Math Question - What Difference Does 1 Degree Make?

[Jacob Reverb]

http://www.carbidedepot.com/formulas-trigright.asp

[Jim Becker]

I agree with David...

[Edward Dyas]

Ok, I'm asking here because I KNOW there's a lot of smart people here.

Table base leg set - X shaped for farm style table.
Leg Overall height - 27.5"
Leg Overall width - 34"
Leg Intersection where both X pieces cross to for the "X" - 20" from the end of the long point of the leg-lower-section

Measuring the cross-section with 2 boards, I get about 91º for the cross section angle. If I changed that to 90º, what does that do to my "width" of he leg base? Design is 34" wide....
What is the difference 1º makes over the height of 27.5" and width of 34"???
Attachment 419516

On a question like that I normally lay it out full scale on the back of a sheet of plywood. One degree can make a lot of difference on something that size. It's enough you could visually see it just mitering a piece of trim 1/2" wide and the longer the span the larger the difference gets.

[Dennis Peacock]

The table top will actually be 42" wide x 1.5" thick....solid white oak. I have 3 white oak boards that will go in this top that weigh in at 110 lbs each. The top is estimated to weigh about 350 lbs when assembled. The base is 34" wide which will give a total of 4" per side of clearance.

Last night, I forgot the "Math" and started cutting wood to make a prototype. Ended up with a 3º cut on the board that met at the center section and a 46.25º cut at the floor and at the top of the leg sections. I don't know if that's what the math would work out to, but it's what fit on my layout and the prototype. Tomorrow morning, I start the real wood working on the leg sections and expect to have them done by mid-day tomorrow. I really need to start on the top of the table next week!!

[Jim Becker]

The table top will actually be 42" wide x 1.5" thick....solid white oak. I have 3 white oak boards that will go in this top that weigh in at 110 lbs each. The top is estimated to weigh about 350 lbs when assembled. The base is 34" wide which will give a total of 4" per side of clearance.

That's very similar dimensions to the walnut table I recently did for a client, albeit the top is wood and the base is steel. But the design is similar with the "X". The top of the supports where they met the top were ironically 34" wide and the table top averaged 38-41" wide. (natural edge) So based on your description, I think your table is going to look great!

BTW, more than once I worked things out like you describe with scrap wood/MDF and then measured the angles. I did that for the "retro" vinyl record bin legs awhile back, as a matter of fact, as it had half-laps that were at oblique angles. Doing a flat mock up made the setups for the actual cutting to be really easy.

[Jack Frederick]

If there is anything that demonstrates the veracity of the "use it or loose it" theory it is mathematics. I envy the ability to handle these things so many have demonstrated here, but I'm, by necessity, with Joe. Get a large piece of paper, mdd or plywood and start drawing on it. That should be quite a table.