Geometry Problem

When I have to do something like this I will actually draw it to size, or at least a section of it, and then use my protractor to find the angles.

Is this what you’re thinking of? If so, measuring the angle indicates you’d set the miter gauge to about 7.153°. Drawing things out this way is nice because it gives you a way to visualize what’s going on.

Bently’s suggestion of drawing it out full size is a good one. You could also print a 2D drawing at full size but either way, working from a full size drawing is best because you can pick the angle off the drawing with a bevel gauge and set the miter gauge with it without even knowing what the angle is in degrees.

-- Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.

Looks like a job for.. SKETCHUPMAN! Look! Up in the sky…it’s a bird with feathered texture! It’s a plane with animated landing gear! NO! it’s SKETCHUPMAN! Faster than a Intel Pentium 4 with 100 gigabytes of ram ..More powerful than a 3D locomotive with an exploded view! Able to draw photorealistic tall buildings in a single file!

Yes, it’s Sketchupman! ... strange visitor from another planet (Minni Sotie), who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal Lumberjocks! Sketchupman … who can change the course of threaded helix, bend steel in his bare bender.rb, and who, disguised as DaveR, mild-mannered contributing writer for a great metropolitan woodworking magazine that shall go un-named, fights a never-ending battle for truth in documentation, just ice in his evening toddie, and the PanAmerican way! Mileage may vary. Offer void in some states.

-- Dan, Sterling Alaska, http://sullcon.homestead.com/ Before you criticise some one, walk a mile in their shoes...then you will be a mile away and you have their shoes!

You guys are great! I’ve got a protractor and graph paper and have done a quick draw up.
In order to accommodate a wine bottle (about 3 inches in diameter) I need to flatten the X within the 7.5×8.5 rectangle, if you follow. One miter cut on each end with the long side in the corner. I’m no good with sketchup or I’d draw what I’m thinking.

I’m still not clear on how to execute the lap joint cuts.

thanks,

-- --Don, Columbia, SC

Dan, you owe me a keyboard! I blew my morning coffee everywhere!

Don, perhaps I can help you with the SketchUp thing but for the moment, is this closer?

For the angle at the lap joint in this one you’d set the miter gauge to a hair more than 1.8°. The ends measure at 45.918°. Again, I think picking up the angle from a full size drawing is a good idea and as long as your drawing is accurate, you should do fine. You can pick up the length, too. The mating pieces will be identical so you can just turn one around to make the joint go together. Does that help?

-- Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.

Why complicate it. The wine wont care, neither will the consumer of said wine.

Why not make all lap joints 90 degrees and all ends at 45 degrees

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

Roman has a point. You could divide the space into 8-1/2” wide bays. Put one bay in the center and work toward the sides. With 8-1/2 in. wide Xs, you have a 6 in. wide space to deal with. You could use that space to display a special bottle or two or do something else that looks nice.

-- Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.

When I built my wine cellar I “changed it up”. One wall has vertical dividers, with horizontal “slots” using magic wires, another has square boxes put on 45 degree angles biscuited together, and another has section made into slots buch like your doing but for individual bottles. The little spaces that are left at the edges recieved a face frame to hide them. I put in a few shelves with faux stone back grounds.

then I drank all the wine and in the end…................I knew I couldnt afford to keep it full but it looks nice !!!

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

I believe I can use Four 8.5 inch “square” Xs with 90 degree lap joints in the center bay, which has 35 inches inside dimension. The two side bays allow only 22 3/8 inches ID, and that is where I am having the problem.
The three bays are defined by two side cabinets below them, so that the stiles will be continuous from top to bottom. But as I’m writing this I’m already rethinking the need for three bays up top.

In a perfect world all of this designing would have been worked out exactly on paper (sketchup certainly) and all it would take is executing the design, but it seems like a lot of my design and construction decisions are being made on the ground as the process unfolds.

thanks Don

-- --Don, Columbia, SC

My thoughts are that you learn how to do it at whatever angles they need to be to get what you want.
Next time you have to do something similar you will know how to work it out.

Anybody can do a 45 or a 90…JMO

Roman, I looked at your project gallery hoping to see your wine bins, but, alas, you had several other impressive projects, but not the wine cellar.

I will have small diagonals on top for individual bottles, and large diagonals on the side. In the middle I’m using shelves with wine cases made of pine and with decorative vineyard labels on the ends. There is a counter/bar on top of the middle case where I’ll have a few upright bottles.

I’ll post pictures when I’m finished.

thanks
Don

-- --Don, Columbia, SC

sadly 3 out of 4 projects never get photographed but I shall remain steadfast in my belief to keep it

KISS

keep it simple…..............

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

Don, this was my first time building wine racks. I had to figure the angles and lap joints for everything and used my radial arm saw to make the cuts with a wobbly dado blade.
It was a lot of work but in the end I learned a lot about the angles involved.
I’m all for KISS, but I’m glad I took on the challenge.

PS Can you tell it was in the 70’s LOL

Looks good. I can’t link to the post at photo bucket for some reason. It asks me to sign in but then I don’t know how to locate your link.

I have diagonals on the sides but decided to go with individual slots across the top. I’ll post pictures rather than try to describe it.
Grand opening tomorrow evening. I bought 2 cases today but it barely fills two bins.

thanks everyone for your help.
Don

-- --Don, Columbia, SC