SketchUp - The Perfect Tool for Woodworkers

SketchUp is an ideal tool for the woodworker. I wrote a blog post for Popular Woodworking explaining why. You can read SketchUp for Woodworkers - Here's Why by clicking on this link.

SketchUp Overview

SketchUp is a 3D sketching, modeling, design and photorealistic rendering tool. For an overview of its capabilities see my Popular Woodworking post SketchUp Comes To American Woodworker. If you are interested in learning how to use SketchUp I have provided a Beginner's SketchUp Webinar in eight parts, which can be accessed below. That webinar can be followed up with my Intermediate SketchUp Webinar, also below.

SketchUp Pre-School

The following four posts are a four part series, that taken together, are a “Pre-School Prepatory Course” designed to prepare students for the Basic SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers DVD. If you have never heard of SketchUp, don't know where to find it or how to install it, or just want more of the fundamentals before jumping in to modeling, this series is for you. The first part is the overview which you may have read already if you read SketchUp Overview above. Even if you have already installed and used SketchUp you may find some new information in this series.

SketchUp Comes To American Woodworker

Installing & Setting Up

Tools, Components & Dialog Boxes

Shortcut Keys and Ruby Script Plugins

Basic & Intermediate SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers

Basic SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers is a nine chapter video intended for woodworkers new to SketchUp. No prior experience or knowledge is required, though the student would benefit from the SketchUp Pre-School series described above.

In this video the student learns to draw a bedside table with dovetailed drawer with bullnose trim, tapered legs, beveled top and lathe turned drawer pull. After completing the table and drawer model the student adds dimensioned scenes which can be printed to scale as a shop drawing set. The student also learns to texture all pieces with multiple wood grains to produce a photorealistic image for presentation to a potential client, family member or friend.

Intermediate SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers teaches the student to model components (furniture pieces) that have complex curves. In the basic tutorial the student learns to draw rectilinear components or components with simple circle or arc curves. In this Intermediate tutorial the student is introduced to advanced curve making techniques and Bezier and Spline tools for creating those curves.

Basic SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers is 390 minutes in lenth. Intermediate SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers is 240 minutes in length. Both Basic and Intermediate are available in Download format as well as a bundled set. Each option can be accessed with one of the links below:

Basic SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers Download

Intermediate SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers Download

SketchUp 2014 for Woodworkers Video Download Bundle

IDX Renditioner for Google SketchUp

IDX Renditioner is a plug-in offered by IMSI/Design for SketchUp. IDX Renditioner provides photorealistic renderings of SketchUp models. Here are two example renderings of my Cherry Chest Of Drawers model created by IMSI/Design Senior Director William Manning.

Cherry Chests - Notice grain & nails on back.
Cherry Chests - Notice top grain and dovetail end grain.

Printing To Scale With SketchUp Make & SketchUp Pro 2013

I am often asked how you print shop drawings to scale in SketchUp. I have usually answered this question with an email. However, to save work I recently posted a blog detailing how this is done. Click on the title above to access that blog.

The Dough Box - Parts 1 Through 4

The Dough Box is a four part series of videos that show you how to model a Dough Box of course, but more to the point, how to model tapered and splayed legs and a tapered and splayed box with dovetail joinery.

Part 1 Covers Modeling The Splayed & Tapered Legs

Part 2 Covers Modeling The Splayed Aprons and Mortise & Tenon Joinery

Part 3 Covers Modeling The Splayed Dovetails

Part 4 Completes The Model and Shows You How To Set Your Miter & Table Saw to Cut The Compound Angles of The Dough Box