A-Frame--Need Help with Angles

[CoyoteMagic]

I am completly construction illiterate. Trust me, if you have seen pics of my coop you would understand!! https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=138461

I'm in need of help figuring ou the angles for the peak of an A-frame coop/tractor. I'm looking at building this to "swing set" height to give the 10 plenty of room for roosting and scratching but still being able to move this thing without a Semi-Truck!
HELP!!

 

[flopshot]

you can make the angle anything you want. the first thing is to determine the structure's "footprint" how wide, then how high. your angles will be determined by those figures.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

How about 8ft high by 8ft wide. It's going to be about 12 ft long

 

[columbusguys]

If you want it to be the same distance high and wide, then you have an equilateral triangle. That means all three angles will be 60 degrees. This is that ONE time geometry comes in handy!

 

[BeardedChick]

If it's 8' high in the center, the sides will be longer than 8', right?

64+16 = 80
sqrt(80) = 8.9' = 8ft 11.25 in

... I think ...

ETA: b'cuz lumber comes in 8' lengths, I'd be more likely to build it with the sides 8' long so I didn't have to buy 10' boards and cut them all. Or I'd just use 10' lumber but then the thing would be getting kinda big.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol1/area_triangle.html

 

[SoJoChickens]

Here's another site:
http://www.ajdesigner.com/phptriangle/equilateral_triangle_altitude_h.php

I entered the numbers and came up with 9.24 feet for the sides. Good luck!

 

[BeardedChick]

9.24??? What

A^2+b^2=c^2

8 squared + 4 squared = 80

square root of 80 is 8.94 for the sides

I even ran it on that site using the equilateral triangle and got the same #.

 

[jvls1942]

you are way overthinking this project.

buy 8ft 2x4 's..

take 3 of them and lay them on a flat surface in a triangle shape..

spread them to the maximum and clamp or nail them temporarily.

your height and width will be less than 8 ft. but it will still house 10 chickens quite well..

 

[BeardedChick]

Quote:
That's what I did for my turkey tractor... It's triangle-ish enough.