There is no point reaching for a calculator that cannot show its working. This one starts from outer part distance (a), inner part distance (a), angle α, angle ß, outer distance (b), inner distance (b), outer length of plank (c), inner length of the plank (c), plank thickness (t), sin, one way and tan and reports knee side (aₚ), knee side (bₚ) and length cᴀ, so you can see how each answer follows from the numbers you entered.
What Is the Angle Cut Calculator?
The angle cut calculator turns outer part distance (a), inner part distance (a), angle α, angle ß, outer distance (b), inner distance (b), outer length of plank (c), inner length of the plank (c), plank thickness (t), sin, one way and tan into knee side (aₚ), knee side (bₚ) and length cᴀ, so you can order the right amount of material the first time.
Material estimates are where projects go over budget. Getting the quantities right before the delivery arrives is worth more than any discount on the order.
How to Measure for the Angle Cut
Measure everything in the same unit and take the largest dimension you can reasonably use rather than the average. Formwork, ground conditions and cutting waste all push the real figure above the theoretical one.
Where a plan calls for a specific thickness, check it against local building regulations before you order. The calculator reflects the relationship, not the code.
Allowing for Waste and Errors
Order a little more than the calculation suggests. The gap between the theoretical quantity and what actually arrives on site is normally waste, spillage, over-excavation and uneven grading, and all of it comes out of the same budget.
Write the figures down and compare them with what you actually used on site. That is how you build an estimate you can trust for the next job.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with outer part distance (a) set to 10, inner part distance (a) set to 5, angle α set to 2, the calculator returns length cᴀ of -4.57658, and length cʙ of -17.02957, and knee side (aₚ) of 5. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out knee side (aₚ)?
Enter outer part distance (a), inner part distance (a), angle α, angle ß, outer distance (b), inner distance (b), outer length of plank (c), inner length of the plank (c), plank thickness (t), sin, one way and tan. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports knee side (aₚ), knee side (bₚ) and length cᴀ.
What does the angle cut actually calculate?
It takes outer part distance (a), inner part distance (a), angle α, angle ß, outer distance (b), inner distance (b), outer length of plank (c), inner length of the plank (c), plank thickness (t), sin, one way and tan and converts them into knee side (aₚ), knee side (bₚ) and length cᴀ using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter outer part distance (a)?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Why does a small change in one value move the answer so much?
That happens when an output depends on a ratio, because dividing by a small number magnifies any change in it. Check the units first, then check whether the value you entered is in the range the relationship was designed for.
Do I have to fill in every field?
Only the fields a particular result depends on. If you leave one blank, the results that need it simply show a note instead of a number, and everything else still works.