David Richards

I am a Biomedical Equipment Technician. I maintain anesthesia and respiratory equipment for the largest medical facility in southeast Minnesota. I also do some training in the use of that equipment. My wife, Kari and I have a three year old son, Ian.

In my spare time I like to work in my garage woodworking shop. Ive made a wide variety of wooden items from salad tongs to boats. I started using SketchUp several years ago with version 3. It is an ideal tool for the woodworker. I use it for designing projects, working out joinery details and figuring out the order of operations to make efficient use of my time in the shop. My drawings range from simple sketches with little detail to completely rendered images used for presentations and publication.

Ive made a wide range of SketchUp models from tiny parts for medical equipment to large architectural and other construction projects. Most of my models, though, are furniture and other woodworking related items. Ive been helping other woodworkers around the world learn how to use the program for about three years. Im excited to be teaming up with Fine Woodworking, Bob Babcock, Tim Killen and the rest to help you learn how to use this extremely useful workshop tool.

How to modify textures in SketchUp

December 16, 2020

Adding textures to your SketchUp models is a great way to add a bit of realism.
Modeling a bandsawn leg in SketchUp

November 25, 2020

Dave Richards demonstrates how to model a complex part using some clever SketchUp plugins.
Kumiko: An exercise with components in SketchUp

October 22, 2020

Using the power of SketchUp's components, Dave Richards demonstrates how to resize elements of a kumiko panel to create new patterns.
Modeling an oval Shaker box in SketchUp

September 23, 2020

Dave Richards's model starts out with flat bands for the box and lid, so they could be used to create the patterns for cutting them in the shop.
A couple of Follow Me tricks for SketchUp

August 19, 2020

Dave Richards demonstrates some functions of the follow-me tool that many SketchUp users might not be aware of.
Leveraging the power of SketchUp components

July 15, 2020

Dave Richards demonstrates how he not only uses components to create his models more efficiently, but how they inform his order of operations in the shop as well.
Using SketchUp to create patterns

June 17, 2020

Using SketchUp and Layout, Dave Richards demonstrates how to create full-size printed patterns to use for router templates or bending forms.
3 great tools for SketchUp

May 20, 2020

Dave Richards is doing a lot of teaching these days. In this blog, he shares some tools his students have found extremely valuable.
Making miters and splines in SketchUp

April 15, 2020

Dave Richards helps a fellow woodworker design legs for his table in Sketchup, working out the joinery along the way.
Scaling in SketchUp

March 18, 2020

Dave Richards is a fan of the scale tool, but not for everything. This short video shows a case where scaling wouldn't be the best choice and another example of where it is a good choice.