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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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Showing Shop Dovetail Procedure (in SketchUp)
7 commentsRecently I tried to explain my dovetail procedure used in the shop. The project was making several Shaker Chip Boxes, and each corner is fastened with hand-cut dovetails thesenbspare...
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Dower Chest with Solid Tools
3 commentsI'm working on a reproduction of a Pennsylvania Dower Chest and have enjoyed experimenting with the new Solid Tools that are a part of Pro version 8. The same results can be achieved with the...
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Flexibility with Cross Sections
I don't use a lot of cross-sections in my design documents, but occasionally I find them extremely effective. They are particularly useful where it is difficult, with normal visualizations, to see...
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Making a Bevel-edged Drawer Bottom
2 commentsBoth Dave Richards and I have recommended modeling components in the context of the assembled piece of furniture. This saves time and reduces errors by drawing a new component where it fits among...
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"Align View" - a Little Known, but Handy Function
I don't use it that often, but when I do the "Align View" function is very helpful. It comes in handy when I'm making a full-size template of a component's details. In the case of the 18th C Childs...
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An 18th C Child's Cradle - Handling Difficult Shapes and Angles
1 commentLast week I attended the Colonial Williamsburg Conference, "Working Wood in the 18th Century. Covering the subject - Bedroom Furniture - I found this conference very educational and valuable...
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Making a Bail for a Shaker Chip Box
8 commentsIn starting the design for a Shaker Chip Box, I thought how easy it looked - but soon was surprised by the complexity of the bent handle or Bail. This component is not so simple with its right...
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A Quick Dovetailed Box
18 commentsA demonstration showing how to quickly layout and "cut" dovetails.
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Creating a Project Plan in SketchUp
21 commentsAn overview of how I created shop drawings for Tim Rousseau's Frame and Pannel Cabinet Video Workshop.
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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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