CAD

In case some of you have been wondering, much of the designs I do are performed in Google's Sketch-Up. Sketch up is free (With a more powerful 'pro' version for a pro sized fee) and very easy to use. It lacks some of the more sophisticated features of more complex CAD ("computer aided design")systems, but for basic woodworking, it usually works great.

Most of my work is cabinetry of one sort or another, which reduces down to simple block shapes. For this simplified type of design, Sketch-up excels. Yet it is sophisticated enough to allow me to break things down into every single part so I can work out in 3D how a project will go together before I even order materials.

For example: On my current project, I discovered, during the design phase, that some of my sheets of plywood would need a small notch cut in them to accept the corner of a cabinet face frame. This little detail saved me hours of on sight work, which would have risked damaging pre-finished parts.

In some cases, where complex designs call for more precise work, I use Alibre. Alibre is a more powerful CAD system designed for engineers, which is also more complex. Often it is far more powerful than I need, so I don't rely heavily on it. But when a project such as the curved range-hood from this summer comes along, the level of detail and precision Alibre offers more than pay for the cost.

CAD systems, no matter which you choose, will require a lot of up-front effort to learn. But the back end rewards are huge. Now, each time I design a new cabinet, I can add it to my inventory of existing models. The next time I need a similar cabinet, I can just load an existing design and modify it instead of starting from scratch every time.

CAD also allows my clients to get a better idea of what a finished design will really look like from any angle, and allows for quick referencing in matters of scale and placement. Of course, the model is only as accurate as you are when you make it, so that rests with you.

For anyone tackling complex projects, I recommend learning to use a CAD system and exploiting the benefits of it.