Warren,
I have never been good at math BUT what you might try is putting a stake in
the dirt and using a string as a large compass to trace your circle.
You can walk the area that way and see exactly where it is going to be.

It would be fast to do it this way and when you get it then just go back and
follow the mark with a hose, rope or paint.

Kate


"Warren" wrote in message
...
:I have a yard area that I want to put a circular raised be in. The area is
: sort of a wedge with the tip chopped-off, except that one of the sides
(the
: west) is along side a driveway that flares into the area as it approaches
: the south side (the street).
:
: The south side is 10' long. The east side is 31' long. The north side is
30'
: long. The west side is two segments, with a very obtuse angle (not quite a
: straight line); the north segment on the west side is 14' long, and the
: south segment is 10' long. The northwest and southeast corners are
: 90-degrees. The northeast corner is a little acute. The southwest corner
is
: a little obtuse.
:
: I want to create the biggest circle I can that touches the east, south
(the
: street), and west (the driveway) sides. (It should not touch the north
: side.)
:
: If things don't add-up right, keep in mind that the measurements were
: rounded to the nearest half-foot, and the exact location of the northeast
: corner could be off slightly.
:
: How big should the circle be?
:
: My guess is that it's going to be around 11' or 12' in diameter. The
problem
: is that because of what's planted where, and when I can do the work, I'll
: need to dig-up, and layout the northeast 2/3 of the circle before I can
: clear the southwest 1/3. I can guess at a center point, and sweep a string
: along that 2/3 of the northeast side, but I can't sweep it over the
: southwest 1/3 to be sure it touches both the south and the west side, but
: doesn't go over either. There's only so much I'll be able to fudge the
: circle without people noticing it's not really round.
:
: So is there anyone out there who did better in geometry class than I did
who
: can tell me how close I am?
:
: Thanks
:
: --
: Warren H.
:
: ==========
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: Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
: coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
: response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
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