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Moldings By Follow Me

David Richards, contributor

7 users recommend

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Recently there have been some questions regarding the use of Follow Me to add a molding around a cabinet. I did a quick little video demo that will hopefully clarify and perhaps even expand your skills with the Follow Me tool.

First, a couple of notes regarding the video. I already had the molding profile drawn and made into a component before starting the video. When I made the molding profile a component, I adjusted its axes so that the insertion point was at the top inside corner of the molding. This allowed me to place the profile quickly and accurately when I brought it into the model. See my blog entry on Axes for details on changing the axis location for a component.

I frequently field questions from new users who have made a component of a molding profile and when they go to use it, Follow Me will do nothing with it. There are two thing to remember. As with any component, you cannot change the molding profile without first opening the component for editing. Additionally, the path for Follow Me must be inside the same component definition as the profile. Alternatively, you could explode the profile component prior to drawing the path. When you have finished, though, remember to create a component.

Dave

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Comments (15)

DaveRichards writes: Sorry. I have no control over the type of advertising shown on the videos. The blog isn't part of the subscription. It is free to everyone. I suppose the alternative I have would be to quit doing the videos altogether.
Posted: 2:00 pm on October 10th

lotsofquestions writes: If I'm paying for a yearly subscription to the online version of Fine Woodworking than why do I have to sit through a political advertisement in order to watch a video? THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL FORUM!!!!!!!!!!
Posted: 1:34 pm on October 10th

cmiller74 writes: Fortunately for me, I just stumbled accross your blog yesterday (unfortunately is wasn't sooner). It has some great tips and tricks and now that I know it is here, I'll be paying more attention and you may be getting some questions from me! ;)
Posted: 9:16 am on November 23rd

DaveRichards writes: @cmiller, Thank you for letting me know that. I'm very happy to know that it was helpful. I just wish I'd known you were having trouble sooner so I could have helped you avoid a lot of frustration. Happy Thanksgiving.

--Dave
Posted: 9:36 pm on November 22nd

cmiller74 writes: I know this article is a little old, but I can't begin to tell you how much time you have saved me with this. I do woodworking as a hobby and for the past couple years have been using sketchup to create my designs. I had always had problems drawing moldings that had miters. I know I have spent hours working on moldings...I knew there had to be a better way than what I was doing (you don't even want to know). I had tried using the Follow Me tool a few times with little to no success. This short video is exactly what I have been looking for. Thank you so much!!
Posted: 8:54 pm on November 22nd

DaveRichards writes: Giovanni, without seeing your model I can only guess. If you'd like to send me the SKP file showing the failed attempt, I would be happy to take a look at it. Click on my name under the video.

Before writing this response, I drew up a four-sided frame and split it into separate pieces using the same method I showed in the video. I made a separate component of each of the four sides although if I were modeling a frame like that normally, I would only make a component for a short side and another for a long side. I would then copy and flip (not rotate) those components to make their counterparts.

Dave
Posted: 6:34 am on April 16th

rocknbike writes: Thanks for such an helpful tutorial, Dave.

Nevertheless I was not able to mold the internal side of a complete frame (four angles). I also tried to prepare two molded stiles and two molded rails cut at 45° to each end: any attempt failed!!
Do you (and anyone else) have suggestions about that?

Thanks to everyone

giovanni
Posted: 4:16 pm on April 15th

JeffB writes: Thanks, I got it.
Posted: 3:13 pm on January 10th

DaveRichards writes: Jeff, I drew the path for Follow Me with the molding component open for editing. In the video, the path traces the top of the cabinet. After drawing those lines for the path, I selected them with the Select tool and then got the Follow Me tool. A single click on the profile with the Follow Me tool is all that is needed at that point.

Does that help?

Dave
Posted: 2:15 pm on January 10th

JeffB writes: Still don't get it. You say to select the component, the set the path. How do you set the path? Specifically what do you click to set the path?

Thanks,
Jeff
Posted: 10:15 am on January 10th

kgeorge writes: Sure and thanks for the assitance.

kvgeorge1@sbcglobal.net
Posted: 3:50 pm on January 9th

DaveRichards writes: George, I happy to know that the tutorial was timely for you.

As to the woodgrain materials I have, most are just picked up here and there. The one I used on these Thos. Moser pieces looks to me like old cherry but it is called Ash. I don't remember where it came from specifically. If you drop me an e-mail, I'll send it to you.

Dave
Posted: 2:43 pm on January 9th

kgeorge writes: Great tutorial! I tried to do this on a friend of mine's project yesterday, but it didn't work out quite right. Your tutorial shows me where I went wrong.

Thanks.

On a side note, I use the free version of Sketchup 7 and am not able to locate the fill-textures that you used in the demo. Where did you, or where can I, get nice wood-grain textures for the projects that I work on?
Posted: 2:26 pm on January 9th

dave55 writes: ditto, thanks much
Posted: 6:49 pm on January 7th

bduffin104 writes: Thank you, very helpful!
Posted: 1:14 am on January 6th

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