User’s Guide
CONSTRUCTION MASTER®IV
For Today’s Construction Professional
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ONSTRUCTIONMASTER
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INTRODUCING:
THE CONSTRUCTION MASTER IV
®
Designed for busy construction professionals,
the new Construction Master IV lets you solve
hundreds of dimension-related problems
quickly and accurately in Metric or feet-inch
formats!
◆ Solve Dimensional Math with Ease
◆ Instant Dimensional Conversions
◆ Complete Metric/Imperial Conversions
◆ Calculate Square and Rectangular Areas
◆ Find Cubic Volumes
◆ Solve Right-Triangle problems
◆ Find Regular and Irregular Hip/Valley
Rafters
◆ Find Regular and Irregular Jack Rafters
◆ Calculate Stair Risers, Treads and Stringers
◆ Solve Rake-Wall Stud Lengths
◆ Convert between Volume and Weight
◆ Estimate Board Feet
◆ Find Circular Areas, Circumferences, Arcs
◆ Material Estimations
◆ Paperless Tape Function
◆ And much, much more!
3 — User’s Guide
KEY DEFINITIONS/FUNCTIONS
Basic Functions
[+] [–] [x]
[÷] [=] Arithmetic operation keys.
[%] Four-function percent key.
0 – 9 Digits used for keying-in numbers.
[ • ] Decimal point.
[Off]
Turns all power off. Resets the display and all non-permanent registers.
[On/C] Turns on power. Pressing once
clears the last entry and the display. Pressing twice in succession
clears all temporary registers.
[Conv]
Used to convert between dimensions. Dimensions can only be converted within the same convention
(i.e., linear, square or cubic). Also
used to access special functions.
GETTING STARTED
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Used to find the square root of a
number.
[Conv]
x2 — Finds the square of the displayed value.
[M+] Memory Plus — Stores the dis-
played number in the semi-permanent Memory. Also adds the
displayed number to any previously stored value in Memory. The
total stored in Memory is recalled
by pressing [Rcl] prior to [M+].
[Conv]
[M+] Memory Minus (M–) — Subtracts
the displayed value from Memory.
[Rcl] Recall — Recalls values stored in
any register (i.e., press [Rcl] and
then the key you wish to display
the value of). [Rcl] [M+] displays
Memory content.
[]
[]
5 — User’s Guide
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[Rcl] [x] Imperial/Metric Mode — Selects
either Imperial or Metric defaults
for the following settings: pitch,
stair riser height, and on-center spacing for jack rafters and rake-walls.
Note: This is a permanent setting
cleared only by removing batteries
or manually resetting.
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[Conv]
[Rcl] Memory Clear — Clears the
Memory without changing the
current display.
Dimension Keys
[Yds] Yards — This is an entry and con-
version key (when used with
[Conv]).
[Feet] Feet — This is an entry and con-
version key (when used with
[Conv]). This key can also be used
in conjunction with the [Inch] and
[/] keys for entering in Feet-InchFractions.
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[Inch] Inches — This is an entry and con-
version key (when used with
[Conv]). This key can also be used
in conjunction with the [/] key for
entering values in Fractional Inch
format.
[/] Fraction Bar — This key is used to
enter fractions. For example, to
enter 1/2, the key sequence would
be: 1 [/] 2.
[Cu] Cubic — This key is used with a
dimension key to identify a value
as being a volume.
Example: 5 [Cu] [Yds].
[Sq] Square — This key is used with a
dimension key to identify a value
as being an area.
Example: 10 [Sq] [Meters].
[m] Meters — This is an entry and con-
version key used to enter decimal
meters or to convert decimal
meters.
[cm] Centimeters — Entry and conver-
sion key for centimeters. Operates
the same as metric.
7 — User’s Guide
[mm] Millimeters — Entry and conver-
sion key for millimeters. Operates
the same as metric.
[Bd Ft] Board Feet — This key is used to
enter or convert cubic values to
board feet (using [Conv]). One
board foot is equal to 144 cubic
inches (1 inch x 1 foot x 1 foot).
[Weight] Weight — This key is used to con-
vert volume to a weight value using
the [Conv] key and the stored
Weight per Volume factor (see
below). Press repeatedly to toggle
between tons, pounds and kilograms.
[Conv]
[%]
Weight per Volume — Used to set the
Weight per Volume factor. Factor
can be entered as Kilograms per
Cubic Meter, Tons per Cubic Yard,
or Pounds per Cubic Yard. To set a
different weight per volume, i.e.,
2150 Kilograms per Cubic Meter,
press 2150 [Conv] [%] [%] [%].
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Right Triangle/Rafter Keys
[Pitch] Pitch — This key is used to per-
manently enter or calculate the
pitch (slope) of a roof (or right triangle). Pitch may be entered as an
inch format (9 [Inch] [Pitch]), or
as an angle in degrees (i.e., 30
[Pitch] for 30°), or also as a unitless ratio (0.75 [Conv] [Pitch]).
[Rise] Rise — This key enters or calcu-
lates the rise or vertical leg of a
right triangle.
[Run] Run — This key enters or calcu-
lates the run or horizontal leg (or
base) of a right triangle.
9 — User’s Guide
[Diag] Diagonal — This key enters or
calculates the diagonal leg or
hypotenuse of a right triangle.
[Conv]
[Diag] Rake-Wall — This function finds
the decreasing stud sizes in a rakewall based on computed or entered
values for pitch, rise and/or run.
Repeated presses of [Diag] will display the descending stud sizes from
longest to shortest.
The on-center spacing of a rakewall can be permanently stored by
entering a dimension prior to solving for stud sizes (for example, 750
[mm] [Conv] [Diag]
will store 750
millimeters as the on-center spacing). Default on-center spacing is
600 millimeters in Metric Mode
(16 inches in English Mode).
[Hip/V] Hip/Valley — Finds the regular (45°)
hip/valley rafter length based on
entered or solved values for Pitch,
Rise, Run and/or Diagonal. If this
key is pressed after an irregular pitch
entry (see below), the length of the
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irregular (non-45°) hip/valley rafter
is displayed. Answers will show an
“I” on the display to indicate if it’s
an irregular.
[Conv]
[Hip/V] Irregular Pitch — Stores the irreg-
ular pitch or slope value for calculating lengths of the irregular
hip/valley and irregular jack rafters.
For instance, to enter a 38° irregular pitch or slope, press 38 [Conv]
[Hip/V] (or, to enter a ten inch
irregular pitch, enter 10 [Inch]
[Conv] [Hip/Valley]). To recall
the irregular pitch, press [Rcl]
[Conv] [Hip/Valley]. An irregular
pitch is designated with an “I”.
11 — User’s Guide
[Jack] Jack Rafter — Used to find the jack
rafter sizes—from largest to smallest—for both regular and irregular
roofs based on entered values for
Pitch, Rise, Run and/or Diagonal,
jack on-center, and (optionally)
irregular pitch (see above). Use
[Conv] [Jack] to access the irregular jack rafter mode.
The default on-center spacing for
jacks is 600 millimeters in Metric
Mode. A new on-center spacing
can be permanently set by entering
a dimension before pressing
[Jack]. For example, 750 [mm]
[Jack] will store a 750 millimeter
on-center spacing.
[Conv]
[Jack] Irregular Jack — Accesses the irreg-
ular jack rafter mode, allowing successive presses of the [Jack] key
(after [Conv] [Jack] is initially
pressed) to display the descending
irregular jack rafter lengths—from
longest to shortest. Based on
entered irregular pitch and on-center spacing.
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Stair and Circle Keys
[Stair] A multi-function key that displays
the following values when pressed
repeatedly:
Number of Presses
Result
1 Number of Risers
2 Actual Riser Height
3 Riser Overage/Underage
4 Number of Treads
5 Actual Tread Width
6 Tread Overage/Underage
7 Stringer Length
8 Inclination Angle
9 Default Riser Height
13 — User’s Guide
When the [Stair] key is preceded
by a linear or undimensioned
entry, the value will be permanently stored as the “Desired Riser
Height”. Undimensioned values
are assumed to be millimeters
when in Metric Mode or inches if
in English Mode. Default = 185
millimeters for Metric Mode (71/2 inches for English Mode).
[Circ] Circle — Based on an entered
dimensioned diameter, repeated
presses display the following circular values: 1) diameter, 2) surface
area 3) circumference.
[Conv]
[Circ] Arc Length — Used to find the arc
length based on an entered diameter and angle. For example: 50
[mm] [Circ] 180 [Conv] [Circ]
would display an Arc length of
78.53982 millimeters for an
entered diameter of 50 millimeters
and a 180° angle.
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Additional [Conv] Key Functions:
When used in conjunction with the following keys, the [Conv] key gives access to these
additional functions:
[Conv]
[÷] Reciprocal, or 1/x function.
[Conv]
[x] All-Clear — Clears all values
including Memory. Resets all permanent registers to default settings
(pitch, jack rafter and rake-wall oncenter values, stair riser height,
fraction set).
[Conv]
[+] Pi (π) Constant = 3.141593.
[Conv]
[–] +/– Changes the sign of the dis-
played value.
[Conv]
[=] Tape — Accesses the paperless tape
mode.
[Conv]
[•] Per Unit — Allows you to calculate
a total material cost given a unit
dimension and an entered Per Unit
Cost.
15 — User’s Guide
Fractional
Rounding
Settings:
When your calculator is in a
default condition (after a battery
change or full reset), it is set to
round fractional values to the nearest 1/16 of an inch. However, you
may program your preference for
six different accuracy levels which
remain in permanent memory
until revised or reset. To change the
fractional rounding, press:
[Conv] 1 Fraction set to 1/16
[Conv] 2 Fraction set to 1/2
[Conv] 3 Fraction set to 1/32
[Conv] 4 Fraction set to 1/4
[Conv] 6 Fraction set to 1/64
[Conv] 8 Fraction set to 1/8
ENTERING DIMENSIONS
All examples are performed in Metric Mode
(press [Rcl] [x] to see “METR” on display).
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Linear Dimensions
Below are some examples of how linear
dimensions are entered:
Dimensions Keystrokes
17.5 Meters 17.5 [m]
5 Feet 5 [Feet]
1/2 Inch 1 [/] 2
5 Feet 1 Inch 5 [Feet] 1 [Inch]
5 Feet 1-1/2 Inch 5 [Feet] 1 [Inch] 1 [/] 2
10 Yards 10 [Yds]
205 Millimeters 205 [mm]
Square and Cubic Dimensions
Square and cubic dimensions are entered in
the following order:
(1) Numerical Value;
(2) Convention — Square or Cubic;
(3) Units — Meters, Yards, Feet, Inches.
Below are some examples of how square and
cubic dimensions are entered:
Dimension Keystrokes
33 square millimeters 33 [Sq] [mm]
5 cubic yards 5 [Cu] [Yds]
130 square feet 130 [Sq] [Feet]
123 cubic meters 123 [Cu] [m]
17 — User’s Guide
DIMENSION CONVERSIONS
Linear Conversions
Convert 14 feet to other linear dimensions:
Keystrokes Display Shows
14 [Feet] . . .
[Conv] [m] 4.2672 M
[Conv] [cm] 426.72 CM
[Conv] [mm] 4267.2 MM
[Conv] [Yds] 4.666667 YD
[Conv] [Feet] 14 FT 0 IN
[Conv] [Feet] 14 FT
[Conv] [Inch] 168 IN
Square Area Conversions
Convert 14 square feet to other square
dimensions:
Keystrokes Display Shows
14 [Sq] [Feet] . . .
[Conv] [m] 1.300643 SQ M
[cm] 13006.43 SQ CM
[mm] 1300643 SQ MM
[Inch] 2016 SQ IN
[Yds] 1.555556 SQ YD
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Note: When performing conversions, [Conv]
only has to be pressed once.
Cubic Conversions
Convert 14 cubic feet to other cubic dimensions:
Keystrokes Display Shows
14 [Cu] [Feet] . . .
[Conv] [m] 0.396 CU M
[cm] 396435.9 CU CM
[mm] 0.396 CU M *
[Inch] 24192 CU IN
[Yds] 0.518519 CU YD
* Notice in the conversion to millimeters, the
answer has “Auto-Ranged” and is again displayed in meters, as otherwise the number of
digits would be out of the calculator's normal
seven digit display range.
19 — User’s Guide
MATHEMATICAL OPERATIONS
Your calculator uses standard chaining logic
which simply means that you enter your first
value, the operator (+, –, x, ÷), the second
value and then the Equals sign (“=”).
A. 3 [+] 2 [=] 5
B. 3 [–] 2 [=] 1
C. 3 [x] 2 [=] 6
D. 3 [÷] 2 [=] 1.5
This feature also makes the calculator simple
to use for dimensional math, as shown in the
following examples:
Adding and Subtracting Dimensions
1. Add 7 meters to 11 feet 4 inches:
7 [m] [+] 11 [Feet] 4 [Inch]
[=] 10.4544 M
2. Subtract 3 feet from 11 feet 7-1/2 inches:
11 [Feet] 7 [Inch] 1 [/] 2 [–] 3 [Feet]
[=] 8 FEET 7-1/2 INCH
Note: The format of the first value you enter
determines the format of the answer. However,
with the [Conv] key you can change to any format you desire, provided that you maintain
convention.
Multiplying and Dividing Dimensions
1. 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
2. Divide 30 meters by 16 inches:
30 [m] [÷] 16 [Inch]
[=] 73.8189
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21 — User’s Guide
MEMORY OPERATION
Whenever the [M+] key is pressed, the displayed value will be added to the Memory.
The displayed value will be subtracted from
Memory by pressing [Conv] [M+].
[Rcl] [M+] recalls and displays the total
value of the Memory. [Rcl] [Rcl] displays
and clears the Memory as does turning off
your calculator.
Keystrokes Display Shows
1. 355 [M+] 355.
[Rcl] [Rcl] 355.
2. 355 [M+] 355.
255 [M+] 255.
745 [Conv] [M+] 745.
[Rcl] [Rcl] – 135.
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PAPERLESS TAPE
The Paperless Tape allows the user to display
and review the last 20 entries of a calculation. This function is accessed by pressing
[Rcl] [=].
To review entered values, press [Rcl] [=] to
access the tape mode and then press the [+]
or [–] keys to either scroll forward or back-
ward through the entries. The Paperless Tape
is cleared each time [On/C] is pressed twice,
or the unit is shut off.
Reviewing Paperless Tape
1. Enter a string of numbers:
Keystrokes Display Shows
4 [cm] [+] 4 CM
5 [cm] [+] 9 CM
6 [cm] [=] 15 CM
23 — User’s Guide
2. Access the Tape function:
Keystrokes Display Shows
[Rcl] [=] TTL= 15 CM
3. Scroll from first value to total:
Keystrokes Display Shows
[+] 01 4 CM
[+] 02+ 5 CM
[+] 03+ 6 CM
[+] TTL= 15 CM
4. Scroll to last 2 values:
Keystrokes Display Shows
[–] 03+ 6 CM
[–] 02+ 5 CM
5. Exit Tape function by pressing any key
except [Off], [+], or [–].
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Battery and Auto Shut-Off — Your calculator is powered by a single 3-Volt Lithium
CR-2032 battery. This should last upwards
of 800 hours of actual use (one year plus for
most people). Should the display become
very dim or erratic, replace the battery.
Your calculator is designed to shut itself off
after about 8-12 minutes of non-use.
Accuracy/Display — Your calculator has an
eleven digit display (seven normal digits and
four digits for the fractions). Calculations are
carried out internally to ten digits and are
rounded to the seven digit standard display
using a 5/4 rounding technique.
“Error” — When you make an incorrect
entry, or the answer is beyond the range of the
calculator, it will display the word “Error.” To
clear an error condition you must hit the
[On/C] button twice. An “Error” condition
will also occur if you enter a mathematical
impossibility such as division by zero.
Auto-Range — If an “overflow” is created
because of an input and calculation with small
units that are out of the standard seven digit
range of the display, the answer will be automatically expressed in the next larger units.
25 — User’s Guide
Software Copyrighted and licensed
to
Calculated Industries by
Construction Master Technologies,
LLC, 2000
Construction Master IV User’s Guide
Copywrited by Calculated Industries,
2000
Construction Master
®
and
Calculated Industries
®
are registered trademarks
of Calculated Industries, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Designed in the
United States of America
©2000, Calculated Industries
4840 Hytech Drive
Carson City, NV 89706
1-775-885-4900
Fax: 1-775-885-4949
www.calculated.com
File: 4045-UG-C • 9/00
Printed In China
9/00
UG4045E-C
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