11- Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 1)
High Resolution Version
For the very first time on The Wood Whisperer, we are going to build a full piece of furniture. I had a commission recently for a beautiful Arts & Crafts table made of alder. Only problem was, I needed to get it done quickly. And unfortunately, trying to film a podcast at the same time would prove detrimental to my promised time-frame. But since I felt this was a great project for you to see, I filmed as much as a I could and as fast as I could. So if things look a bit rushed or not as polished as usual, cut me a little slack.
Here’s the final cut list: Table Top: 36″W x 72″L (4) Legs: 29 1/4″L x 3″W x 3″T (2) Long Aprons: 64″L x 3 1/2″W x 3/4″T (4) Short Aprons: 28″L x 3 1/2″W x 3/4″T (8) Side Slats: 16 1/4″L x 3″W x 1/2″ T
Note: I will be using the Festool Domino to construct this entire project. If you plan on cutting traditional integral tenons for this project, please include 3″ extra length on all apron pieces for 1 1/2″ tenons, and 2″ extra length on all side slats for 1″ tenons.
In part 1 of this episode, I show you the process that I go through whenever I begin a new project. This involves some educated guesses and the use of SketchUp, a free program that allows you to easily draw 3D renderings.
Links:
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 1)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 2)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 3)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 4)
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Marc,
That was a good idea of explaining how a project begins from the point of a picture – to sketchup – and the thinking that we go through in building a custom piece of furniture. As someone who got into woodworking only 3 years ago and who learned mostly by watching NYW and reading forums and later books, the design process is the least covered subject. When watching Norm build anything, he begins from the point where he starts cutting wood and rarely covers any explanation why he chose his joinery. You keep giving this kind of “understanding-level” explanation to woodworking and you’re going to provide a valuable service. Regards
Thanks a ton Marc for the lead on to SketchUp, I’ve been looking for quite a while for a cheap 3D modeling tool, and free counts in my book :D
thanks for the advice…. after over 30 hours of trying to figure out plans and wood needs for projects I am working on at the moment.. hope sketchup helps
love your site..
Once again a great show Marc. I am a recent Sketchup convert and while I have been using it mainly for house designing it was good to see it in this application.
Greg
Marc,
You’re not thinking of making me totally jealous by using some Festool Domino-looking thing for your loose tenon joinery, are you?
Going through the project from concept to completed table is a great idea. Looking forward to seeing the rest of it!
I’ll also give SketchUp a looksee. I’ve been meaning to check into a 3-D modeling tool for some time, and if this isn’t motivation enough, I don’t know what is.
I just downloaded it and gave it a test drive, pretty simple and easy to use and the docs are well done.
BTW to copy a component use the “Move” tool. Select the Move tool and hit your Ctrl key (or the Mac equivalent for Marc ;D) and you will notice a small + sign appear next to your Move mouse pointer. This means you are in copy mode.
Also you can type in dimensions to create a copy and automatically move it X inches over for automatic spacing.
To do this do the following:
1. Select the Move tool
2. Hit Ctrl to enter copy mode.
3. Select the component and drag it in the direction you want to place it (keep the mouse button down).
4. Type in the number of inches to move it and hit enter.
It will automatically create a copy and move it that number of inches in the direction you desire.
Really handy for creating multiple evenly spaced components.
Thanks for the sketchup primer. (and for fixing whatever it was that seemed to turn the comment window into a clickable link to the above project photo – bizzarre).
Going to enjoy the start to finish on this project. Glad your trying to make a show of it too! Your pain is our gain! Thanks for thinking of us!… Oh, and no need to apologise, looks good (apart from, what was that, a plane flying overhead ;) consider the slack, cut.
Good luck!, we’ll be watching (and eagerly awaiting the next installments)
Marc,
Loved this concept, can’t wait to see the rest of the videos! Do you plan on discussing the business end of the deal at all, talking about what the cost of the project was vs. what your commission was for the project? I would be very interested in something like that.
Marc,I enjoy your video`s. I`m such a wood working junkie an appreciate what your doing.Randy
If you want to learn more about Sketchup as it applies to woodworking, here are some links:
The Design Forum at Sawmill Creek is a great resource for Sketchup questions regarding to woodworking:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/forumdisplay.php?f=5
Also check out the Sketchup Demo project written by David Richards. It is a great tutorial on using Sketchup to create an armoire.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=43655
For Sketchup Tutorials, check out:
http://www.caddtutorialsonline.com/sketchup-tutorials.html
For some Sketchup podcasts, try:
http://www.go-2-school.com/podcasts
Enjoy,
David Genrich
Hi Mark, I have really enjoyed your videos and have been learning a lot as a result. I just thought I would mention to all potential Sketchup users that the free download version is for non-commercial use. I know that most people don’t read licenses, thus why I mentioned this. If you are using Sketchup for commerical gain, it wouldn’t hurt to pay the small licensing charge associated with the professional version which can be used for commercial gain.
Hello
Very interesting information! Thanks!
G’night
This is the first time that i have checked out your site and i’m really amazed how easy you seem to make it all look. This site is going to help me alot with all of my projects and give me the know how of doing them correctly.I am going to check out that goole sketchup. You made it look very simple to created any project.You have a new fan of this site and hope to learn plenty and maybe even help someone else who might need an answer with their project.
I’m glad that you are explaining to fellow woodworkers the value
of using SketchUp.
The SketchUp program in addition to being free, is amazingly
robust in it’s features.
I downloaded it to my computer and have found it to be of
tremendous value.
It takes a little reading of the directions and practice and in no time
you will be making drawings that will amaze you, and, your fellow
woodworkers.
——– Jim Lynde, North Hollywood, CA (USA)
Marc, I have a Macbook and the free version of SketchUp. Are you using the Pro version (I believe it is SketchUp Pro 7)? I am asking because yesterday I was trying to follow along with this podcast and do some basic designing and some of the buttons you were referring to I couldn’t find, unless you’re calling them something different or are using a different version of SketchUp. Also, what I was seeing on my screen and what I was seeing on your screen did look different.
Hey Frank. If you notice the date of this video, it was Feb 2007. I honestly don’t even remember what version of Sketchup we were on at that time. It definitely wasn’t 7 though. The interface has changed quite a bit on the newer versions but they basic tools are still the same. Now I don’t really use the proper names for most of those tools, so don’t trust what I call them. But functionally, those buttons should still exist in the Sketchup interface. You might need to play with the toolbar so that you have the buttons you need there for convenience.
You mean February 2007 dontcha? I’m going to follow along with Aaron Marshall to see how he does things, and just play around with it some more, even though he was using a PC (oh, the horror!). Sometimes I get too easily frustrated and I just need to stick it out. Thanks.
What typo??? I don’t know what you’re talking about! lol
Okay, now you have me second guessing myself, but I see now that you cheated because this is your site and you can do what you want.
lol. I am like the Great Oz here Frank. Just a little guy behind a big curtain.
I think what you want is to turn on the large tool palette:
View -> Tool Palettes -> Large Tool Set.
This took me forever to figure out when I started learning Sketchup about a year ago. I also strongly recommend going through the Sketchup video tutorials and getting familiar with making components. I use components now like crazy. Case in point: I’ll make a leg, then also make the mortise, slots, bevels, round overs, etc. etc. Then I simply propagate that component out throughout my project. In two seconds your sketch up will go from looking crude to looking amazing.