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Component Insertion
6 commentsIn my previous blog post I wrote about setting the insertion point for components to make them easy to place in models. A couple of readers let me know that they weren't sure how to do this. Some...
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Make It Go Faster
The other day I was involved in a discussion about how to speed up the drawing work. The point was that no matter how much time was spent creating the drawing of a project, you still have to...
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Dovetails in a Shaker Blanket Chest
3 commentsIn Chapter Eight of my eBook I show a method of creating the dovetail joints in the carcase of a Shaker Blanket Chest. In my reproduction, this New Lebanon piece included 7 1/2 dovetails in the...
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Making Exploded Views
5 commentsExploded views are a common way to show details in a drawing of a project. They are an excellent way to show how the parts relate to each other. One of the many advantages of creating a SketchUp...
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Kitchen Cabinets - The Engineer's Way
9 commentsHave you searched for "Kitchen Cabinets" in Google Warehouse? I was amazed at the thousands of entries in all types and sizes. I recently spent several hours sifting through a number of the citations...
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Where Will You Put Your Dreamshop?
2 commentsSo you've designed the inside of your your Dream Shop. Now where are you going to put your new shop building? You could use SketchUp to help you decide. To do this, you'll want the Google toolbar. If...
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A Claw & Ball Foot in SketchUp
David Heim, the editor of my eBook on SketchUp, has recently sent me a method of making the claw and ball feet so typical of 18th Century furniture. His method was much easier that I had envisioned...
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Design an iPad Support
8 commentsThere are many accessory products in the Apple Store for holding the iPad. I looked at many of them since I needed a platform for the iPad at the breakfast table - a platform that would position the...
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The Power of Scenes
5 commentsI commented in my last blog entry that Scenes seem to be the most obscure feature of SketchUp. For when I show my computer screen (and this happened at AWFS), I can count on immediate questions such...
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Pie Crust -- Variations in the Recipe
2 commentsLimiting file size and showing different construction options in your sketchUp model.
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SketchUp at AWFS
2 commentsLast Saturday, I was a speaker at the AWFS (Association of Woodworkers and Furnishings Suppliers) conference in Las Vegas. It was a two-hour seminar titled "Google SketchUp for Woodworkers". About...
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More Iron Work -- A Twisted Basket
2 commentsIn the comments to my post on drawing twisted spindles, Scott asked about creating a twisted basket for a spindle. I hadn't thought about this before and I wasn't quite sure of the best approach but...
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Cardinal Points -- A Little Known Aspect of the Move Tool
2 commentsRecently I was working through some SketchUp training documentation in preparation for a class and came across a discussion about an aspect of the Move tool when it is used on circles, polygons and...
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Woodworking at Veteran's Hospital
7 commentsOur woodworking group is working with the local Veteran's Hospital to develop craft and SketchUp activities that may be helpful to veteran's at the hospital. The hospital staff are encouraging us to...
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Save the Changes
5 commentsOften, when I am working on a project for a client, the project will go through multiple revisions as the design evolves. This is generally a collaborative effort between my client, his client and...
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Quirks with the Push/Pull Tool
10 commentsIn Chapter 12 of my eBook, I show the "building" of a Windsor Chair. In Step 3, I say to use the Push/Pull Tool to give the shaped seat its thickness. Sounds easy enough, but you may have been...
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It's A Matter of Perspective
2 commentsA week or so ago I was chatting with a new SketchUp user. He was asking if he could control the perspective in his views of his model. As it turns out there is a lot of freedom to control the...
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Elongated Holes in SketchUp
3 commentsIn my book Chapter 9, Step 30, there are instructions for placing elongated holes in the Top Frame for fastening the Top. They're elongated to account for seasonal movement of the Top...
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A Little Iron Work -- Some Quick Twisted Spindles
7 commentsThis afternoon a friend asked me if I had a good way to draw twisted iron spindles similar to the one on the left in the photograph. I hadn't really thought about drawing an iron railing before but I...
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Editing SketchUp Materials
3 commentsSometimes I find I want to give the idea that the wood grain material I've used in my SketchUp model has been stained, shellacked or varnished. there are some limited controls available under the Edit...
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About Design. Click. Build.
Learn the art and science of designing furniture in SketchUp with Fine Woodworking's official blog. Moderated by a devoted community of woodworkers, we feature step-by-step SketchUp tutorials on designing components, downloads of pre-built 3D models of furniture parts, and news and information about the evolving world of digital furniture design.
Basic SketchUp Tutorials
Learn the basics of building furniture in SketchUp with these classic posts from the Design. Click. Build. blog.
Creating a Project Plan in SketchUp
How I Draw in SketchUp
Axes in SketchUp
The SketchUp Move Tool
The SketchUp Rotate Tool
The SketchUp Scale Tool
Materials, Colors, and Textures
Applying Wood Grain Skins in SketchUp
Easy Dovetail Joints in SketchUp
Digital Project Plans
Download and modify SketchUp files for select projects from Fine Woodworking. View all. Top Sellers: Matt's Monster Workbench New England Pine Cupboard Garden BenchMeet the Authors
DaveRichardsI am a Biomedical Equipment Technician. I maintain anesthesia and respiratory equipment for the largest medical facility in southeast Minnesota. I...
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Tim KillenI am retired from Bechtel Corporation after 36 years in Engineering and IT management. I grew up among woodworking machinery in...
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