sure didn't. LOL!!!