Tonto2

As a practicing artist this would be really handy!

I have been using Sketchup for about six months and I don't think I would have ever thought to try the scroll wheel.

I have a Kensingtion trackball. The zoom feature worked immediately, I had to play with the configuration to get the pan. Still have to work on getting the Orbit function to work, but that should be a minor issue.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I've had my table saw for about a year. I most commonly use it without the guard because of necessity, ie, the piece I'm cutting is too big to pass under the guard hinge. I do try to leave the splitter in without the guard whenever possible.

Because I rarely use the guard, I am a collector of push sticks and always use them unless the work piece is large enough to keep my hands at least 6" away from the blade in all directions.

I also at least mentally go through how I'm going to control the piece during the entire cut and if that doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling that it will be safe, I will physically go thru the motions with piece with the saw off and the blade retracted.

The one thing that I did that I believe had a larger impact on the safety of my saw than either of the above was to fabricate a zero tolerance insert. Since I installed it, my saw is much more user friendly in that it doesn't throw pieces of scrap back at me because the scrap can no longer drop down into the dust collector surrounding the blade and then hit the blade and come flying back out.

A Rigid oscillating drum/belt sander and a 14" bandsaw.

1. A 14" bandsaw with resaw capability.
2. A Leigh Super 18 Dovetail jig.
3. More time to work in my shop

If I were grandpa, I'd want to take it home with me.

Great design and execution!!!

Excellent video. I learned some new tricks and some slightly different (and really slick) ways of moving and copying.

I have not seen any evidence of the cursor being able to "see through" an object as you demonstrated. Do you need to have some specific display protocol selected to be able to do that?

Mr. Richards after reading that you have never had the problem I described in my second post I understand why you answered as you did in your first post, so let me apologize for assuming that my problem was experienced by all and taking offense.

I appreciate your kind offer to give me a live demo. I don't think that will be necessary as I understand what you're suggesting, which sounds like a good idea.

Since my last post I fired up Sketchup and drew several simple solid rectangles that I scattered around the work space. I then used the tape rule tool (which you suggested would work) to "measure" the distance between a point on each of two parts that I wanted to conjoin. Doing that left a dotted line between the two points. I then selected one part to move, set the cursor on the "measured" point and was able to drive the one part precisely to the desired point on the second part. I repeated this several times and it worked like a charm and relative to the normal process I've had to go thru, I did it at light speed.

Then I tried pulling one of the rectangles after "measuring" so that the "guide" line entered the side of the target solid rectangle opposite the desired point. When I attempted to drive the first part to the target point, the cursor departed the line when it got to the side of the target rectangle and stayed on its face. It even stayed on the surface of the target when it went around a corner and then went to the desired point. If this continues to work this well, my time to draw will be significantly reduced.

Thank you for your help and again, I apologize for the misunderstanding.

Mr. Richards you have to use “some logic” to even get to first base when trying to assemble to separate parts in Sketchup or to have any success at all for that matter. I consider your answer ridiculous, even insulting. The problem is that frequently, make that almost every time, when you try to drag the first part to the second, Sketchup has difficulty even picking up the the presence second part at all. Obviously you have to select points on both that will be touching each other when placed, how could you do otherwise???

I have extensive experience with 3-D software called SolidWorks that you may not be familiar with, which I used to do machine design. While drawing multiple parts in place maybe an acceptable way to work around Sketchup's weakness in some cases, it is not an acceptable solution (in my opinion) if the parts are many and complex, especially if they are being assembled on single shaft and must be concentric. If SolidWorks performed as poorly when trying to assemble different parts no one would spend the $4,500+ to buy it.

Like you I have a background in engineering and I have used a variety of CAD systems including SolidWorks. I started using Sketchup about six weeks ago and I'm loving it. I've done intersecting, usually with planes (rectangle with no depth) because bringing two parts together and hitting intersect seems to give unpredictable results.

The biggest problem I have is assembling two 3-d parts. I've tried using the arrow keys to limit the movement to one axis with some success, but it can be a tedious process requiring reorienting the view to see where the two parts are in relation to each other. Typically I spend as much time assembling completed parts as I spend drawing them.

I've also noticed that some operations (I think the tape rule function for one) sometimes leave a reference line (usually parallel to one of the axis'). Can you use these to drive one part into position with another?

I owned a commercial sign shop and on several occasions had cordless drills that would not work in reverse after considerable hard use and I also had a corded shear that quit. After bringing one drill and the shear to a local repair facility and paying $15 for a repair estimate for each that ended up being almost the cost of a new tool I opted for replacement.

If you can do the repair yourself for a fraction of the cost of a new tool then you should do it.

However, if the cost of repair approaches half the cost of a new tool and the failed tool has seen considerable service you will end up with a used tool that may fail for another reason and make you wish you had gone for the replacement.

You certainly live up to your moniker.

You seem to have the turning business down pretty well.

Very nice.