We are constructing a 10 x 10 octagon deck and don't know how long each side needs to be?

http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/54666.html

in theory, there's no difference 'tween theory & practice,,, in practice, there is !

http://ca.geocities.com/web_sketches/calculators/regular_polygon/regular_polygon_calculator.html

"...measure once.....cut twice....throw that one away and cut a new one...."

Hey Doug did you know we have an octagon scale on our framing squares?

Look for the dots and 5 10 15 etc. on the face of the tongue.
Say you want to rip an octagon from a 10 inch post...
Take your scribes and place it on the first dot and span to the 10th dot.
Now place center lines the post, from each center line like a compass, mark the angle cuts each side of the center lines & connect those you'll get an octagon.

It can be used as a rough scale too, place the 10 inch span on 12th scale of the square and scale up. Use the twelfths scale to represent 1 inch... 3 and 4/12ths would be 3' 4 inches kind of thing.



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