building volumes

Having trouble wrapping my head around the angles needed to create more complex volumes, which is a little humbling because i am a cabinet maker. Its all the compund miters....is there a website out there that you can generate geometric shapes for volumes and actually figure out the cut list?

Here's a youtube tutorial on how to get these angles from sketchup (they're called dihedral angles). I haven't tried it, but seems like it should work.

I just build them with butt joints. Compound tapered miter cuts just take too long. 

When I built a more complex volume, I first designed it in CAD and pulled the angles from there. Although the angles can be very specific with angles measuring to the hundredth decimal, this doesn't end up mattering in practice. As long as you cut within ~5 degrees it will end up working out. Obviously the closer the better. I know this probably isn't the most efficient way to do it but it worked for me and for a home wall was plenty good.

Thanks! I kind of felt like sketchup was the way to go. Its not the building or the cuts that is the concern its just the math. Hopefully i csn get a few layed up after work

If you know the angle you want, then the miter angle is pretty easy, it is 1/2 the angle.  So, if you have an angle that you want to be 45 degrees, you cut a 22.5 degree angle on each of the mating pieces.  If you are using a table saw to cut the angles, it only goes from 45 degrees to 90 degrees though.  So, you set the blade at 67.5 degrees (90 - 22.5) and stand the board on edge, perpendicular to the table and you will get a 22.5 degree cut.  Use a jig that you can clap the board to or you will have some problems.

Hope that helps some.

I use sketchup and do the complex miters. Tricky at first, but once you have your system down it’s not bad. 

I kinda just fuck around and find out. I have some sketchy volumes but they work great 

https://www.woodworkingtalk.com/threads/dihedral-angle-calculator.197978/

better forum for your answer

I couldn't find an online calculator for triangle pyramid things with irregular sides so I made one as a project. (I've been learning 3d modelling in my spare time in hopes of finding a remote job that would let me travel and climb more and I need more real-world projects for practice.)

I created a parametric (adjustable) model of a volume using Rhino3d/Grasshopper and shared it on Shapediver which is a platform for visualizing Grasshopper models in 3d using a web browser (no software required). I named it "volume generator." There are sliders to control the shape of the volume and the angle and length annotations will update in real time. The original model I made also had annotations for the length of the square line in the middle of each triangle face so you could do the layout with a T-square but they don't show up on Shapediver without a sort of convoluted workaround. I felt the model was getting crowded with text already, so I left them out for now. You could still calculate them using a trig calculator from the other edge lengths and angles provided.

Volume Generator

Taylor M wrote:

I couldn't find an online calculator for triangle pyramid things with irregular sides so I made one as a project. (I've been learning 3d modelling in my spare time in hopes of finding a remote job that would let me travel and climb more and I need more real-world projects for practice.)

I created a parametric (adjustable) model of a volume using Rhino3d/Grasshopper and shared it on Shapediver which is a platform for visualizing Grasshopper models in 3d using a web browser (no software required). I named it "volume generator." There are sliders to control the shape of the volume and the angle and length annotations will update in real time. The original model I made also had annotations for the length of the square line in the middle of each triangle face so you could do the layout with a T-square but they don't show up on Shapediver without a sort of convoluted workaround. I felt the model was getting crowded with text already, so I left them out for now. You could still calculate them using a trig calculator from the other edge lengths and angles provided.

Volume Generator

Woah thats awesome, thats perfect! Nice work

It looks like you are working on more traditional volumes. Just in case you wanted to let your hair down and do something really wild, you could get some inspiration from sculptor/climber Manuel Sánchez Panera (Manolo, El Heavy). He has sculpted some volumes at the Foixarda Tunnel here in Barcelona that are pretty outrageous--no, you can't bolt holds onto them like a geometric volume, but you sure can hang from them. Scroll through the pics (shameless plug as well, as it's my website/blog):

Review: La Foixarda Rock Climbing Tunnel, Barcelona

Daniel Joder wrote:

It looks like you are working on more traditional volumes. Just in case you wanted to let your hair down and do something really wild, you could get some inspiration from sculptor/climber Manuel Sánchez Panera (Manolo, El Heavy). He has sculpted some volumes at the Foixarda Tunnel here in Barcelona that are pretty outrageous--no, you can't bolt holds onto them like a geometric volume, but you sure can hang from them. Scroll through the pics (shameless plug as well, as it's my website/blog):

Review: La Foixarda Rock Climbing Tunnel, Barcelona

I would like to do some cool ones as well! Im a cabinet maker so i have unlimited plywood scraps and a shop so im excited to try and explore the world of more complexity. I dont think i will have t nuts on mine anyways cause it always seems like with holds on volumes you want to get more specific with hold placement anywyas

https://www.blocklayer.com/pyramid-calculator

thought id share this from all of these forums and this is by far the most concise and easiest to follow calculator i have found. It calculates all of the bevel angels for you as well. the numbers arent in inces but i converted to cm for making it a little easier. I want the long part of my triangle to be 16" so i inputed (16" 40.64 cm) as 4064. Hopefully someone else with the same dilemma as mine can find this helpful. Now i dont have to pull on only jugs on my 45 degree wall haha