TFG Events & Workshops

TFG Conference 2022


Luke Barnett

Founder

Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute

Luke Barnett

Sightlines and Resultant Angles: Windsor Chairs & Roof Framing
Solving for Sightlines and Resultants using Trigonometry

This presentation will be about the various ways to solve compound angles for the Windsor chairs and Hip roofs. We will discuss multiple solutions to find resultant and sightlines angles using patterns, Stereotomy, and mathematical formulas. The goal of the presentation will be to give participants the freedom to design chairs and furniture with confidence.

In order to have an intuitive understanding of how to solve sightlines and resultant angles (and many other furniture-making design problems), you must have an understanding of a few mathematical principles.
1. Trigonometry and the Tangent ratio function
2. Pythagorean theorem
3. The distributive property of exponents
4. The Distributive Property

This presentation is designed to teach you these principles. Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics that studies the relationships between the sides and angles of triangles. Trigonometric ratio - the ratio between two sides of a right triangle. There are 3 primary "trig ratios" called sine, cosine, and tangent. In this session, we will only focus on tangent. In furniture making design, timber framing, and roof framing, tangent is by far the most used function. As furniture makers, the tangent is much easier to visualize. It is much simpler to focus on one of these ratios as we learn how to apply them. Once you have a firm understanding of the tangent ration, you will easily be able to apply those skills and use sine and cosine.

Luke Barnett is a wood artisan who specializes in traditional American Windsor chairs. He has won awards and been featured in internationally published magazines. Early American Life Magazine named Luke as Top American Craftsman in the Windsor chair making field for 3 consecutive years. His chairs have been displayed in the traveling Smithsonian museum exhibit called “The Way We Work”. Luke was a featured speaker at 2018 International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta, Georgia. His speech titled “Be the Spark” focused on engaging students at younger ages through community outreach.

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