Blog
Corner Entertainment Center – 02
Initial Workspace
I have started making preliminary CAD models of the Corner Entertainment Center. I first created an assembly in Alibre Design, and then added a part called Workspace to the assembly.
In this workspace part, I drew the area of the room in which the entertainment center was going to sit. Basically I drew a corner of a room. Nothing dramatic here, just two walls and a floor. I did this to help visualize the area in which the piece was going to live.
2011-01-21 – Quick Update
I just wanted to give everyone a quick update. I have had some computer problems over the last few weeks and have not been able to publish any articles or work on my current design. I have also started a new day job, which has kept me a bit preoccupied. The computer is fixed now, and I am working on the next article in the ‘Corner Entertainment Center‘ series. I should have it out in a few days.
After that, I will continue the Workshop design series as well. I ran into a bit of a snag with that design; I have to start the design completely over. I no longer have access to that particular CAD system that I was designing it on, or even the CAD files for that matter. That is a really long story that I am not going to get into here. Once I get the design in Alibre back up to where I was before, then I will continue the article series.
Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know what was going on.
What Catches Your Eye?
When you first see a piece of wooden furniture, or any type of woodworking project, what is the first thing that catches your eye? Are you drawn to the grain of the wood? Or is it the style of the piece that catches your eye? Or do you immediately check out the workmanship of the piece?
Quilted Maple
I love the grain lines of a figured wood and, when finished properly, how they draw you in and almost mesmerize you. Quilted maple is one of my favorite woods to see in a piece. It forms a pattern and yet at the same time is completely random. It is but one of the ways God shows his artistic hand in nature. Its beauty can evoke a sense of awe and wonder. (more…)
Corner Entertainment Center – 01
I have just begun to design a new entertainment center and I thought that I would share the entire design process with you. This project has some unique design challenges and, quite honestly, I am not quite sure yet what the overall style of the Entertainment Center is going to be.
The first step will be to list all of the design requirements, and the first requirement is going (more…)
Why I chose Alibre Design
Alibre Design
To fully answer why I chose Alibre Design I should probably give you some of my background with CAD/CAM systems. I started out about 20 years ago designing plastic injection molds and programming CNC machines to cut these same molds. The CAD systems that I have used over the years have always been considered very high end systems.
I currently used Unigraphics NX at my day job. A single “bare bones” installation of NX will cost somewhere around $5,000. On top of that, we add in assembly functionality, drafting functionality, and a mold design add-on. This all adds up to about $20,000 for a single installation. These systems that I have been using professionally are very high end, very powerful, and quite easy to use.
When I decided to look for a CAD system to use for Maple Grove Woodworks projects, I realized that I was quite spoiled (more…)
Website Updates
I thought I would give everyone a quick update about what has been going on with MapleGroveWoodworks.com. As you can see, I have been making some “look and feel” changes to the website over the last few days. I am not done yet, but it is coming around. Even after I finish my “to do” list, I am sure I will always be tweaking it in some way. I am just that way when it comes to websites, I guess.
Besides all of the visual changes, you’ll notice an open space in the upper right (more…)
Apologies
All right. I know it has been a while. Ok, a very long while. I have been busy with all kinds of stuff that has nothing to do with woodworking. So, I apologize to those of you who have been following this blog and expecting something new. (more…)
Weekend Update
I actually managed to accomplish a few things this weekend in the shop. The temperature outside was around 30 degrees Fahrenheit so I was able to get the shop up to about 60 degrees. I cleaned up most of the shop except for the lathe area and the lumber storage area. I don’t know if I will ever get the lumber area organized to my satisfaction unless I start burning some of my scraps.
I even did a little woodworking. Just a little. I made a couple more clamp racks and attached them to the wall. Many of my clamps have been laying on bench tops or just clamped to the sides of a bench, so the additional racks will really help in staying organized. I did not get back to the mission style lamps that I wanted to work on, but hopefully I will soon.
Seasonal Woodworkers
A lot of people tend to be seasonal woodworkers, especially for the hobbyist. Many people head to the shop in the fall and don’t come out until it is time for the summertime fun to begin. I generally tend to be a little different than the rest of the crowd. I like to head out to the shop in the early spring, when the weather starts to warm up a bit, and then I will be out there until late fall, or early winter, when the weather gets too cold to work comfortably. (more…)
Template Crazy
Sometimes the best workmanship that a woodworker does is never seen on the final project. It sits in a corner of the workshop and collects dust until it is time to make another of the same project. I am, of course, talking about templates. In these cases, the final project is not much more than a copy of the template. The amount of care and time that a woodworker puts into creating a template will certainly show through in the final product, but if a template is done correctly, it will save you time and make your project look very impressive. (more…)
