I realize that this website is a mixed bag, but it is a reflection of what I do. I’m interested in many different things and old enough to be pretty good at several of them. As it’s time to get a new calendar I thought I’d look at which pages on this site were most viewed over the last year. If you landed here looking for one thing, you might be interested in some other things.

Number one was the page for my book the “New Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp”. The original version of this book was released in 2010 and thousands of woodworkers have used it to learn 3D modeling by reading the text and viewing the embedded videos. This was the first book in any format about using SketchUp to design furniture, cabinets and any woodworking projects.

The format has been called “the best way to learn SketchUp” and I’ve written two other books in this unique format “Building Blocks of SketchUp” and “SketchUp for Kitchen Design”. You can find more information about all of these book by clicking here. I work, write and publish independently and you can purchase directly from me. Unfortunately there are a number of other products out there with similar titles. You can read about that by clicking here.

The number two and number three posts were about using SketchUp, both are answers to question that almost every woodworker who uses SketchUp asks:

Do I need to get SketchUp Pro or will SketchUp Make (the free version) work for me?

How do I print a full size pattern from SketchUp?

Number four is a series of posts called Ten Things I Wish I Had Known About SketchUp

Number five is a woodworking question, and is an excerpt from my print book “The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker”. It’s about hanging a typical cabinet door with traditional leaf hinges. That task is the Achilles heel of many a woodworker, but it is a necessary skill. Click here to read “Butt Hinges Without Fear of Loathing”

Number six dashes the expectations of those who search in vain for a “Create an Exploded View” button in SketchUp.That doesn’t exist, but the process isn’t that difficult and the results are much better than an automatically generated view.

Click Here to Read “Make An Exploded View In SketchUp”

Sometimes I think I’m the only one willing to jump down a rabbit hole and experiment with things like dying a perfectly good piece of tiger maple or quartersawn white oak green. Then I write about it online and find out there are a good number of people that want to learn how to do it. This is the case with the seventh most popular post of the year, a step-by-step guide to using an inexpensive and readily available product to make wood any color you want.

Click here to read “Color Wood With RIT Dye”

Numbers eight and nine are what I consider to be “public service” posts about using SketchUp. If you want to get efficient in 3D modeling, knowing and using a handful of keyboard shortcuts will make life easier. This post has been around for quite a while”

SketchUp Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

One of the things that slowed me down when I was learning how to use SketchUp was my experience as an AutoCAD user. If you’re in that situation, you may find some help by reading:

“From AutoCAD to SketchUp: It Doesn’t Have to Hurt”

Rounding out the list are three posts based on the same topic, measured drawings to build reproductions of Arts & Crafts Furniture from the early 20th century. My research and drawings got me out of the shop and into publishing some 16 years ago. It all began with a book:

Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture

Pieces from that book as well as other pieces from the period are available as individual plans in two formats.

The high-tech instant gratification dowloadable PDF plans are here

Printed plans on two 24 x 36 sheets are here

Thanks for your past support and your current interest. This site contains no ads or product placement reviews. It’s just me writing about the things that interest me, and hoping you’ll be interested enough to make a purchase now and then and let your friends know where to find me.

— Bob Lang