Squaring a footing or building

[robertmn]

Hey Guys.....with a ...STICK??! My brother in law and I were talking about yrs ago guys would use a tall stick, and get this...at high noon. Anyone heard of this? Or is there more to this? I guess I've used the 3/4/5 way. Dunno. Lots of old farm tales over the yrs. Fun to hear about. Anyone know or hear about any other ideas? Bobmn

 

[IaGary]

I always measure diagonally corner to corner to square a square or rectangle.

Sometimes start with the 345 to get it close then measure corner to corner to get it right on.

The stick at high noon would square it with the world, to get it north and south but I don't know how it would square a square.

Gary

 

[Bob]

Sounds more like a way to find true North-South. That's how my late Uncle did it.

 

[DickL]

Squaring with the world not making the building square. Now days they build on any old angle that fits there fancy. Back in the 40's and 50's around here on farms they used a compass. First batter board line was set to/with a compass. Batter board lines were then squared corner to corner with care not to move the first line.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Square root broke down to a 1/16 inch is by far the easy way, and takes less time than finding a stick. I'm not so sure you are on target with the stick ordeal other than finding North like another has said.

I found how to measure a tree by laying on your back and measuring a shadow at a 45 degree if I remember correct. I have several books, but seldom time to read them--or rather even find them.

In case some one forgets the square root, always remember 3-4-5 or you multiply each by the same number like 2 x would be 6-8 12. Or even 60 - 80 -120.

 

[Sid]

I think I know how that works. Drive a straight stick in the ground. It must be plumb. Assume this is to be the corner of the building. Sometime in the AM while you have a good long shadow mark the end of the shadow and measure to this point from the stick. Mark a line from the stick to this point. Then in the PM when the shadow is the same length, as the Am, mark a line from the stick to that point and you should have a ninety degree square to use as a reference point. I am not sure, if high noon has anything to do with it or not. I don't think it does

 

[Anonymous-0]

Was this a test to see if anyone reads your posts ? In Illinois the government is the crooked thing but our math is 2 X 5 = 10.

 

[robertmn]

Hi Guys! Was this a test...........that's good!! GRT answers guys! We knew things can be done without all these fancy lazers!! Now, if there's moss on the right side of a farmall hood........naaa just kidding. Thanks again guys Bobmn

 

[Anonymous-0]

my dad used 6/8/12 method.Old barns were built with a story pole.All dimensions were taken from the marked pole.No steel tapes and I expect many of the men on the job couldnt read a measure in the early days.A book called the Fields of Home by Ralph Moody has a good account of building a barn with a story pole.The book is in reprint by the University of Nebraska.

 

[Anonymous-0]

3-4-5 or 6-8-12 it's the same.You can use any combo of 3-4-5 you like.Inches,feet,rods or yards.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I'm going to guess three hours before noon and three after noon. 15 degrees/hour of rotation gives 45* either side of noon for a 90* corner.

 

[thurlow]

I know about the "square of the hypotenuse", but I'm totally confused with 6-8-12; would like to see a diagram showing such a building........

 

[Anonymous-0]

jt, i'm not trying to be smart here, but could you explain 6-8-12 a little further. i understand 3-4-5, as it is just A2 + B2 = C2, but 6-8-12 don't fit that equation. maybe it's one of those carpenter's shortcuts that simplifies or reduces calculations? i'm always looking for shortcuts, just don't want to break any laws of mathematics.

 

[Nebraska Cowman]

High noon on daylight saving time is about 1:20 PM
Yo might go out at night and use the north star. Nothing irks me worse than a building out of square with the world.

 

[Anonymous-0]

should be 6, 8, 10 which is double 3, 4, 5

 

[Sid]

Now that is a good guess,mj. And that makes more sense than the way I described it. I sure wish I could call back some of the older guys I have met over the years.

 

[jim in N M]

The one thing that Irkes me is seeing a guy build a garage or whatever on his property that is not squre to anything else on the property IE his house or other barn etc. just my .02 cents Jim in N M

 

[Walt Davies]

I think when they built my 1871 house they used the wrong formula, there ain't nothing square in this place.
Walt
<a href="http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j50/WaltDavies/?action=view&current=Doortobedroom.jpg" target="_blank">

</a>

 

[JML755]

Sid, mj,
Good explanations. Sid gave the method, mj supplied the theory and why it works. Someone mentioned "laser". It cracks me up to see the cheapo laser levels sold with +/- 1/4" accuracy over 20' or so. That's not good workmanship for any kind of finish work IMO. Maybe setting a foundation, but try using them to set molding around a room and I think someone may notice a 1/2" total error. :shock: Water Level is the way to go for complex leveling problems if you don't have a high-quality transit.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I rember last year when my neighbor was going to build a new workshop next to the horse barn. He had fools out there with Lasars,tapes,sticks for a hour trying to lay this squar building out. After they were scraching their heads and too many bud's. I suggested to take the easy approach.
He wanted the new shop even in front with the horse barn. I went and got some Nylon string and attached it to the far front side of the horse barn, stretched it toward the new buiding location until the string was flush with the horse barn. Bam there the front. Then we determined that he want 40 feet between the buidlings. With my trusted tape, measured off the side of the horse barn 40 ft. Bam there the other side, a true 90 degrees. I told them that they should be able to figue out the far side. Measure over how far the barn is going to be + the 40 ft from the barn. They thought I was brillant. No just common since. We sometime rely to much on technology instead of a good old string

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have done the 3 4 5 thing but making sure the diagonals of the rectangle or square are the same will make all 4 corners 90 degrees. Bud

 

[Anonymous-0]

Should have been 6 8 10.Memories from 40 years ago are foggy.Work it out on paper.I cant remember how to find the area of a trapezoid either.Havent had to do it in 50 years.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I did that with the hen house, chickens havent complained yet.How about a round barn?