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Outfitting a Desk Drawer

Outfitting a Desk Drawer

2 comments

The following video shows how I outfitted a desk drawer. It includes placing the mortise lock and creating a pencil/pen trough. The placement of the lock is facilitated by prior modeling of the...

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Adding Some Realism To Your Models

Adding Some Realism To Your Models

6 comments

At some point you'll need to show your SketchUp model to someone else. You'll probably want to have a nice looking picture to show. There are a number of options for how to do that. From what I see...

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Shortening a take-apart Childs Table

Shortening a "take-apart" Child's Table

Recently I worked on a "knock-down" take-apart child's table and chair. After completing the design of the table, I realized it was 4-inches too long. In my new book, "SketchUp Guide for Woodworkers...

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Sliding Dovetails

Sliding Dovetails

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I answered a question recently about drawing sliding dovetails in SketchUp. I wound up making the attached video to show how I do it. It's quick, easy and painless and everything lines up...

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A New Maintenance Release for SketchUp 8

A New Maintenance Release for SketchUp 8

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The folks at SketchUp have just released a new maintenance release of SketchUp 8 today. It contains some bug fixes including one that appeared when Apple pushed an update for Safari. But the main...

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A Glue-up Procedure for a Desk

A Glue-up Procedure for a Desk

Gluing a complex piece of furniture can be a challenge. For me, it usually entails development of a thoughtful plan. Often, the first plan won't work - after walking through the steps, I often run...

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Showing The Details

Showing The Details

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So you've created a SketchUp model of your project and included the joinery and other details so you can build it in the shop. How do you go about showing those details? There are several options...

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Creating and Editing Tenon Peg Holes

Creating and Editing Tenon Peg Holes

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Recently a reader on Knots Forum asked how to create and edit tenon pins on a mortise and tenon joint. Specifically, the reader wanted to know how to change the size of the tenon peg after already...

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Using Offset and Auto-Fold for Drawer Bottoms

Using Offset and Auto-Fold for Drawer Bottoms

4 comments

A few weeks ago Tim demonstrated a great way to draw beveled drawer bottoms. As with nearly everything in SketchUp, there's more than one way to do it. Here's an approach that I find works well for...

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Sometimes a Hand Sketch Helps

Sometimes a Hand Sketch Helps

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Recently I was trying to shape a profile for a turned drawer knob in SketchUp. I created a rectangular face and drew the centerline. I then started with the Line and Arc Tools to create the shape of...

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Starting a Modern Danish Style Desk

Starting a Modern Danish Style Desk

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I'm starting a new project for the grandchildren - desks. Modern Danish style seems to work well in this case, so I'm working on the SketchUp model for the interesting shapes of the legs. There is a...

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Managing Your Preferences Template

Managing Your Preferences Template

Managing your preferences template can be more complicated than simply clicking on "Save As Template". Perhaps you - as I am accustomed to do - on occasion modify your SketchUp Preferences Template...

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Quick and Easy Flutes

Quick and Easy Flutes

6 comments

The other day I was talking with a fellow about SketchUp and we got onto the topic of details and the return on the investment of time spent drawing them. I've always held the opinion that one should...

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A Move Tool Exercise

A Move Tool Exercise

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 In the last week or so I've tutored several students whose key stumbling block with SketchUp was the Move tool. To a person, they were finding it difficult to accurately move elements of their...

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Starting a New Project

Starting a New Project

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More often now, I'm starting new projects with a search for images (photos). I , or a member of my family, has an idea for a new furniture project. There may be a picture in a book, newspaper or...

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Turn Your Model Into a Real Object

Turn Your Model Into a Real Object

7 comments

Generally around here we focus on drawing SketchUp models that will be used eventually as the references for projects we'll build in the shop. Another application that might be useful to you is 3D...

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Divide and Conquer -- Handling Complex Geometry

Divide and Conquer -- Handling Complex Geometry

Break down complex shapes into manageable chunks to make it easier to handle.

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Announcement: My New eBook - SketchUp and Traditional Cabinets

Announcement: My New eBook - SketchUp and Traditional Cabinets

24 comments

My second book on using SketchUp is now available in the Fine Woodworking Store. This is the reference locationhellip...

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When a Cross-Section Beats an X-Ray

When a Cross-Section Beats an X-Ray

In building the Titanic Deck Chair a key design consideration involves the pivot joints that facilitate the folding of the chair for storage. There is a popular hardware assembly for pivot joints...

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Details, Details -- Drawing Cockbead for a Bow Front Chest

Details, Details -- Drawing Cockbead for a Bow Front Chest

The other day I received an e-mail from a woodworker who was asking about how to draw the cockbead around the drawer openings on a bow front chest model he is working on. He managed to get the...

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showing 41 - 60 of 336 posts
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I am a Biomedical Equipment Technician. I maintain anesthesia and respiratory equipment for the largest medical facility in southeast Minnesota. I...
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I am retired from Bechtel Corporation after 36 years in Engineering and IT management. I grew up among woodworking machinery in...
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