I’m new…as you likely can tell…or shortly will. I just purchased a CD from Fine Woodworking of a workbench that noted I had to have SketchUp to look at it…so here I am. I’ve just loaded SketchUp Make - which comes with a 30 day trial of SketchUp Pro…but I don’t know what is Make and what is Pro. I want to learn the basics in “make” before I consider going to Pro, but I am having problems even getting the tutorials/ The instructions within the tutorial say (1) go to the ‘Help’ menu (2) Choose ‘Self Paced Tutorials’ (3) Pick ‘Start Drawing Part 2’ the only problem is that within the ‘Help’ menu there is nothing anywhere close to ‘Self Paced Tutorial’…at least not that I can find and so I am unable to continue.
Larry, which workbench is it? Since you have a decent SketchUp model already from the disk, copy it from the disk to your computer somewhere. Then double click on the file and it should open SketchUp. That’ll get you started. Look in the Tools menu for the Orbit, Zoom, and Pan tools. There are toolbar buttons for them and you can do those functions from the mouse without hitting the toolbar buttons or the menu but this will give you a quick start on navigating the model space. The biggest hurdle to working in 3D on a 2D screen is getting a handle on moving around the model space. Those tutorial videos should help, too. Just watch them and things will start to make sense. It will come. At first it can be like unpacking a Leigh jig. Lots of parts and what do you do with them? As you look through them and assemble the thing, they start to make sense.
It is the "Not-so-Big Workbench from Fine Woodworking. I haven’t done
anymore than look at the finished bench…I decided I would work on the
tutorials for awhile to get some “base” before I tackle it…and I
finally have the tutorials going…at least so far…
If you are familiar with this workbench or what they send as
plans…does it have more than just the finished bench…I hope!!! If
so, how do I get to it? I know, I will likely find out as I get into it,
but, as I said, decided to work on the tutorials first.
I’m familiar with it although it’s been nearly four years since I drew it for the plans.
What do you mean? Assuming you downloaded this from Fine Woodworking, you should have gotten the plans in PDF format with dimensioned drawings for all of the parts in addition to the SketchUp model. The SketchUp model is not intended to be the plan. If you find you want to make modifications to the plan, though, you can make those modifications in SketchUp without having to start from scratch with the model.
It’s good that you are going to go through tutorials and learn to use SketchUp.
Yes, that is the one. All I got was a CD from Fine Wooworking…wait a
minute…I have the disc in and was playing around with it when I saw
your email…I do have the *pdf with the parts plans and etc…just
pened them and haven’t even looked at them…not sure where they were
the first time around…
OK, now, is the image you showed (below)…what do you
say…“disectable” or is that all it is…a picture of what the bench
looks like? The *pdf’s should give me the info I want.
You said you it had been four years since you “drew it for the
plans”…Huh? Did you build the bench? Are you a woodworker also?
Larry, I’m glad you found the PDF file. You should be able to build the bench form that file. The image I show is from the SketchUp model that you have. Every part you’d make in the shop is a component in the model so you can dissect it if you need to.
I am a woodworker on the side but I didn’t build that bench. I just drew the SketchUp model and made the plans you have as a PDF file.
Well, I’m retired" (Mech Engineer) and trying to be a woodturner…no,
I’ve done it for a few years so “trying” is not quite true. I need a
workbench and this appears to be close to what I need/want. Yes, the
info here is more than adequate to build the bench…IF I don’t make
too many modifications en route…
Thank-you…now a question…IF I were to take the plans and build the
bench up from the components - all the way - can it be done? The reason
for doing it…remember I “dumb engineer” …would be to ensure all
the pieces fit together right - especially if I make some modifications.
Are you talking about building it in wood based on the components in the SketchUp model? Yes. It could be done. You can look at the SketchUp model and see how the parts fit together. The dimensions in the plan come directly from the SketchUp model so you could use them to build the real bench, too.
If you are going to make modifications, and you do them correctly and cleanly in the SketchUp model, you can use it to get the new dimensions as needed. Remember, it’s a computer program so GIGO applies.
The parts in the SketchUp model as I drew it are accurate so at least you’d be starting from a good place.
