What tool do you use to make parallel lines when cutting flagstone (or anything)?

[Chuck Banshee]

I can't believe I'm having trouble with drawing parallel lines of un-
square objects such as for cutting flagstone. What tool do you use?

Here's a sample problem I had today:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485167/img/7485167.jpg

All I wanted to do was draw a line parallel to the edge of the stone
which was further out than the width of the ruler.

None of the edges are square, so the square failed me.

Ace Hardware said they had no tool for drawing parallel lines. At Home
Depot, I bought this "angle-ize" contraption - but it stinks like you
can't believe (for a whole bunch of reasons).
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485171/img/7485171.jpg

So, may I ask ... what tool do YOU use to draw parallel lines (where none
of the angels are square)?

PS: I ended up marking distance from the edge and drawing the lines
connecting the dots ... but there MUST be a better way.

[Joe]

On Feb 3, 10:17 pm, Chuck Banshee <chuckbans...@private.com> wrote:
> I can't believe I'm having trouble with drawing parallel lines of un-
> square objects such as for cutting flagstone. What tool do you use?
>
> Here's a sample problem I had today:
>  http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485167/img/7485167.jpg
>
> All I wanted to do was draw a line parallel to the edge of the stone
> which was further out than the width of the ruler.
>
> None of the edges are square, so the square failed me.
>
> Ace Hardware said they had no tool for drawing parallel lines. At Home
> Depot, I bought this "angle-ize" contraption - but it stinks like you
> can't believe (for a whole bunch of reasons).
>  http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485171/img/7485171.jpg
>
> So, may I ask ... what tool do YOU use to draw parallel lines (where none
> of the angels are square)?
>

> snip<

Look up trammel tools in any tool catalog.

Joe

[JIMMIE]

Parallel rule if you want a tool designed for doing that. A compass
works well too. Just swing two arcs from the base line then draw a
line tagent to both arcs. You may be surprised what you can find in a
sewing shop. My wife has this wide ruler with holes spaced across it.
Just line up the edge then mark through the hole you want. Her's was
18 inches long but I think there are longer and shorter ones and a T
square version.She had to buy another one.(8-)

Jimmie

[Vic Smith]

Measuring tape, pencil dots and a line drawn between dots using a
straight edge is about as simple as it gets.

I've got an adjustable angle taker, basically a "square" with a
wingnut lockdown at the corner.
A simpler version of this,
http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-square-1701.html

Only time I use it is to check when cutting duplicate angle cuts.
Which is never.
The straight edge is only about 6" long.
But it is designed to lay flat on the work like a try square.
That's the closest I've seen to what you're talking about.

There's bigger stuff like this,
http://tinyurl.com/78vpe6h

But just measuring pencil dots and connecting the dots with a straight
edge line is what I'd do.
Anything that's adjustable flexes, and can lose the adjustment.
A straight edge is a thing of beauty.

--Vic

[Ran Garoo]

Look at step by step directions


http://www.mathopenref.com/constparallel.html

http://www.mathopenref.com/constparallelrhombus.html

[Robert Green]

>"Chuck Banshee" <chuckb...@private.com> wrote in message
news:jgibh4$kjn$1...@speranza.aioe.org...

> I can't believe I'm having trouble with drawing parallel lines of un-
> square objects such as for cutting flagstone. What tool do you use?
>
> Here's a sample problem I had today:
> http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485167/img/7485167.jpg

You can use a straight edge and a triangle like this:

http://flyhi.de/modellbau/modellbau_03.html

You can lay out parallel lines with a straight edge and a compass (make
several sweeps at points along the baseline at the required width, draw a
line tangent to the tops of all the arcs made by the compass). For
stonecutting, I'd make a cardboard template to overlay the stone.

You can also build a pantograph - two strips of wood connected by two more
smaller strips by bolts - the larger strips of wood can only move parallel
to each other. They look something like this:

http://www.1920-30.com/toys/things-to-make/pantograph.html

--
Bobby G.

[micky]

On Sat, 4 Feb 2012 04:17:40 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
<chuckb...@private.com> wrote:

With so many flagstone walks not using parallel sides, and this being
your first time, why not only make the outer edge of the walk
straight, and use odd shapes everywhere else. It would look more
traditional, more like you made it yourself, more real, not like you
bought premade platic-flagstones. And take a whole lot of less time,
plus no wastage, which is bound to happen even for a pro trying to
make parallel lines.

[micky]

Oh, you're not making a sidewalk. (it doesn't say in this thread)
Never mind.

On Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:24:35 -0500, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:

[Andy]

Andy comments:
In navigation, we have a tool consisting of two parallel
rulers connected by two levers which allow the separation
of the rulers to be easily increased/decreased while remaining
parallel. (It's used to advance a "line of position".)

I think such might be applicable to any graphics
problem where parallel lines have to be drawn at various
separations....

Just a suggestion.

[Nate Nagel]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why not use a square on the straight
edge, then drag a line with a pencil held at the 2" mark (or whatever?)

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

[HeyBub]

Now that's using real math's (if you consider plane geometry real math). I
like it.

[dadiOH]

That's worked for me for 60 years.

If you anticipate a great need for an instrument to avoid having to mark two
or more dots, you could make a parallelogram out of wood strips joined at
the corners so that the rectangle can be deformed thereby bring two of the
sides closer together.

You could also use a spacer...sort of like the ruler in your first photo.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

[Jim Elbrecht]

Chuck Banshee <chuckb...@private.com> wrote:

>I can't believe I'm having trouble with drawing parallel lines of un-
>square objects such as for cutting flagstone. What tool do you use?
>
>Here's a sample problem I had today:
> http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485167/img/7485167.jpg

I use a speed square and a just hold the pencil against it as I drag
it-
http://www.amazon.com/Swanson-SO101-7-inch-Speed-Square/dp/B00002255O

That gets me up to 8" or so. I can rip a sheet of sheetrock in half
using a 25'tape and the same technique-- anything over about 2' & I
get wobbly.

Jim

[dadiOH]

dadiOH wrote:
> Chuck Banshee wrote:
>> I can't believe I'm having trouble with drawing parallel lines of un-
>> square objects such as for cutting flagstone. What tool do you use?
>>
>> Here's a sample problem I had today:
>> http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485167/img/7485167.jpg
>>
>> All I wanted to do was draw a line parallel to the edge of the stone
>> which was further out than the width of the ruler.
>>
>> None of the edges are square, so the square failed me.
>>
>> Ace Hardware said they had no tool for drawing parallel lines. At
>> Home Depot, I bought this "angle-ize" contraption - but it stinks
>> like you can't believe (for a whole bunch of reasons).
>> http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485171/img/7485171.jpg
>>
>> So, may I ask ... what tool do YOU use to draw parallel lines (where
>> none of the angels are square)?
>>
>> PS: I ended up marking distance from the edge and drawing the lines
>> connecting the dots ... but there MUST be a better way.
>
> That's worked for me for 60 years.
>
> If you anticipate a great need for an instrument to avoid having to
> mark two or more dots, you could make a parallelogram out of wood
> strips joined at the corners so that the rectangle can be deformed
> thereby bring two of the sides closer together.
>
> You could also use a spacer...sort of like the ruler in your first
> photo.

___________________

Another way...

That rusty square of yours? Go buy a shiny new one then drill a pencil
sized hole near the end of the old one. If you want to make it fancy, screw
a small block of wood to the end before you drill the hole...the thickness
of the block will help keep the pencil vertical.

[John]

A plain old metal framing square will do ya, one of the 24" x 16" jobs
should cover a flagstone. Trace two sides with indelible marker and then
the third and finally the fourth side while measuring the desired length
and width at the same time (framing squares are pre-marked in inches).
Take to wet saw and cut along the lines.

You don't need to build a fancy contraption for something that was never
intended to be perfectly square in the first place.

John

[Metspitzer]

On Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:24:35 -0500, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:

>On Sat, 4 Feb 2012 04:17:40 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
><chuckb...@private.com> wrote:
>
>>I can't believe I'm having trouble with drawing parallel lines of un-
>>square objects such as for cutting flagstone. What tool do you use?
>>
>>Here's a sample problem I had today:
>> http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485167/img/7485167.jpg
>>
>>All I wanted to do was draw a line parallel to the edge of the stone
>>which was further out than the width of the ruler.
>>
>>None of the edges are square, so the square failed me.
>>
>>Ace Hardware said they had no tool for drawing parallel lines. At Home
>>Depot, I bought this "angle-ize" contraption - but it stinks like you
>>can't believe (for a whole bunch of reasons).
>> http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/7485171/img/7485171.jpg
>>
>>So, may I ask ... what tool do YOU use to draw parallel lines (where none
>>of the angels are square)?
>>
>>PS: I ended up marking distance from the edge and drawing the lines
>>connecting the dots ... but there MUST be a better way.
>
>With so many flagstone walks not using parallel sides, and this being
>your first time, why not only make the outer edge of the walk
>straight, and use odd shapes everywhere else. It would look more

Just Googling images for "flagstone" shows almost none with parallel
lines. Like you say, the outside walk is parallel with the other
side, but the inside cuts are not.

I did see one with just square tile, but it looked factory cut.

[Metspitzer]

On Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:06:43 -0500, Metspitzer <kilo...@charter.net>
wrote:

That is gonna be a lot of weed eating. :)

[Evan]

On Feb 3, 11:17 pm, Chuck Banshee <chuckbans...@private.com> wrote:

A board wide enough to span the gap between the
two pieces of flagstone you are trying match up...

~~ Evan

[Oren]

On Sat, 4 Feb 2012 04:17:40 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
<chuckb...@private.com> wrote:

>

>PS: I ended up marking distance from the edge and drawing the lines
>connecting the dots ... but there MUST be a better way.

Do you have a combination square?

Hold a pencil at the end and slide the square along the edge of the
stone...

<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Set_square1.jpg>

[Jim Elbrecht]

Thanks for the reminder. I don't need the crutch, now-- but many
years ago I drilled a hole in the groove at the 1" mark. Then I'd
poke the scribe through the hole.

Jim

[The Daring Dufas]

When I was installing automatic doors and fabricating aluminum store
fronts, that type of square was a tool I used the most. I'm partial to
the stainless steel versions because I sweat like a thunderstorm and my
sweat corrodes everything but stainless steel. ^_^

TDD

[Oren]

A handy tool for sure. I have a 6-inch combo. sq. I used for laminate
flooring work. Lay out the cut with a pencil, then using a jigsaw for
making the small cuts.

[chaniarts]

a stick with a hole drilled in it. put a pencil in the hole, one end of
the stick on the side, and pull along.