Hi everyone:

thanks for coming on board, I am sure everyone is enjoying this discussion.

I would ask what everyone thinks of this in relation to pitches of roofs:

This is a method to lay out a roof to a 1\3rd pitch, related in a 100 yr old text,

(remember this is to make it exactly a 1\3rd pitch)

a) draw AB AND BC at right angles
b) describe an arc from A
c) divide the arc in 3 equal parts as indicated by E and E1
d) draw lines from E and E1 connecting them to A
e) place a square with the blade on 12 on A and the tongue so that it disects the arc
f) Placing the square as shown we find that a third pitch (or hexagon mitre) is 7 inches to the foot instead of 8 as most workmen suppose

Using the same method we find:

The quarter pitch (or octagon mitre) is 5 inches to the foot,

The half pitch or (square mitre) is 12 inches to the foot

Hope you enjoy--please comment

NH