# Online Tools, Software and Apps For Woodworking?



## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

Which (if any) online tools, apps or software do you use for woodworking?

If you could design one for your work, what would it do?


----------



## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

I guess I'm kinda "old school" in using a pencil and a pad. I think using your brain, ummm, wait, I forgot where I was going with that.


----------



## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

I use Fractional Calculator from TiarSoft (this was just one of many in PlayStore and I just randomly picked it).

I also have a level type app but don't really use it. And apps to measure sound level and vibration which I've used more as a curiosity to see how loud power tools are and how much vibration various they have.


----------



## MontanaBob (Jan 19, 2011)

I'm like Roger, if I can find the pencil or pad.

I wouldn't mind having a robot that would do the kind of art that (Shipwright) is doing with his latest jewelry box. That is the only way art like that would get done around here….LOL


----------



## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Newer had much use for digital tools in the shop and try to keep my shop time non-digital as much as possible. 
Use a normal pocket calculator mostly and some times helped by this simple triangle solver: http://www.pagetutor.com/trigcalc/trig.html
Not sure if it counts but have had immense use and joy from using youtube as a learning platform in the many corners of the wood working world. Would think that a carefully curated list of videos somehow packed (and frequently updated) would be usefull to many.


----------



## CFrye (May 13, 2013)

I keep certain sites on the browser of my smart phone…LJ(of course), Wood-database.com, Blood and Gore,...for quick reference(depending on connection-usually unavailable when I need it LOL). No Apps, per se. Hadn't really thought about it.


----------



## Jughandle (Oct 25, 2014)

I couldn't live with out sketch up. It is by far the best drawing program I've ever used. http://www.sketchup.com/
But for cabinet work I've used ecabinet systems, free program that includes exploded and rotating views as well as cut sheet calculations. http://www.ecabinetsystems.com/


----------



## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

> I couldn t live with out sketch up. It is by far the best drawing program I ve ever used. http://www.sketchup.com/...
> - Jughandle


I was thinking smartphone app use in the shop. Definitely use sketch up!!!


----------



## Jughandle (Oct 25, 2014)

Oh, right, sorry, well then I'd have to say Evernote or onenote to keep up with my material lists and ideas. Both will sync to your other devices or send messages to other people on your network.


----------



## Bhorst (Oct 8, 2011)

My family lives about 16 hours away, so I enjoy using the camera on my phone and uploading the pictures to OneDrive (you could also use Google Drive, Dropbox, or any other online storage). I then send my family a link to the project's folder, and they can open that folder any time to see the latest pictures as I progress.

http://www.onedrive.com

I also use OneNote to keep my list of to-dos and shopping list throughout the project as Jughandle mentioned.


----------



## Earlextech (Jan 13, 2011)

The Woodshop Widget - it contains a
Board volume calc
decimal to fraction calc
Wood movement calc
Shellac mix calc
Wood species library
Species comparison library
Squareness calc


----------



## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

Lots of good ideas…

Earlextech named a bunch of good ones…

... I don't have a cell phone… So, I should talk?


----------



## Cricket (Jan 15, 2014)

> Lots of good ideas…
> 
> Earlextech named a bunch of good ones…
> 
> ...


You don't have to have a cell phone to use online tools!


----------



## Earlextech (Jan 13, 2011)

I meant to add this - http://woodshopwidget.com/


----------



## BJODay (Jan 29, 2013)

A metric ruler. I have not completely converted over yet, but when I need to measure to a center of a small piece mm's is much easier.

BJ


----------



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Not many. I used to have a conversion app but never used it. I don't have a computer in the shop and don't want one, that's where I go to get away from that stuff


----------



## boxcarmarty (Dec 9, 2011)

Woodworking Utilities
Board foot calculator
Decimal to Fraction
Trammel Calculator
Pilot Hole Calculator
Dovetail Jig Calculator
Spacing Calculator


----------



## Will50 (Oct 2, 2014)

Pencil and paper for rough draft, Sketch up for detailed design. Thanks to Boxcarmarty for the tip on Woodworking Utilities I downloaded that one.


----------



## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

like others - Sketch-up is great.

I don't use it enough to stay rust free, and I cannot put Johnsons Paste Wax on they brain.
So I find graph paper and pencil is much faster than relearning Sketch-up.


----------



## SierraRick (Sep 2, 2014)

I don't own a cell phone and what's an Apps?
I use a program at work for our CAD called Cabnet Ware.
Oh by the way, IT SUCKS!


----------



## Mdciolli (Feb 26, 2014)

Ambisaw on iOS comes in handy sometimes. It runs a bit slow and sometimes isn't exactly optimized but it essentially lets you put in the dimensions of each part of the project and it lays it out for you so you know how much material you need in either boards or sheets.


----------



## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

primarily LJ's but I also use youtube as well.


----------

