3D renderings / new here!

Way cool! Welcome to Lumberjocks.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

welcome to lumberjocks,

I used to model woodworking projects in Maya (previously an animator) until I found Sketchup (today owned by Google which made it free) – I find it much more adequate for woodworking projects. although the rendering does not come even close to Maya/StudioMax, but for sketching projects it’s more than enough.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

i recently tried SketchUp and found it to be a pretty cool tool especially for being free! but i have been using Solidworks, Inventor and 3D Max for so long its just easier for me drawing in those programs… plus with Solidworks i can add things like counter sunk holes, blind holes, threads. profiles.. etc at a single click. im not sure if you can do that with SketchUp but then again i havent really used it much! thanks for the welcomes!

-- Justin, STL Missouri

That is indeed a generous offer. There are a number of us here who are in some stage of developing Sketchup as a design tool. For some of us the curve just happens to be steeper than for others but learning to use the software is a process that is largely akin to hand cutting dovetails- practice, practice, practice.

But certainly your offer sounds intriguing and I am sure a number will take you up on the offer.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

yeah, solid works has more things build into it for designing parts – those are doable in sketchup but not as easily done in solidworks (I used that one as well in the past). however, I find Sketchup a bit more friendly and freeform then solidworks which feels a bit more constrained and limiting at times.

bottom line – we each use what works best for us, I’m just referencing Sketchup as it seem it has become a common tool among many people here (I guess it being free helped quite a bit).

looking forward to seeing your designs :)

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

I started on the drawing board in high school and was still on a board when I graduated from college. I used a slide rule, now I use Autocad, Catia and a caclulator. I think Sketchup is one of the best 3d rendering programs out there and as everyone knows it’s free. I draft in 2d in Autocad and if I need a 3d drawing in Autocad then I project my drawings and not even bother with the 3d part of the program. When I have to do serious 3d then I use Catia and those are getting few and far between so much so I hope Catia just gathers dust.
I tutor a couple of kids taking Autocad, one in high school and one in a tech school. “The learning curve”...is not as bad as you may think it is if you know “drafting terminology” and this is what I find with a lot of people wanting to learn cad is they don’t have a clue about drafting terminology. If you’re going to design furniture then you need to know how to build furniture and bring the dimensions into perspective so it looks like a piece of furniture and not a fat or skinny box. 3d in a cad program like Autocad is tough even if you know 2d in the program.
When I design a kitchen or piece of furniture I layout the face frames first and get the dimensions correct then I draw the doors. drawer fronts, and all the other pretty detailing. When I get everything drafted then I take the face frames and drop all the detailing in. I also use the face frame drawings for my shop drawings rarely ever making a cut list. I take the measurements off the face frames and build from there. I have over 200 sets of furniture plans completed and most have been built in our shop over the years.I changed them into face frame construction so woodworkers not into sliding dovetails yet can build a nice piece of furniture. I am building a site so anyone on the forum interested can go there and download in pdf format some of my Chippendale plans that are designed with face frames and simple enough for anyone to build if you can read plans. They’ll be in a 24×36 inch format with cut list so all you’ll have to do is download them and carry them to a print shop..piece of cake.

bruc

-- "Give The Gift of Life, Adopt A Child"

Welcome to LJs sounds like you do some neat work.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

thanks fellas! i am already addicted to the website and i have found alot of really cool stuff! there is some real talent on LJ! thanks again for the wlecome! i feel right at home here! let me know if i can help anyone out cause i may ask you for some things as well!
have a good day!

-- Justin, STL Missouri

Another designer from St. Louis! – Ok, I do aquatics, not furniture but still…

A native or moved here – i.e. the standard St. Louis question: where did you go to high school?

-- Steve, Webster Groves, MO

LOL! i was waiting for that question!
i moved here! originally from ohio but spend 4 years in savannah, ga before moving to MO.
how about yourself?

-- Justin, STL Missouri

I’ve been here since 2nd grade so not quite a native but close enough.

Are you able to get wood through work or do you need a source?

This guy’s pretty reasonable: http://woodfinder.com/listings/012869.php

They’re open for retail business every other Saturday in the morning. It’s fairly safe that way as they’re located deep in the ‘hood and nobody’s up causing trouble that early.

There’s also a sawmill on 367 near West Alton that’s supposed to have good prices. By good prices, I mean cheaper that the assault you get at St. Charles Hardwoods.

What are you looking for as far as tools? New, used, OWWM (Old Wood Working Machinery)? Keith Bohn, the founder of the OWWM site used to be a St. Louis boy himself.

-- Steve, Webster Groves, MO

i cant get wood through work… but i have been looking for a local source other than the crap at home depot and lowes.. saint charles hardwood is about .5 mile down the road from me but i havent priced anything there yet! i always assumed it was overpriced. thanks for the links and sources i will check them out! i am in need of a tablesaw right now… new or used but obviously in good shape and accurate! right now i only have a single car garage but i have to make everything somewhat moblie. would also like to have a jointer and bandsaw! the bandsaw i have is an old craftsman from many mons ago and it has a major tracking problem! wanna buy a bandsaw? :) LOL! i have had my eye on craigslist but it seems like everyone is only selling the cheap benchtop craftsman TS! i need something better than that! as far as tools go new or used doesnt bother me as long as they are accurate and dependable!

-- Justin, STL Missouri

St. Louis Hardwoods on Watson is also pretty decent but their stock is hit and miss.

How old is the bandsaw? If it’s REALLY old and worth restoring maybe we could work something out…

-- Steve, Webster Groves, MO

My render engine of choice (native to Sketchup) is Podium. Simple easy to learn and with some practice you can get awesome results!

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"

not sure how old the bandsaw is? i can look when i get home and see if i can find a date on it somewhere… but its just a bench top saw with the big chunky plastic covers… maybe 1980’s i would guess! i also have an old craftsman router… i cant locate a date on it either but the name plate is black and orange and says “craftsman commercial”.... works really well! are they worth anything?

-- Justin, STL Missouri

Ehhh, not old enough. I’ll keep my eyes open and let you know if I run across anything.

-- Steve, Webster Groves, MO

I like what I have seen done in Solidworks, and would love it if I had the time to sit down and learn it. I think it lends itself more to a mechanical design arena, with the ability to add threads and countersinks with one click…but any design software can be tailored to do what you want with it. I live in an AutoCAD 2D world all day for a living, but I like the flow and interface of Sketchup…but I have been using it since release 3 Pre Google, so like you and Solidworks..you use something for a while and you get comfortable (and fast) with it you stick with it.

-- David, South Windsor, CT "I love the smell of sawdust in the morning"