Simpler way to cut cats?

[Patrick]

I'll be cutting my Guide Gear tarp and/or making a BlackCat-inspired tarp this weekend.

Rather than doing yucky math to figure out the catenary curves, can I just find a thin wooden dowel or something similar, brace it at one corner, and push it to shape until I hit a curve depth that I like, then trace that?

I don't know a ton about cat curves, but it seems I read something along these lines in how to make one.

[Cannibal]

Ask Grizz, he'll tell you what a math fan I am; not at all!

That said, there isn't much math to it if you use lvleph's handy little spreadsheet. The math is done for you. That's my very favorite kind of math.

[FanaticFringer]

I'll be cutting my Guide Gear tarp and/or making a BlackCat-inspired tarp this weekend.

Rather than doing yucky math to figure out the catenary curves, can I just find a thin wooden dowel or something similar, brace it at one corner, and push it to shape until I hit a curve depth that I like, then trace that?

I don't know a ton about cat curves, but it seems I read something along these lines in how to make one.

I used a tent pole on mine. Got the idea from TeeDee. I did it just like you explained.

[Patrick]

I'm not too scared of the math, just trying to make it as quick and easy as possible.

Good idea using a tent pole, I was trying to think where I could get something long enough.

Is there a rule of thumb for a good depth per length for your general tarp purposes?

[GrizzlyAdams]

I'll be cutting my Guide Gear tarp and/or making a BlackCat-inspired tarp this weekend.

Rather than doing yucky math to figure out the catenary curves, can I just find a thin wooden dowel or something similar, brace it at one corner, and push it to shape until I hit a curve depth that I like, then trace that?

I don't know a ton about cat curves, but it seems I read something along these lines in how to make one.

If you want a mathematically precise catenary curve then you need elegant awe-inpiring belief-in-God-inducing mathematics.

But I'm pretty certain you don't need a mathematically precise catenary curve. Which is good because the tent pole (or dowel for a shallow cut) method won't give you one. But what it gives is just fine for the purpose.

Grizz

[Just Jeff]

And if you could SEW a mathematically precise cat curve I don't think it would perform much better than the tent pole method or hanging a flimsy rope and tracing the sag.

[FanaticFringer]

I'm not too scared of the math, just trying to make it as quick and easy as possible.

Good idea using a tent pole, I was trying to think where I could get something long enough.

Is there a rule of thumb for a good depth per length for your general tarp purposes?

Mine was cut 36" from the grommet hole at it's furthest point. If I could do it again, I would have had less of a cat cut.

[Patrick]

How about this one for both making me believe in God and taking under five minutes to transfer to my fabric:

Hang the fabric on the wall and let a string hang between the two points.

[Patrick]

FF, I'm not quite sure what you mean. On the piece you cut away, drawing a perpendicular line from the straight edge to the highest point of the curve, what is that length? It's never going to be more than a few inches, is it?

[FanaticFringer]

FF, I'm not quite sure what you mean. On the piece you cut away, drawing a perpendicular line from the straight edge to the highest point of the curve, what is that length? It's never going to be more than a few inches, is it?

It's 36" from the top of the tent pole (furthest curve) Maybe I'm not expaining it right. I hate math.