Fitting plate flooring around a circle base?

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Hey guys just have a question. Don't really know where i could find info about this so I thought i would try here. Say we had a cylinder in the field and we had to take plate and lay flooring so it fits around the circumference of the cylinder. How would you lay out the arc on the pieces of plate so it matches the base? No access to big compass or anything like that. Can't lay cardboard over to trace edge. Any help would be wonderful i've always wanted to learn this.
Reply:

Originally Posted by utsikt

No access to big compass or anything like that.
Reply:Do an image search for "homemade beam compass".  It can be as simple as a long board, a nail and a pencil.Or search for "trammel points" if you want easier adjustment."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:instead of string or tape that stretch or can bend , use a long piece of small angle iron or any scrap you may have in the same fashion, drill a hole as a pivot point and another to put you marking instrument through to make the arc at the desired length..Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:Hello utsikt, if this is a "large" cylinder, such as in tank that is, and also very tall, etc. (making measurement of it's diameter difficult) you can start out with a long tape measure and determine the length of it's circumference. Then with that number you can divide it by 3.1416, the resulting answer will provide you with it's diameter, divide this number by 2 and you will have the radius that you need to know. Then you can utilize the various suggestions from the others to lay out the appropriate arcs/radius's to suit your purpose. Good luck and best regards, Allanaevald


Reply:You could create a section of ARC that matches the tank. Using scraps. Just do not weld on the tank even to tack it together. C clamp it then take it away and weld it.

William McCormickIf I wasn't so.....crazy, I wouldn't try to act normal, and you would be afraid.
Reply:Your sheets might be 40 feet long or 10' by 5' for all I know but you can at least get an idea how to measure and cut them to the tank. I just drew 4'x8' plates.Sincerely, William McCormickIf I wasn't so.....crazy, I wouldn't try to act normal, and you would be afraid.
Reply:I would take a two inch wide piece of quarter inch plate eight or ten feet long. And bend it to about the shape of the tank. Then weld on a couple pieces of thin sheet metal anything from 16 gauge to 1/8" material. to the arc shaped piece and then refit it to the tank and C-clamp a piece of 1/2" wrought iron square bar or whatever, to each of the sheet metal pieces. Then take it back down and weld it up. Sincerely, William McCormickIf I wasn't so.....crazy, I wouldn't try to act normal, and you would be afraid.
Reply:I would actually use the arc template and just run the cutting torch along the template to cut the plate. Sincerely, William McCormickIf I wasn't so.....crazy, I wouldn't try to act normal, and you would be afraid.
Reply:Thx bud that's a good way to field fit, just what i wanted.