How To Find The Exact Center Of A Pizza Pan

[Tango Charlie]

First I found some left over metal angle and my framing square. Then I pinned the angle against the square with small nails into a scrap of particle board. I put a nail right at the apex of the square, and you'll see why in a minute.


Then I took a piece of coroplast, a protractor, and a knife, and made a 45 degree triangle. Larry Rensberger to the rescue! ...again.


Then I nestled the pizza pan against the angles.


Then I lined up my coroplast triangle against the metal angle on one side, with the 45 degree side pointing at the nail at the apex of the framing square. It would've been more conveinient if the metal angle was taller than pizza pan, but oh well.
This puts the 45 degree edge of the triangle right through the middle of the pan. I marked it with a fine point Sharpie.


Then I rotated the pan roughly 60 degrees and marked it again. Then I rotated it another 60ish degrees and marked it a third time. I was pleasantly surprised at how accurately the three lines crossed.


Now I have the exact center from which I can mark out the lug nut positions.

[cfg83]

Tango Charlie -

Fantastic work. I made a balsa-wood square frame with brass corners. It was slightly large, so I used spongy tape where it touched the pizza-pan to make it snug.

CarloSW2

[mnmarcus]

Or attach a string to a pencil and draw an arc that extends a little past the middle. Spin the pan about 180 and draw another arc. Connecting the 2 points where the arc intersect will make a line exacly through the center. Repeat at some other angle and the lines will intersect exactly at the midpoint of the circle. I love the fact that you don't have to measure anything at all but it works great...

[Tango Charlie]

Thanks, mnmarcus! I was thinking you'd have to be exactly 180 for that to work, but I tried it on paper with a compass and it does work well, even if you're not anywhere close to 180. I don't think string would work, though. It would let the pencil angle in or out too much, destroying any hope for accuracy. Rigidly fastening (taping?) the pencil to a stick might work.

[KITT222]

Nice Tango. That is the same pizza pan type I had on my Vibe before I lost two of them. Does this mean you're making wheel cover finally?

[cfg83]

Tango Charlie -

Here is what my balsa-wood frame looks like :



The balsa-wood is a square shape, so it's pretty rigid. You just have to draw an "X" from the corners and you're done. I was in such a rush I put one of the metal brackets on backwards, but it worked anyway.

CarloSW2

[Tango Charlie]

Originally Posted by KITT222

Nice Tango. That is the same pizza pan type I had on my Vibe before I lost two of them. Does this mean you're making wheel cover finally?

Finally? Finally?!!? FINALLY!? Listen here, punk...
Ha ha ha!
Yeah, I ecomod slower than I drive. It annoys even me.

How did you have yours attached?

[cfg83]

Me -

Originally Posted by cfg83

Tango Charlie -

Here is what my balsa-wood frame looks like :

...

The balsa-wood is a square shape, so it's pretty rigid. You just have to draw an "X" from the corners and you're done. I was in such a rush I put one of the metal brackets on backwards, but it worked anyway.

...

I forgot to say that once I have one good pizza pan wheel cover + holes, it can become the master. I can re-use the frame to line up pizza pans for marking new holes.

CarloSW2

[KITT222]

Originally Posted by Tango Charlie

Finally? Finally?!!? FINALLY!? Listen here, punk...
Ha ha ha!
Yeah, I ecomod slower than I drive. It annoys even me.

How did you have yours attached?

Meanwhile, I was ecmodding before I even made my first payment


How were mine attached? Badly. Zip ties. Not cool. Lost one on my way to school, another on my way back from work one night. I thought of an idea with U-clamps, but haven't tried it out yet. Now I was thinking something like plexiglass or acrylic that is very thin a little more than zip tied down. Probably drill a hole, and use the center cap to assist in holding them on.

Oh right, you're missing one Ha ha! Then again you are going with the pizza pans. The way I was thinking with the U-clamp was to drill the holes and mount it on the outside of the 'spoke' and use lock nights to hold it on, or else it'd wreak havoc on the brake.

Good luck! I personally know how hard this is (this time).

[Niner]

Put a metal center punch into the vise so it's pointing straight up.

Balance pizza pan on point of center punch. With the rim down, it's very slightly stable.

Hit the pizza pan with a with a ball peen hammer right over the punch.

Seemed like it wouldn't work well, but the pans ended up very well centered in the wheel, and technically you want it balanced by weight, not by shape (although the two are probably close to the same)