kids tool box

reible · Post by **reible** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:34 am

Hi,

I wanted something to play with in sketchup so I decided to do something that I built for my kids when the were just tike's... The boys put matchbox cars in and the daughter doll stuff so much for the tools (they were all plastic anyway).

One addition I did was to route a identifier first initial on the end. Lots of nice surfaces to route on so feel free.

Since I don't have one to look at (yes they all still have them) I kind of guessed at the dimensions. If you want to make them you can of course do it "your way". I think I might go with box joints so some other joint but this way is fast and as I recall I had to make up a couple of extras just before Christmas day so the simple design save me.

I was able to use sketchup but I could work a lot faster if I could figure out a few more things. More hours playing and much much more to learn I might even get to do some fancy things. I think it must have taken me 2 hours to do this simple drawing... had to start over twice... beginners errors I guess.

[ATTACH]2340[/ATTACH]

I know I'm missing a dimension (hole location) but I can't seem to figure out how to put it in, not working the way I thought it would... so back to the drawing board... I mean computer.

Ed

sandyj · Post by **sandyj** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:57 am

Nice job Ed.

I too have been working with sketchup and had a heck of a time getting started but when I went to the google sketchup site and used their tutorial then had a look at the sketchup podcasts in itunes I got a bit better - main thing is using it and practicing.
I still prefer pencil and paper but when I have a couple of hours I try some more.
Keep up the good work.

Regards
Sandy in NZ

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:16 pm

Good start Ed. A recommendation for quick construction, use guide lines (tape measure) liberally. click and drag in the direction you want to measure, then just type the distance you want and hit enter and the guide line will jump to that exact distance. All drawing functions, including dimension lines snap to guide lines and guide line intersections. That would be the best way to get the dimensions for your hole location, use a vertical and horizontal guide line to locate and draw the hole, then you can use the same to snap your dimension lines to. Once you're done with a section, or you start getrting lost in guide lines, the Edit menu has an option to delete all guide lines (and clean up your drawing) with one click.

Another thing to remember, the left, right and up keyboard arrows constrain drawing and movement to the green, blue and red axes respectively, a big help...

reible · Post by **reible** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 8:16 pm

Hi,

I was able to get it almost fixed today. I had made the front a component then used a copy/move to place it at the other end. I did the same with the sides, copy/move the distance by typing dimensions. For some reason it will not find a place to snap to at the "hole" or the "handle" or guides. I thought I found it when I edited the component as I was able to do dimensions... but as you might have guessed, it put the dimension on both the front and the back. I think my problem lies within the construction I used, or not.

The other thing that I can't seem to work with is the rotate tool. I can have it rotate in one plane but can't figure out how to get it to rotate a part to another axes... I read the instuctions but I don't seem to get it.

It might be a while before I can do "box joints" but I was thinking it might be interesting to use a box joint between the bottom and front/back and from the front/back to the sides.... Right now it is taking a lot longer to draw then to actually go and make one... to be useful that will have to change.

Ed

tom_k/mo wrote:Good start Ed. A recommendation for quick construction, use guide lines (tape measure) liberally. click and drag in the direction you want to measure, then just type the distance you want and hit enter and the guide line will jump to that exact distance. All drawing functions, including dimension lines snap to guide lines and guide line intersections. That would be the best way to get the dimensions for your hole location, use a vertical and horizontal guide line to locate and draw the hole, then you can use the same to snap your dimension lines to. Once you're done with a section, or you start getrting lost in guide lines, the Edit menu has an option to delete all guide lines (and clean up your drawing) with one click.

Another thing to remember, the left, right and up keyboard arrows constrain drawing and movement to the green, blue and red axes respectively, a big help...

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 11:07 pm

Ed, drawing or rotating on a specific plane can be a little tricky. The best thing to do is select the item(s) you want to rotate, click on the rotate tool (your cursor becomes a protractor) and if the protractor is not presenting itself in the plane you want to rotate in, move your cursor over another surface on the plane you want to rotate in. When the protractor presents itself in the correct plane, hold down the shift key and it will lock the protractor in that plane. Same technique works for drawing circles. Many times when I start a model I will traw a square and push/pull it into a cube just so I have an entity with all 3 major surfaces for reference, and delete it later.

By the way, after you mentioned box joints, I gave it a thought, and it ends up they're not that difficult after all...

curiousgeorge · Post by **curiousgeorge** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 2:00 am

For those trying to learn SketchUp... Check out Fine Woodworking Magazine at http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/. They have a Blog there called Design.Click.Build that is dedicated strictly to SketchUp. These guys post videos and tutorials on all different aspects from easy to expert. I have learned a ton from there. Try it out, I think you will like it.

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 2:45 am

A couple of more hours and I've caught on to a few things that I figured would be in the tool set but want sure how to find them....... so the tool box with box joints sides and bottom....

[ATTACH]2344[/ATTACH]

I'll check out the site mentioned as I still am having issues with certain tools and how they work. This is fun learning but some stuff, even simple things like getting parts to change axes still has me confused. This should be just a simple task and I'm confused over it... maybe it age related and my brain is to full to absorb anything more.

Ed

tom_k/mo · Post by **tom_k/mo** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 9:57 am

Ed, looks great. Looks like you're catching on well. Congradulations. If you choose to use CutList 4.0 as a plug-in for SketchUp (which is great), be sure to check the thread I posted a couple weeks ago about the limitations of CutList 4.0 and how to work around them.

curiousgeorge · Post by **curiousgeorge** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 2:34 pm

Ed,
You are catching on fast. You will have this thing down pat in no time.

Try looking on YouTube and search for Sketchup. There are some how-to videos there also.

This should be just a simple task and I'm confused over it... maybe it age related and my brain is to full to absorb anything more.

I totally understand... I call it "pate saturation".