On 8/24/2011 2:10 AM, Bill wrote:
On 8/21/2011 10:39 AM, Twayne wrote:
On 8/23/2011 6:08 PM, Jack Stein wrote:

Just about any free CAD 2D program will do that for you including
Sketch-it or whatever it's called.

It's called Sketchup and I'm surprised Swing and Leon didn't mention it.

I haven't read all of the messages before this one, so please excuse me
if this has been suggested. But why not build a *paper model* (you don't
need high-power computer software for this problem).

There are lots of ways to solve this long standing problem, as this
thread has shown. You only NEED one of them.

Cut out a 6" piece
of paper and some circles (use a marker and color them black if it helps
you see them). Then move them around until it looks right to you and
then tape them in place. Then you have a model which you might use in
any number of ways.

This would be inaccurate or laborious or, in my case, both.
Particularly in this example where the spacing between the holes is
small, you better cut out your circles accurately.

I think more things have been built working like this than by designing with cad/cam software.

The reason cad software was invented was to make doing this stuff both
simple, accurate and visually useful. My "cad" software of choice is
Sketchup, and it of course has a simple tool for the job built in, as I
described.

If you have a PC and do woodwork, Sketchup is free and does have a tool
for this, just as Twayne up there suggested.

--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com