SketchUp is a free 3D-modeling program, formerly owned by Google and now owned by Trimble. This SketchUp for woodworking blog will help you learn how to use SketchUp to create models of your woodworking plans. It’s a great way to “build” a project and work out the design, details and joinery before you take tools to wood – that way, you can head to the workshop with a solid plan and the information you need to build any project with confidence.Here are some quick links to our key SketchUp Pages.
Joe Zeh’s SketchUp for Woodworkers Blog
SketchUp Woodworking Models
Check out SketchUp Comprehensive with Joe Zeh and Popular Woodworking University…
Need help navigating the models? Watch our free SketchUp models video tutorial. In less than 20 minutes, you’ll understand how to make SketchUp models work for you.
Below are our most-recent articles about SketchUp, including Joe Zeh’s blog posts but also others from our staff of experts.
There are a few drawing tools I find myself using no matter what I’m working on in SketchUp. One of those is the Move tool. It lets me position objects exactly where I want them, but it’s [...]
A student wrote and asked me this paraphrased question: “Can you give me some suggestions for drawing these irregular tenons into the legs? If the mortises were rectangular I would simply use the [...]
Whenever I take on a new cabinet or built-in project, I like to model it in SketchUp. I sometimes have trouble visualizing how things are going to fit together, and an accurate 3D model helps me [...]
In my previous post about cutlist making tips in SketchUp for woodworkers, I discussed my CutList Bridge 3 extension and strategies to help you organize your models. That post went into detail [...]
Cut lists are dull subjects and always seem to be an afterthought; they shouldn’t be. The time to consider cut lists and material lists is before you begin to model a project. Doing so will [...]
Layers in SketchUp Aren’t Like Layers in CAD If you’re used to drawing in AutoCAD or a similar program, you’ll have to adjust to the way layers work in SketchUp. When drawing in CAD, it’s common [...]
If you are like me – compound miter joints always make me a little nervous – your blood pressure rises a little when you have to draw or cut a compound miter joint. So I am always [...]
SketchUp is an excellent tool for designing kitchen cabinets. The free version has plenty of powerful features, and even professionals with access to $30,000 cabinet design software frequently [...]
This video contains several excerpts from a 1-hour, detailed video about the new features of SketchUp Make 2015 being created by Joe Zeh. That video will be for sale at ShopWoodworking.com soon, [...]
I will be teaching a week-long SketchUp class September 8-12, 2014 at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine. If you want to get a better understanding of the 3D modeling [...]
A student emailed me and asked: “How do I model the cut a core box router bit makes in SketchUp?” At first glance you might think the answer is the usual – model the shape of the bit and use …
I have been teaching SketchUp for over seven years, both live and online. Students new to SketchUp struggle with a set of problems that are very similar in nature and can be characterized by one [...]