“SketchUp For Kitchen Design” is a digital publication in enhanced Adobe PDF format. It is available either as a download, or on a disc sent to you via first-class mail. If you live within the United States of America, there … Continue reading →
I readily admit to being lazy, and that’s one of the reasons SketchUp is my favorite design software. I never have to model something a second time if I’m careful about where I put it. The Components window has some … Continue reading →
There are still a few spots available in my upcoming class at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in fabulous Franklin, Indiana October 3-7, 2016. CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE MASW WEBSITE AND ENROLL We will spend the week making … Continue reading →
A local woodworking club is a great way to connect with friends you haven’t met yet. One of the best organizations I’ve visited is the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association located in the north east corner of Atlanta, Georgia. I was there … Continue reading →
The good thing about running an online business is extended reach; folks from the other side of the world purchase and download my book the “New Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp” all the time, usually without a hitch. Once in a … Continue reading →
This piece is for sale, in stock for immediate delivery. Scroll down for purchasing information. This carving of a stylized iris is similar to the carvings on the front panel of the Byrdcliffe Iris desk. The artwork is also from … Continue reading →
Here is a question I get asked relatively often: I purchased “SketchUp Guide for Woodworkers”. Is this the same as your book? Here’s my answer, and a quick look at recent history. They are not the same, in spite of … Continue reading →
This piece is for sale, available for immediate delivery. In the late 1800s, Japanese prints became the “latest thing” in America. Frank Lloyd Wright and Harvey Ellis both enjoyed and collected prints, and the influence of this aesthetic can be … Continue reading →
This piece is for sale with immediate availability. In the course of studying Arts & Crafts style furniture for many years, I’ve also had the privilege to see many beautiful works in other media. Glass, prints and pottery are some … Continue reading →
There was a discussion last week over at WoodTalk Online about Darrell Peart’s books on Greene & Greene Furniture and my book “Shop Drawings for Greene & Greene Furniture” was mentioned. The question was about what projects are in the … Continue reading →
Back in stock, new carving available for immediate shipment! The lines between art and craft have always been wide and fuzzy. I have studied Arts & Crafts period furniture for a long time, and along with the furniture of that … Continue reading →
In the early 1900s Gustav Stickley had one of the most modern, best equipped furniture factories in the world. If you are as nerdy as I am about this stuff, you should get your hands on a copy of The … Continue reading →
Of course I’m going to tell you that the “New Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp” is the best resource available for woodworkers to get up to speed in 3D modeling – I wrote it and published it. An opinion from someone … Continue reading →
My upcoming SketchUp class, June 2-3, 2016 is a go! This two day class will be held at the historic Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon, Ohio. There are still a few spots available, so it’s not too late to sign … Continue reading →
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You can, but sometimes it takes a while. After my first book, “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” was published in 2001 I began selling large format printed plans of many … Continue reading →
Gustav Stickley No. 93 Music Cabinet Available for instant download in PDF format Complete detailed plans to build a reproduction of this Gustav Stickley Music Cabinet 8 letter size pages of detailed drawings Standard views, Details and Exploded Views Complete … Continue reading →
Stickley No. 700 Bookcase Adapted for the Alabama Woodworker’s Guild Available for instant download in PDF format Complete detailed plans to build an adaptation of this Gustav Stickley Glass Door Bookcase 15 letter size pages of detailed drawings Standard views, … Continue reading →
Harvey Ellis/Gustav Stickley Bookcase Desk Plans Available for instant download in PDF format Complete detailed plans to build a reproduction of this Gustav Stickley Billiard Chair 17 letter size pages of detailed drawings Standard views, Details and Exploded Views Complete … Continue reading →
Ernest Gimson Dining Table from “The Craftsman” Magazine Plans Available for instant download in PDF format Complete detailed plans to build a reproduction of this Ernest Gimson dining table 15 letter size pages of detailed drawings Standard views, Details and … Continue reading →
Gustav Stickley No. 388 Highchair Plans Available for instant download in PDF format Complete detailed plans to build a reproduction of this Gustav Stickley Highchair 11 letter size pages of detailed drawings Standard Views, Details and Exploded Views Complete Cutlist … Continue reading →
L. & J. G. Stickley No. 220 Prairie Settle Plans Available for instant download in PDF format Complete detailed plans to build a reproduction of this L. & J.G. Stickley No. 220 Prairie Settle 14 letter size pages of detailed … Continue reading →
Gustav Stickley No. 312-1/2 Billiard Chair Plans Available for instant download in PDF format Complete detailed plans to build a reproduction of this Gustav Stickley Billiard Chair 15 letter size pages of detailed drawings Standard views, Details and Exploded Views … Continue reading →
I will be teaching a two-day SketchUp class on June 2 & 3, 2016, at the Golden Lamb Inn in Lebanon, Ohio. This two-day class (Thursday and Friday) will cover how to use SketchUp to design, plan and problem solve … Continue reading →
The models mentioned in the book are in the SketchUp 3D Warehouse. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE COLLECTION … Continue reading →
Several readers have been in touch wanting to know when I will be having another SketchUp class in Cincinnati. If you’re in the area (or willing to travel) you can help me decide when to hold a class and how … Continue reading →
In a good SketchUp model anything that is a distinct piece of wood in real life is a component. (Click here to read about why components are so important). With components, you rarely need to draw anything more than once; … Continue reading →
If you’re learning how to use SketchUp you have a lot on your plate. As it is with any new software you need to remember what happens when you click on this or that, but SketchUp is more complex because … Continue reading →
Here is a link to the SketchUp model of the modified Harvey Ellis/Gustav Stickley bookcase that was the subject of a weekend build workshop held April 9-10, 2016. Click and drag with the left mouse button over the model image … Continue reading →
I had heard nice things about the Alabama Woodworkers Guild before I left last week to teach a two-day seminar in building a Stickley cabinet and an evening SketchUp workshop. When I arrived on Friday I found a shop that … Continue reading →
Next weekend I will be in Birmingham, Alabama as a guest of the Alabama Woodworkers Guild. On Friday evening, April 8, 2016 from 6-9pm I will be conducting a Woodworking With SketchUp workshop. This special event is open to the … Continue reading →
Question from a reader: I’m trying to do a simple paneled door; 2 rails, 2 stiles, and a panel in a groove all the way around. I made stiles no problem, the rails have a groove and a little tenon, … Continue reading →
My cynical side believes that there isn’t much difference between history and marketing, and my rational side has to admit that a lot of recorded history exists to sell something. Maybe not a specific product but a set of ideas … Continue reading →
I spent a little time this morning making a SketchUp model of one of the pieces from Gustav Stickley’s “The Craftsman” magazine. This table has always intrigued me, it was designed by Ernest Gimson in the early 1900s. This was … Continue reading →
I think my books are pretty good; they mix text and video in a digital format (PDF). These different methods reinforce each other so no matter what your learning style is you “get it” faster than you would with just … Continue reading →
Knowing a traditional way of doing something is certainly valuable, but it’s easy to get trapped in thinking that the traditional way is the only way, or the best way to achieve a goal. Technical drawings and project plans are … Continue reading →
The biggest advantage of SketchUp (or any other CAD software) isn’t in making an initial plan. That takes a while no matter what method you use. But if you want to change something, or make new design that is similar … Continue reading →
What do middle school students and amateur carpenters have in common? Neither group realizes how tricky and troublesome compound angles can be. Carpenters will have fits trying to run crown molding and one group of middle schoolers recently hit a … Continue reading →
One of the most popular posts on this blog is my “SketchUp Shortcuts Cheat Sheet”, a handy list of the shortcuts I use all the time. Those are all standard shortcuts that exist when you install SketchUp. A few years … Continue reading →
For efficient work in SketchUp, you should use keyboard shortcuts instead of clicking on the icons in the toolbars, at least for the most often used commands. One of the quirks of SketchUp is that the obvious way of doing … Continue reading →
Twitchy Index Fingers & the Move Tool When I teach SketchUp in person I get reminded of the basic issues that confront many people. If you can get past these hurdles you’ll be well on your way to mastering the … Continue reading →
