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Equal Spacing Reference Table: 36-Inch Span, 2-Inch Parts

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Use this equal spacing reference table for a 36-inch span and 2-inch parts. Find clear gaps, center spacing, and first center marks.

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For a 36-inch span containing identical 2-inch-wide parts, the equal clear gap is 7.500 inches for three parts, 5.600 inches for four, 4.333 inches for five, or 3.429 inches for six. These layouts include equal clear gaps at both ends as well as between adjacent parts.

Measure the span between the two boundaries of the layout. Each part’s actual width along that span must be 2 inches—not merely a nominal stock size. This table is a calculated layout reference, not a woodworking standard or a required installation spacing.

Equal Spacing Reference Table

All dimensions below are in inches. Center-to-center spacing, also called center pitch, is the distance between the centers of adjacent parts. The first center mark is measured from the left boundary of the 36-inch span.

Values are calculated at full precision and rounded to three decimal places for display. Three decimal places do not imply that the stock or marking equipment is accurate to 0.001 inch.

How to Calculate Equal Gaps and Center Marks

Let:

• L = total span, in inches.
• w = actual width of each identical part along the span, in inches.
• n = number of parts, a positive whole number.
• g = equal clear gap, in inches.
• p = center-to-center spacing, in inches.
• c_1 = first center mark from the left boundary, in inches.

With n parts, there are n-1 gaps between parts plus two end gaps, giving n+1 equal gaps:

g=\frac{L-nw}{n+1}

Add one part width to the clear gap to find the center pitch:

p=w+g

The first center lies half a part width beyond the first clear gap:

c_1=g+\frac{w}{2}

For any part numbered k from the left, its center position is:

c_k=c_1+(k-1)p,\qquad k=1,\ldots,n

These equations describe equal-width parts with equal clear gaps at both ends. A layout with the first and last parts touching the boundaries requires a different gap calculation.

Worked Example: Five 2-Inch Parts

For L=36 inches, w=2 inches, and n=5:

g=\frac{36-(5\times2)}{5+1}
=\frac{26}{6}
=4\tfrac{1}{3}\text{ in}

p=2+4\tfrac{1}{3}=6\tfrac{1}{3}\text{ in}

c_1=4\tfrac{1}{3}+1=5\tfrac{1}{3}\text{ in}

The center marks, measured independently from the left boundary, are:

The span check uses the unrounded gap:

5(2)+6\left(\frac{13}{3}\right)=10+26=36\text{ in}

The final part’s right edge is at 31\tfrac{2}{3} inches, leaving the same 4\tfrac{1}{3}-inch gap at the right boundary.

Using the Table for Shop Layout

Measure each center position from the same left-hand reference rather than repeatedly stepping off a rounded pitch. For five parts, for example, use the full 6\tfrac{1}{3}-inch pitch when calculating positions, then round each final mark to the resolution of your measuring tool. Repeating the displayed 6.333-inch value can accumulate rounding error.

If you mark part edges instead of centers, subtract half the part width from each center position. For these 2-inch parts:

\text{Left edge of part }k=c_k-1\text{ in}

Check the actual span and part widths before transferring the marks. If either differs from the table’s assumptions, recalculate rather than adjusting individual gaps by eye.

The layout also requires enough room for the parts:

• If nw<L, the calculated clear gap is positive.
• If nw=L, the clear gap is zero; the parts fill the span without clearance.
• If nw>L, the parts cannot fit within the span without overlap.

Calculate a Different Span or Part Width

The Equal Spacing Calculator provides inputs labeled “Total span (in),” “Object width (in),” and “Number of objects.” Its results include center-to-center spacing, the equal clear gap including both ends, and the first and last center marks from the left end.[woodworkingcalculator]

To calculate the five-part example, enter 36, 2, and 5 in those respective fields. Use your own measured dimensions for other layouts. The resulting positions describe the spacing geometry; any hardware clearances or installation requirements still need to be checked against the specific project.