Is there a CAD program for setting up a woodshop? I need one that is easy to use for somebody who is CAD challenged.
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Woodshop CAD
- Thread starter Douglas Long
- Start date
Douglas Long said:
Douglas,
Unless you have an urge to learn CAD and are using this as a learning project I might suggest you just use graph paper and draw your shop to scale, then use a second sheet to make scale outlines of the footprint of each of your tools and benches. That way you can just shuffle the tools around the drawing of the graph paper really easily. Low tech, no learning curve, wicked low cost.
Dave
(an IT person who resists IT stuff if it can be more simply another way.)
shop design
At one time Grizzly Industrial had a shop design program that one could either use or down-load.
At one time Grizzly Industrial had a shop design program that one could either use or down-load.
Delta also has a shop layout program on their website.
http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=6075
http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=6075
Douglas,
There is a program that might work for you. It is 'TurboCad'. I use the Mac version, but I am sure that there is a pc version. You can check it out at www.stuffit.com. The newest version for the Mac is currently on sale for $49 until Dec 11. Hopefully, if you like what you see, so is the version that you want.
Matt
There is a program that might work for you. It is 'TurboCad'. I use the Mac version, but I am sure that there is a pc version. You can check it out at www.stuffit.com. The newest version for the Mac is currently on sale for $49 until Dec 11. Hopefully, if you like what you see, so is the version that you want.
Matt
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You also might try Googles Sketchup. It's a free download and is pretty intuitive.
http://www.sketchup.com/
http://www.sketchup.com/
CAD is a bottomless, time sucking, turning avoiding, pit!
An opinionated commentary on CAD for turners:
I have used Sketchup, and it is neat. I have used TurboCad and it is a bargain and rich in function. I have used CAD off and on over the years, including designing furniture and a cabin. I have a computer science background. I worked my way thru school as a draftsman. I now use a "T" square, ruler and board, and a copier to save and modify different versions of my drawing.
Unless you want to spend nearly as much time learning and maintaining your CAD skills as you do turning follow the advice in the message above to use grid pages and cutouts and a 1/4" = 1' architectural scale (ruler.)
Don't get me wrong. CAD is great. CAD is fun. CAD is a great consumer of time. CAD can be a game. But your head and your neck will ache. Just be sure you want to give up a large part of your turning time to even begin to get results you want.
Also consider making everything in your shop wheeled or semi movable. In spite of my obsessive planning (which was worth it) I continue to reconfigure my shop semi-permanently or temporarily (say for turning meetings.)
It's a choice. I made mine. Pencil, 1/4" grid paper, scale, scissors, and a copier, and wheels on everything that touches the floor, and hangers (french cleats) for everything on the walls.
Jerry
An opinionated commentary on CAD for turners:
I have used Sketchup, and it is neat. I have used TurboCad and it is a bargain and rich in function. I have used CAD off and on over the years, including designing furniture and a cabin. I have a computer science background. I worked my way thru school as a draftsman. I now use a "T" square, ruler and board, and a copier to save and modify different versions of my drawing.
Unless you want to spend nearly as much time learning and maintaining your CAD skills as you do turning follow the advice in the message above to use grid pages and cutouts and a 1/4" = 1' architectural scale (ruler.)
Don't get me wrong. CAD is great. CAD is fun. CAD is a great consumer of time. CAD can be a game. But your head and your neck will ache. Just be sure you want to give up a large part of your turning time to even begin to get results you want.
Also consider making everything in your shop wheeled or semi movable. In spite of my obsessive planning (which was worth it) I continue to reconfigure my shop semi-permanently or temporarily (say for turning meetings.)
It's a choice. I made mine. Pencil, 1/4" grid paper, scale, scissors, and a copier, and wheels on everything that touches the floor, and hangers (french cleats) for everything on the walls.
Jerry