Kumiko Woodworking

A couple of cabinet pieces featuring Kumiko panels. Both pieces were designed by expert woodworker Michael Pekovich. I drew the SketchUp models for plans which were created in LayOut.

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Great work Dave, idk how you always come up with great stuff :smiley:

Thanks for keeping us inspired!

The one on the left has just appeared in the latest edition of Fine Woodworking.

Did you do the exploded working drawings for that article? I think you regularly do drawings for them, don’t you?

Hi John,

Yes. The current issue has an article about building the case on the stand. Although I have done the illustrations for some articles in the past (using SketchUp), I didn’t do those illustrations. I drew the model to create the plans that will be available through their online store. They did use my SketchUp model to aid in creating the various views in the article but I believe the artist drew the model by hand from the SketchUp reference.

Nice work, both yours and the other artist. He or she had a good basis to start from!

I am new to Sketchup and just also new to woodworking wondering if the Sketchup Pro is the way to go or should I just get the free one for starting out. I want to make sure the program will let me do everything I need

@mikesims1873, welcome to SketchUp and to woodworking. If you’ve you’ve just started with SketchUp you should have a 30-day trial of SketchUp Pro so you’ll get a chance to try LayOut and the other features Pro offers over Make. If you are using SketchUp for your own hobby use, Make will probably be adequate but there are some features in Pro that can be very useful. Long list and I won’t give them all but, it is much easier to create full size patterns for printing using LayOut. This can be handy for creating templates whether it is for something you might turn on the lathe or cut out at the bandsaw. If you are using a CNC router or laser in the shop, you might find that the CAD file export options make it much easier to go from SketchUp to the software required by the machine. If you have a reason to use import file types supplied by vendors. I periodically use parts made by firms that offer CAD drawings of them. It’s nice to be able to import the file into SketchUp as the starting point for the drawing. I can import those files because I’m using SketchUp Pro. The leg on the piece below was drawn from an imported DWG file. It could have been drawn manually but it was easier and faster to import the 2D CAD file and run Follow Me on it and I got all the dimensions correct without having to take measurements.

There are other benefits, too. Whether they’d be useful for you depends on what you need out of SketchUp.

Thanks for the reply that gives me things to think on I will continue with the SketchUp Pro trail for now and see if I can convenience the wife to let me buy the Pro :P. Thank you for your input and time!

You’re quite welcome, Mike.

I had to convince my wife years ago when I started with SketchUp (before there was a fee version). I told her is would be another power tool for my shop and would help me save money on wood as well as time. It did all of that and more for me.