Calculated Industries Construction Master III User manual

Calculated Industries

®

Construction

Master III

®

User’s Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction...................................................... 3

Key Definitions.................................................. 4

Entering Dimensions........................................13

Entering Square and Cubic Dimensions........... 14

Linear Conversions.......................................... 14

Square and Cubic Conversions........................ 15

Mathematical Operations................................16

Adding Dimensions.......................................... 16

Subtracting Dimensions................................... 17

Multiplying Dimensions...................................17

Dividing Dimensions........................................17

Percentage Calculations...................................18

Memory Functions........................................... 19

Fraction Setting............................................... 20

Linear Dimension Calculations........................ 21

Area Calculations.............................................23

Volume Calculations........................................ 27

Board Feet/Lumber Calculations......................32

Right-Angle Solutions...................................... 34

Hip/Valley Rafters............................................42

Hip/Valley Rafters (Irregular)..........................43

Jack Rafters...................................................... 44

Stair Problems..................................................46

Overflow Indication.........................................49

Accuracy........................................................... 49

Battery and Auto-Shut-Off.............................. 50

Full Reset, All-Clear.........................................50

Appendix A (Area Formulas)............................ 51

Appendix B (Area & Volume Formulas)............ 52

Limited Warranty............................................. 53

INTRODUCING:

The Construction Master III

®

Designed for today’s construction professional,

the all-new Construction Master III adds even

more power and ease of use to the already

powerful Construction Master line-up. As with

earlier models, the format of this calculator is so

simple, even the novice user will find it easy to

solve hundreds of dimension-related problems

right in feet, inches and fractions!

■ Add Strings of Dimensions

■ Do Instant Dimensional Conversions

■ Calculate Square & Rectangular Areas

■ Determine Cubic Volumes

■ Complete Metric Conversions

■ Find Circumference and Area of Circles

■ Solve Right-Triangles

■ Find Regular & Irregular Hip/Valley Rafters

■ Solve Jack Rafters Automatically

■ Calculate Stair Risers and Treads

■ Estimate Board Feet & Other Materials

■ And much, much more!

It also works as a standard math calculator

with Memory, Percent, and battery-saving Auto

Shut-Off.

Calculated Industries, Inc.

4840 Hytech Drive • Carson City, NV 89706

1-800-854-8075 • 775-885-4900 • Fax: 775-885-4949

User’s Guide — 3

KEY DEFINITIONS

[+] [–] [x]

[÷] [=] Arithmetic operation keys.

[%] Four-function percent key.

0 – 9 Digits used for keying-in numbers.

[ . ] Decimal point.

[Off] Turns all power off. Clears the

display and all values previously

stored in Memory.

[On/C] Turns on power. Pressing once

clears the last entry and the display.

Pressing twice in succession clears

all non-permanent registers.

[M+] Stores any displayed number

(dimensioned or non-dimensioned)

in semi-permanent Memory. Also,

adds any displayed number to any

previously-stored number. Redis-

plays stored total in format of first-

entered dimension. For example,

you can add feet to yards to inches,

and when you press the [Rcl] [M+]

keys, the answer will be displayed

as total feet.

[Rcl]

Recalls and displays the contents of

the semi-permanent Memory or

registers. Pressing [Rcl] twice in a

row displays and clears the Memory.

4 — Construction Master III

®

[√ ] This key is used to find the square

root of a number. You must be

careful when entering dimensioned

values because by definition the

square root of a linear dimension

does not exist; therefore the calcu-

lator will correctly give you an er-

ror if you try to do this.

[Conv] This key, used in conjunction with a

dimension key, converts one dimen-

sioned number to another dimen-

sioned number. The one logistical

limitation is that you must maintain

convention. You cannot convert

from a linear dimension like feet,

for example, to a square or cubic di-

mension. This violates convention.

Additional [Conv] Key Functions:

When used in conjunction with the following

keys, the [Conv] key gives access to these

additional functions.

[Conv] [√ ] Finds the square (X

2

or X-

Squared) of a number or

dimension. Again, you must

be careful when working with

dimensions because, for ex-

ample, if you try to square an

already square dimension,

you would bring it to the

fourth power, which does not

work on this calculator.

[Conv] [ ÷ ] Reciprocal, or 1/x function.

User’s Guide — 5

[Conv] [ x ] All-Clear, full-reset function

clears Memory and resets all

registers (Jack, Stair, & Frac-

tions) to their default values.

[Conv] [ + ] Pi (π) constant = 3.141593.

[Conv] [ – ] Change sign. Can also be

used to subtract a number

from the semi-permanent

Memory (replaces M-).

[Conv] [ M+ ] Replaces the value stored in

Memory with the value on

the display.

[Conv] [ * ] Fraction Set — This key is

used to semi-permanently set

up the default fractional for-

mat of all your answers.**

This preference setting is

cleared by (1) Performing an

All-Clear [Conv][x], or (2)

Replacing it with another

preferred fractional setting,

or (3) By entering a fraction

with a smaller denominator

than your preferred setting.***

*

Pressing [Conv], followed by any of the numbers 2, 4, 8, 1,

3, 6 will set the fraction. Entries other than these will not

change the fraction display.

** This will be the smallest denominator displayed. If,

however, the lowest common denominator is larger than

your preferred setting, the calculator will display this

instead.

*** Upon turning the unit "On," the "fs" symbol will appear

once to indicate a setting other than 1/64ths. If you are

unsure what base was last used, do an All-Clear.

6 — Construction Master III

®

[Conv] [ 2 ] Fraction set to 1/2’s.

[Conv] [ 4 ] Fraction set to 1/4’s.

[Conv] [ 8 ] Fraction set to 1/8’s.

[Conv] [ 1 ] Fraction set to 1/16’s.

[Conv] [ 3 ] Fraction set to 1/32’s.

[Conv] [ 6 ] Fraction set to 1/64’s.

[Feet] This is an entry and conversion

key. The entry can be in whole or

decimal numbers. This key can also

be used in conjunction with the

[Inch] and [/] keys. Example: To

enter 6 feet 9-1/2 inches, the key se-

quence is: 6 [Feet] 9 [Inch] 1 [/] 2

This key can also be used with the

[Conv] key to convert any displayed

dimension to feet.*

[Inch] This key is an entry and conversion

key that works the same way as the

[Feet] key described above.** This

key can also be used with the [Conv]

key to convert any dimension value

to inches.

[Yds] Yards — This key is an entry and

conversion key. The entry can be a

whole number or a decimal number.

It will also convert any other dis-

played dimensioned number to yards

when used with the [Conv] key.

* Successive presses of the Feet key toggles the display

between feet-inch-fraction (if any) and decimal feet

(10ths, 100ths) formats.

** Successive presses of the Inch key toggles the display

between inch-fraction and decimal (10ths, 100ths) inch

formats.

User’s Guide — 7

[M] Meters — This is an entry and

conversion key that works in the

same way as the [Yds] key described

above.

[CM] Centimeters — This is an entry

and conversion key used to enter

decimal centimeters or to convert

decimal centimeters from some

other dimensional format when

used in conjunction with the [Conv]

key.

[MM] Millimeters — This is an entry

and conversion key that works in

the same way as the [CM] key de-

scribed above.

[Cu] Cubic — This definition key is used

in conjunction with a dimension key

(feet, yards, meters, etc.) to enter a

volume measurement. Example: 5

[Cu] [Yds]. Three linear dimensions

multiplied together also equal a

cubic dimension.

[Sq] Square — Similar to the [Cu] key,

this definition key is used in con-

junction with a dimension key (feet,

inches, yards, meters, etc.) to enter

an area measurement. Example: 10

[Sq] [Feet]. Also, two linear dimen-

sions multiplied together equal a

square dimension.

8 — Construction Master III

®

[/] Fraction Bar — This definition key is

used to define and enter fractions.

Fractions can be both proper (1 or less

— 1/2, 1/8, 1/16) or improper (greater

than 1 — 3/2, 65/64). You enter a

fraction by first entering the

numerator (the part of the fraction

that is above the line) then the [/]

and the denominator (the part below

the line).

For example: To enter 1/2, the key se-

quence would be 1 [/] 2.

[Bd Ft] Board Feet — This key is an entry

and conversion key for board feet

units of measure. A board foot is a

cubic measurement equal to 144

cubic inches. The entry can be a

whole number or a decimal number.

It will also convert any other dis-

played cubic dimensioned number

to board feet when used in conjunc-

tion with the [Conv] key.*

[Per] Per-Unit — This key is used to

enter the per-unit dollar cost of a

dimensioned value. For example, if

you calculated 35 cubic yards of

concrete, and each yard cost $47,

you would use this key with the

times [x] key as follows:

35 [Cu] [Yds] [x] 47 [Per] [=] $1645

* In order to get a proper conversion, you must convert

from a cubic dimension.

User’s Guide — 9

One exception to this key is when

working with board feet: If your

dimension is board feet, the unit

price is entered in the standard

Mbm. (per thousand board foot

measure) format.

[Stair] Using the values entered into Rise

and Run, and the dimension entry

for “Desired Riser Height” (auto-

matically assumed in inches and

permanently stored in Memory),

calculates the following:

1st Press [Stair]: Number of Risers

2nd Press [Stair]: Actual Riser Height

3rd Press [Stair]: Riser Overage/Underage

4th Press [Stair]: Number of Treads

5th Press [Stair]: Actual Tread Width

6th Press [Stair]: Tread Overage/Underage

NOTE: After an All-Clear [Conv][x], the calcu-

lator will default to a “Desired Riser Height” of

7-1/2 Inches. You may enter any “Desired Riser

Height” over this default. For example, enter 8

[Stair] and the calculator will assume an 8 inch

“Desired Riser Height.” You may also recall

what is stored at any time by pressing [Rcl][Stair]

[Circ] Circle — After the entry of the

diameter of a circle (in either

dimensional or non-dimensional

format) pressing [Circ], solves for

the circumference (1st press) and

circle area (2nd press) of a circle.

10 — Construction Master III

®

RIGHT ANGLE SOLUTIONS

[Pitch] Pitch is the amount of “Rise” in 12

inches of “Run” in a right triangle.

Pitch is most commonly expressed

in inches — i.e., “9 inches of Pitch”

or a “9-in-12 Pitch” — but can be

entered in either decimal (i.e., .75

[Pitch], or 75 [%] [Pitch] for a Percent

Grade) or dimension format.* In

addition, the Pitch can be calculated

given any two sides of a right tri-

angle — Rise, Run or Diagonal.

[Rise] This is the up-side or vertical leg of

a right triangle. This can be entered

or calculated; the latter if you enter

the two other sides or one other

side and the Pitch.

[Run] This is the base-side or horizontal

leg of a right triangle. This can be

entered or calculated; the latter if

you enter the two other sides or one

other side and the Pitch.

[Diag] Diagonal — This is the angled side

or hypotenuse of a right triangle.

While this can be either entered or

computed, it is most often calcu-

lated for such applications as

“squaring up a room” or finding a

stringer or rafter length.

* While entering 9 [Inch][Pitch] is the same as [.] 75 [Pitch]

(because 9 ÷ 12 = .75), entering 9 [Pitch] will give you the

equivalent of 108 inches of Pitch (as 9 x 12” = 108”) and

you should therefore use caution when entering non-

dimensioned values for Pitch.

User’s Guide — 11

[Hip/V] Hip/Valley — Is used to find an

adjacent 45° Hip or Valley rafter off

of a Common rafter. You first solve

for the Common rafter (diagonal)

using either both legs (Rise and

Run) or one leg and the Pitch. You

then press this key to find the adja-

cent Hip or Valley rafter lengths.

NOTE: To find an “irregular” Hip/Valley (where

the Pitch on both sides is not the same), simply

enter the other roof side’s Pitch directly into the

[Hip/V] key. (For example, enter 9 [Inch] [Hip/V]

or [.] 75 [Hip/V]*). The calculator will then display

the length of the “irregular” Hip/Valley rafter.

[Jack] Calculates jack rafters for regular**

45° Hip/Valley rafters based on the

entry, or previously stored value of

the o.c. (on-center) distance in

inches, the Pitch, and leg (Rise, or

Run). Subsequent presses of [Jack]

will display the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

jacks until no more remain, and the

calculator will then display “0.”

NOTE: The default for o.c. is 16 inches, which

will remain permanently stored until an entry

replaces it. To set the o.c. to other than 16 inches,

simply enter the number (calculator will auto-

matically assume inches), and immediately press

the [Jack] key (ex. 18 [Jack]). To recall what is

stored, press [Rcl] [Jack] at any time.

* As noted previously, while entering 9 [Inch][Hip/V] is the

same as entering [.] 75 [Hip/V], entering 9 [Hip/V] without

dimensions will give you the equivalent of 108 inches of Pitch,

and you should therefore use caution when using non-dimensioned

Pitch values.

** The built-in Jack rafter function provides jack rafter lengths

only for regular (45°) Hip/Valley rafters (as jack rafter “pairs”

for irregular (non 45°) Hip/Valleys are of unequal lengths).

12 — Construction Master III

®

ENTERING DIMENSIONS

When entering dimensioned values, you must

enter the largest dimension first — feet before

inches, inches before fractions. You enter frac-

tions by entering the numerator (value above the

line) then the “/” (fraction bar) key and then the

denominator (value below the line).

Enter the following linear dimensions:

Dimension Keystrokes

5 Feet 5 [Feet]

1/2 Inch 1 [/] 2

5 Feet 1 Inch 5 [Feet] 1 [Inch]

5 Feet 1-1/2 in. 5 [Feet] 1 [Inch] 1 [/] 2

10 Yards 10 [Yds]

17.5 Meters 17.5 [M]

Note: Yards, Meters, Centimeters and Milli-

meters may only be entered as whole values (5

Yards) or decimal values (5.5 Meters), and not

in combination with feet and inches or with

themselves (5 Meters, 2 CM, 8 MM). If a

particular problem contains such a dimension,

you must first convert the yards (or meters) to

“Feet-Inches” and then add dimensions using

the normal process. (See Conversion section.)

User’s Guide — 13

ENTERING SQUARE & CUBIC

DIMENSIONS

Enter square & cubic dimensions* in this order:

(1) Numerical Value

(2) Convention — Square or Cubic

(3) Definition — Meters, Yards, Feet, Inches

Enter the following square and cubic dimensions:

Dimension Keystrokes

5 Cubic Yards 5 [Cu] [Yds]

130 Square Feet 130 [Sq] [Feet]

33 Square Meters 33 [Sq] [M]

LINEAR CONVERSIONS

Convert 14 (linear) feet to other linear dimensions:

Keystrokes Display Shows

14 [Feet] . . .

[Conv] [Feet] [Feet] 14 FT 0 IN

[Conv] [Inch] 168 IN

[Conv] [Yds] 4.666667 YDS

[Conv] [M] 4.267209 M

[Conv] [CM] 426.7209 CM

[Conv] [MM] 4267.209 MM

* A feet-inch dimension cannot be entered directly as a

square, since by definition it is a linear measurement.

However, the area or volume can be found through simple

multiplication. (See Area and Volume examples.)

14 — Construction Master III

®

SQUARE CONVERSIONS

Convert 14 square feet to other square dimen-

sions:

Keystrokes Display Shows

14 [Sq] [Feet] . . .

[Conv] [Inch] 2016 SQ IN

[Yds] * 1.555556 SQ YDS

[M] 1.300648 SQ M

[CM] 13006.48 SQ CM

[MM] 1300648. SQ MM

CUBIC CONVERSIONS

Convert 14 cubic feet to other cubic dimensions:

Keystrokes Display Shows

14 [Cu] [Feet] . . .

[Conv] [Inch] 24192 CU IN

[Conv] [Yds] 0.518519 CU YDS

[Conv] [M] 0.396438 CU M

[Conv] [CM] 396438.2 CU CM

[Conv] [MM] 396438.2 CU CM**

* OPTIONAL: After the first press of [Conv], you do not have

to press [Conv] again -- just press the next dimension format

you wish to find. You must press [Conv] for your first conver-

sion, however, to use this time-saving method.

** Notice in the last conversion to MM, the answer is

displayed in CM, as it is out of the calculator's normal 7-

Digit range (See Auto-Range).

User’s Guide — 15

MATHEMATICAL OPERATIONS

Your calculator uses standard chaining logic

which simply means that you enter your first

value, then the operator (+, –, x, ÷), then the

second value and then finally, the Equals sign to

get your answer.

A. 3 [+] 2 [=] 5

B. 3 [–] 2 [=] 1

C. 3 [x] 2 [=] 6

D. 3 [÷] 2 [=] 1.5

This feature also makes the calculator so simple

to use for dimension applications. This is illus-

trated in the following examples:

Adding Dimensions

Add 7 feet 3-1/2 inches to 11 feet 4 inches:

7 [Feet] 3 [Inch] 1[/] 2

[+] 11 [Feet] 4 [Inch]

[=] 18 FT 7-1/2 IN

Add 11 inches to 2 feet 1 inches:

11 [Inch]

[+] 2 [Feet] 1 [Inch]

[=] 36 IN

Add 2 feet 1 inches to 11 inches:

2 [Feet] 1 [Inch]

[+] 11 [Inch]

[=] 3 FT 0 IN*

* The format of the first value you enter determines the for-

mat of the answer. However, with the [Conv] key you can

change to any format you desire, provided that you

maintain convention.

16 — Construction Master III

®

Subtracting Dimensions

Subtract 3 feet from 11 feet 7-1/2 inches:

11 [Feet] 7 [Inch] 1 [/] 2

[–] 3 [Feet]

[=] 8 FT 7-1/2 IN

Subtract 32 inches from 81 inches:

81 [Inch]

[–] 32 [Inch]

[=] 49 IN

Multiplying Dimensions

Multiply 5 feet 3 inches by 11 feet 6-1/2 inches:

5 [Feet] 3 [Inch]

[x] 11 [Feet] 6 [Inch] 1 [/] 2

[=] 60.59375 SQ FT

Multiply 2 feet 7 inches by 10 (a whole number):

2 [Feet] 7 [Inch]

[x] 10

[=] 25 FT 10 IN

Dividing Dimensions

Divide 30 feet 4 inches by 7 inches:

30 [Feet] 4 [Inch]

[÷] 7 [Inch]

[=] 52 (7-inch segments)

Divide 20 feet 3 inches by 9 (a whole number):

20 [Feet] 3 [Inch]

[÷] 9

[=] 2 FT 3 IN

User’s Guide — 17

PERCENTAGE CALCULATIONS

The Percent key can find a percent of a number,*

add a percent to a number, subtract a percent

from a number or divide a number by a percent.

You do not need to press the Equals key to

complete a percentage calculation.

Computing Percentages

1. Find 18% of 500 feet:

500 [Feet] [x] 18 [%] 90 FT 0 IN

2. Add 10% for waste to 137 square feet:

137 [Sq] [Feet] [+] 10 [%] 150.7 SQ FT

3. Take 20% away from 552 feet 6 inches:

552 [Feet] 6 [Inch] [–] 20 [%] 442 FT 0 IN

4. Divide 350 cubic yards by 80%:

350 [Cu] [Yds] [÷] 80 [%] 437.5 CU YDS

You can also find a percentage by dividing one

number by another. These may also be dimen-

sioned or non-dimensioned numbers, but in such

cases you would not use the Percent key.

1. Find what percent 13 is of 75:

13 [÷] 75 [=] .173333 (or 17.3%)

2. 20 feet 8 inches is what percent of 34 feet 3

7/8 inches?

20 [Feet] 8 [Inch]

[÷] 34 [Feet] 3 [Inch] 7 [/] 8

[=] .602124 (or 60.2%)

* The Percent key works with dimensions as well.

18 — Construction Master III

®

MEMORY FUNCTIONS

Whenever the [M+] is depressed, the displayed

value will be added to the semi-permanent

Memory. To subtract a value from the Memory,

simply precede [M+] with [Conv] [–] (ex. 10

[Conv] [–] [M+]).

[Rcl] [M+] recalls and displays the total value

stored in Memory. [Rcl] [Rcl] displays and clears

all values stored in Memory without clearing the

display. Turning your calculator [Off] will also

clear the Memory.

The Memory works with dimensioned numbers

as well as non-dimensioned numbers. Conven-

tion must be followed when using dimensioned

numbers. This means that you can add or sub-

tract any linear dimensioned number, such as

feet to or from yards, or to or from inches to

meters. You cannot add or subtract a linear di-

mensioned number to or from a square or cubic

dimensioned number. Of course any squared

number can be added or subtracted to or from

another. This is also true of cubed numbers.

Finally, the Memory function will always

convert the total dimension into the units of the

first dimension entered.

When there is a value other than 0 in the Mem-

ory, a small “M” will appear on the left side of

the LCD read-out.

User’s Guide — 19

Memory Calculations

1. 10 [Feet] 5 [Inch] [M+]

5 [Feet] 3 [Inch] 1 [/] 16 [M+]

Recall Memory [Rcl] [M+] 15 FT 8-1/16 IN

Clear Memory [Rcl] [Rcl]

NOTE: After using Memory in a calculation, be sure

to clear the Memory [Rcl] [Rcl] to avoid carrying-over

values from the previous calculation.

2. 105 [Inch] [M+]

45 [Inch] [M+]

37 [Inch] [Conv] [–] [M+]

Recall Memory [Rcl] [M+] 113 IN

Clear Memory [Rcl] [Rcl]

FRACTION SETTING

When you turn on your calculator, it is set to

display values to the nearest 64th of an inch, but

by using the [Conv] key in conjunction with the

number 2, 4, 8, 1, 3, you can change that to show

no lower than 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32.* The

fraction will remain set until an All-Clear [Conv]

[x] is performed or until you change the Fraction

Set further. You can set the fraction either after

a value is displayed or prior to performing any

calculations.

NOTE: For all the examples in this manual, the

fraction will be set to the default of 64ths.

* No matter what fraction value you use, the calculator will

always show you the lowest common denominator of your

fraction — i.e., 1/2 not 16/32.

20 — Construction Master III

®

Page is loading ...

Calculated Industries Construction Master III User manual

This manual is also suitable for

Calculated Industries Construction Master III User manual

Related papers

Other documents