how do you use your computer for woodwork?

[Anonymous]

Hi everybody

Quick question? What software (if any) do you people use to help you in your woodworking? Apart fro websurfing etc.

I use Microsoft Visio to help me draw up plans, and have found Cutlist Plus useful in helping me reduce wastage. I use Visio becaue I spend a lot of time away from home, but have my laptop with me. I have taken a look at a few 2D & 3D CAD packages, but most of them seem too complicated and it looks easier to do on a drawing board the old fashioned way

 

[Charley]

Hi Chris,

I draw all my plans with "CorelDRAW 10"! Its dead easy to use and you can scale stuff down really easily.

I've heard of cutlist but have never tried it, does it support metric measurements?

 

[Anonymous]

cutlist supports metric and imperial. I've never tried CorelDraw - I'll give it a go

I've just installed visio2002 & if I can get a demo version of CorelDraw, I'll do a comparison

 

[sawdustalley]

I don't really use the PC to draw plans or anything. I guess I take pics of my stuff and use it for my website. Also there is a wealth of woodworking information on the internet.

 

[Woody]

Hi Guys,

Until a of years ago I didn't have a computer at home... I have a brother who is ten years younger than me, he kept going on about how great the web is and how I needed to get on the net, etc. etc. I used to tell him " If you can't sharpen it, I ain't interested!" well look at me know, Sitting here 'talking' to you guys, while Mrs Woody has her own PC tapping out her Christmas letter to all her friends. Not bad for a couple of "OLD FUDDS" as "little brother" would say.

We use the computer(s) to research for materials and all the obvious stuff. Haven’t got into CAD...yet 8)

Woody

 

[Anonymous]

I'm also a Visio user. Handy if you're doing small stuff or small templates, as it will print out to scale.

 

[Anonymous]

Dr Duncan
You could use your glue gun to hold your templates :lol: :lol:
Only kidding :lol: I use one quite a lot.

I think the best use for my computer is to visit uk workshop
Mick B

 

[Anonymous]

I use SmartDraw 6 to draw my templates, print them out on A4 sized acetate (tracing paper type stuff) and then transfer them to a scrap piece of timber to make a template which I then cut out with my scrollsaw. I can then use this 'solid' template when wanting to cut out exact copies of shapes etc.

 

[Anonymous]

I have been using Auto Cad LT2000 for some time now. Personally I would recomend either this, or Auto Sketch, along with a good instruction manual, such as Auto Cad for dummies. Once you have picked up the basics, these programmes aren't that hard to master. The major advantage to these type of programmes is that as long as it has been drawn correctly to start with, you can instantly get your cut lengths for every piece. I even went as far as to draw my deck plans, cut each piece as per drawing, then nail it together. Every piece fitted perfectly.Good luck.

 

[Jaco]

I am probably a bit old fashioned in that i prefer to draw by hand.
(first computer was an APPLE IIE, and there was not much in those days, about 30 years ago!)
The WWW has a lot of ggod stuff on it. Unfortunately i have to convert most of it from inches to metric. (hammer)

 

[Anonymous]

Jaco,
Another plus point for the 'puter is that ,if you download a drawing that is in inches, you can convert it automatically in the program. Another good point for Auto Cad programs, as they can read most other drawing programs, as I mentioned before.