Cats Dancing - SketchUp Projects

Google SketchUp Projects

SketchUp drawings and renderings -- with a few actual woodworking results. Sometimes I created a 3D model after the fact, just to illustrate the design of a project.

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DeeDee's Mighty SmartPhone Vault

My friend DeeDee had this great idea. By day it looks like a mild-mannered bread box, but in reality it's a SmartPhone Vault! Inside there's room for 5 re-charging phones using the power strip on the bottom, plus 3 more phones on the shelf using a wireless charger pad. PLUS! Yes there's more! The inside is lined with a Faraday cage (using metal paint) to block signals! Your visitors and diners can enjoy a ringless, bingless evening. Get ready for conversation!

Qi Compatible Triple Wireless Charger $29.99

USB Power Strip $14.99

Amazon.com (Jan. 2018)

Click to download

1 phone plug.gif

I was so distracted by this problem, I found myself standing in the shower and I couldn't remember if I had washed. Not wanting to wasted more hot water, I just got out. So, I may not be clean today, but I am well rinsed. I want a resealable opening for the power cord and plug on DeeDee's Mighty Phone Vault. Here's what I came up with. If it looks familiar, it's the same design as the cover on your remote control's battery compartment.

Vault Hole.mp4

This always tickles me. The magic of 3D modeling: Put the object where you need it, then make a hole around it.

Backward Vise Table

The face of the vise is fixed in place, but the base (mounted under the little table) slides in and out. Bench dogs are built-in so they can pop up when you need them to clamp wide pieces.

I made the prototype with scraps, just leftovers in the bins. This one doesn't have the guide over the vise face.

Then I pulled the top off and replaced it with a stronger face of red oak, and added the dowels as bench dogs.

It worked really well -- used it lot with the hand-held router.

Here you see how the guide helps transit the whole length of the table.

Conver-Table

It starts as a bar but the legs fold like an origami puzzle to make a dinner table.

ConverTable v2.mp4

I was making headway -- very slowly -- with this project in Blender. The problem is that the upper portion of the leg (with the cross-tie) is hinged vertically on the front. The lower section is hinged horizontally on the back. Blender was balking at this idea -- it wants a common rotation point. Fortunately, Blender has an "armature" feature that let me finish this animation.

"K-Line" chair

I came across this design for a "K-Line" chair in a collection of Nomadic Furniture designs from the 60s. The design is kind of stupid, mostly because I can't imagine arm-rests made from 3/4-inch plywood being very comfortable. But I like the seat design because it hangs free, giving the bottom a little more flex than usual. Then I reversed it, putting the flex at the front edge under the knees, and along the top of the back panel.

Printer Box

PrBox v2.mp4

I imported the SketchUp model into Blender and created an animation of the top in action.

Details in Woodworking

Easel

The total material cost was about $25.

Half of the cost was the tightening screw and knob -- about $11.

When I was asked to make an easel, I looked into it. The design has been around for about 1,000 years, so that's pretty easy. It's the making it that's hard. Everything has to be square -- EXACTLY square. Otherwise, the frame will be cattywampus. I'm pretty sure that's what happen to Van Gogh, his easel was crooked.

Easel.mp4

Tall Desk

I started with a stand of drawers.

Then added a top and some legs. Notice that you can flip the legs to the other side if you want.

With a not-very secret compartment

A little paint, a little stain, and we have a handsome desk.

Tall Desk.mp4

There are 3 separate pieces, the chest of drawers, the legs, and the top -- so I can dismantle it when I move.

Storage Shelves

Storage Rack.mp4

I had a bunch of scraps left over, especially a sheet of 1/4-inch plywood with a textured finish that I bought for another project but didn't use. I was embarrassed to have bought this stuff and not use it, so I built some storage shelves.

I wanted to make it lightweight and cheap -- at least no more than the cost of plastic shelves from Lowes. I ended up with a sturdy rack of shelves that you could lift with one hand.

This might be the only picture I have of the storage shelves (in the background). Fortunately, I have the SketchUp model.

I loaded the shelves with lots of tools and cans of paint and stains, but they never faltered. I don't know what their break point is, but they have held up to everything I asked of them.

After the rack was built, I decided to add a drawer. It was a real pain to retro-fit, but it turned out to be very useful.

Paper Dispensers

What if ... you had a paper towel rack that used lightweight super magnets? The towels would be squeezed between the wall mount and a cylinder, creating just enough friction to keep the roll from spinning wildly when you pull a sheet off. The Way-Cool factor is off the charts!

Here's my idea for an axle-free TP Holder. It's like a common paper-towel holder, but it has rigid sides. (Oh yeah, the blue half-globes spin freely.) The idea is that the spring doesn't have to do the double duty of resisting side-ways movement and holding the center tube of the paper, which you may have noticed, paper towel holders don't do very well. So, if you stretch this out, it would make a better towel holder, too.

I'm not sure this is TP, but if it were ... think of the wicked Voodoo you could practice with this. Write the name and evil wishes of your target, then wipe and flush!

How satisfying!

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