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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 10:49 pm
by lutonlagerlout
starting a job monday and the client wants an oval lawn in the centre
how do you create a true oval?
also she wants some gravel but not our local 20mm stuff
i have been looking at prices for cornish and cumbrian stuff but its daylight robbery
anyone know a reasonable supplier who delivers nationwide?
will probably need at least 6 tonnes (about 120 M3)
she definitely wants a round pebble but i advised here against this as it will cause movement
thanks in advance
LLL 
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:25 pm
by rab1
first you need to know the size the client wants (area covered in lawn) and then take the length and width of the area (rectangle) the using the width size for ease i`ll call 2m wide and with a length of 6m.
You then you multiply the width by 3.14 to create a circle and divide by 2 to give the radius. mark the radius on the lawn area at both ends and then string line between each arc creating a true oval.
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:08 am
by GB_Groundworks
isn't it 2 pegs in the ground then make a loop out of a circle then use that to draw the oval, just need the math to get it accurate
like this but seems very complicated http://www.redbridgemarquetrygroup.org/drawing_a_simple_oval.htm
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:32 am
by rab1
i`m a sheetmatal worker to trade, trust me this is the easiest way to mark it out on a lawn. if your interested i could show you how to make an oval to round with an offset spigot lol.
now considered a dead trade and not recognised by cscs as the polite you girl on the phone told me but i can spend 1 year due to experience doing a nvq (not very qualified) and reclaim my gold card.
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:36 am
by rab1
to be honest what giles said will work but all depends on how accurate you want to be. 
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:33 am
by lutonlagerlout
I think giles solution is the one i recall
with your one rab although i can do the pi thing easily where is the centre of the arcs?
its not critical but it has to look right
thanks for that fellas
now who sells decent gravel for less than £200 a tonne?
LLL
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:02 pm
by Bob_A
Mickavalon asked this question so he should know
http://ext.pavingexpert.com/cgi-bin....hl=oval
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:38 pm
by rab1
PM sent with sketch
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:17 pm
by Pablo
Here's how I do it. I find that the looped string method is to easy to mess up when you're doing larger areas because the tension has to be kept perfect or you could be out by several feet due to it stretching etc. Whenever I do it I work out it's width and lenth on the ground then bang in 2 pegs ( in this case the 2 crosses on each side) making sure they're square with the house or whatever. Then I use a single length of nylon string ( not builders string it's too stretchy) that is maked at exactly whatever the arc you want i:e half the width of a circle. Do this both sides and when they intersect you have an oval. Then free hand the top and bottom to smooth the curve and it's job done. It's simpler easier and there's less chance of a mistake. I'd use Rab's method or the loop for very small ovals but not large ones. I hope that makes sense.
Edited By Pablo on 1317583108