Author Topic: Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc? (Read 235940 times)

mouser · « **Reply #75 on:** October 20, 2007, 12:58 PM »

My latest creation, 5 hours from idea to store to completion:

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

TucknDar · « **Reply #76 on:** October 20, 2007, 01:03 PM »

I take it this is so you can write code on your laptop while... you know.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #77 on:** October 20, 2007, 01:27 PM »

I've heard of going to the can, but this is ridiculous!

TucknDar · « **Reply #78 on:** October 20, 2007, 01:31 PM »

I've heard of going to the can, but this is ridiculous!
-cranioscopical (October 20, 2007, 01:27 PM)

mouser · « **Reply #79 on:** October 30, 2007, 02:22 AM »

My latest creation, a spice rack:

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Essential Spices? Found List 1 and Found List 2.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #80 on:** October 30, 2007, 05:32 AM »

An we all thought you were off programming for filthy lucre - now we know the truth ... you've hung up you keyboard for a hammer and chisel !

cranioscopical · « **Reply #81 on:** October 30, 2007, 01:09 PM »

An we all thought you were off programming for filthy lucre - now we know the truth ... you've hung up you keyboard for a hammer and chisel !
-Carol Haynes (October 30, 2007, 05:32 AM)

It's only a small rack, Carol. It can't have taken much thyme.

Nice job, Mouser!

mouser · « **Reply #82 on:** October 30, 2007, 01:31 PM »

It's only a small rack, Carol. It can't have taken much thyme.

well done.

CodeTRUCKER · « **Reply #83 on:** January 03, 2008, 05:15 AM »

Any time an individual attempts to make something better, I say Hurrah!

CodeTRUCKER · « **Reply #84 on:** January 03, 2008, 05:18 AM »

So that is the bookcase, ironing board (alias:privy table) and a spice rack. Anything else?

mouser · « **Reply #85 on:** May 27, 2008, 09:36 PM »

I mean to post this a while ago, my recent project to add an upper layer of cabinets in my kitchen, for some storage space and space for cookbooks:

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

ps. making (panel) doors is not as easy as the rest of the skills i've learned.. hard to make them straight.

Darwin · « **Reply #86 on:** May 27, 2008, 10:05 PM »

Looks great, mouser. A very nicely organized kitchen

Looks like someone is a Home Depot fan!

cranioscopical · « **Reply #87 on:** May 27, 2008, 10:52 PM »

making (panel) doors is not as easy as the rest of the skills i've learned
-mouser (May 27, 2008, 09:36 PM)

When it comes to routers it's all too easy to confuse cordless with wireless

Nice job there! Where do you store the pogo stick?

mouser · « **Reply #88 on:** May 27, 2008, 10:56 PM »

Where do you store the pogo stick?

yeah it does require a chair or ladder to get into those cabinets, but they are mainly for storage so it's ok.

yeah i used a router and dowels this time. the router caused about a 4 inch high layer of wood shavings on the floor. the dowels are hard to get straight with a non-table-mounted drill, even with a dowel jig, that was the most troublesome part.

by the way my cordless set includes a cordless circular saw -- works great, highly recommended. less cumbersome than corded one and works fine on regular 2x lumber and plywood.

mouser · « **Reply #89 on:** August 04, 2009, 07:29 AM »

I've been planning a new project, a real doozy. Stay tuned.

mouser · « **Reply #90 on:** August 10, 2009, 03:18 PM »

I started out this thread over a year ago asking if anyone had any recommendations for software that would help in planning woodworking projects, etc.

More than a year later I actually went looking for home design software -- not quite the same but close enough.

After testing quite a few (TurboFloor, Punch, SweetHome 3d) I settled on one that I liked best, called Home Designer. There are actually a series of different editions, and a guide for picking which edition you need here. I would recommend the "Suite" version which is $99.

Based on the capabilities of the program I'd say $99 was a bargain -- it's a *VERY* impressive tool.

My original aim was just to model my kitchen so I could experiment with tearing down a wall, but I eneded up creating a complete model of my condo apartment which is startling accurate. Note this is a serious tool and it will take you a while to get the hang of it, but it's really cool and fun stuff.

Some images:

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

CodeTRUCKER · « **Reply #91 on:** December 08, 2009, 12:48 AM »

Hey Mouser,
Do you really have the archways in on the hall? Just so happens, I have been looking for the same thing, but the $99 is a little tough to come by. Oh well, that's what wish lists are for, right?
Nice pad!

mouser · « **Reply #92 on:** April 05, 2010, 05:58 PM »

Time to revive this thread and show how useful this kind of software is.

I'm thinking of doing some DIY kitchen remodeling on my place, and i've created some mockups that i need some feedback on. Let me know which layout you think would be best.

Here is my *current* kitchen, as it is now:

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Now my main aim is to open it up into the dining/sitting room to give it that more open feel and make it more enjoyable to talk with those who hang out in the dining room (which i use almost like a mini-living-room).

Now I should say that i'm quite happy with the functionality of my current kitchen, i feel i have enough counter space, and the wire bakers racks you see in the picture are filled with pots and pans and containers, etc.

Ok, so here was my first attempt to take down that wall and make a "half-wall"/mini-island between the two rooms. I thought a little mini island/shelf would be fun, and who wants to see the side of the stove, and also there is a big 6" gap between the two rooms that i would have to cover with a very wide threshold if i don't have a half-wall there:

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

One problem with this design is that in order to make that 1ft thick half-wall stable, i am going to have to do some pretty fancy and a bit risky anchoring into the cement floor in order to try to keep it stable, and i do have worries about how well i will be able to do that. Once nice thing is that when you are at the stove you can talk to those in the dining room easily since you are right there.

OK, so then i started playing with other possible layouts, including moving the oven over and building an entire row of new cabinets.

This one keeps the half wall island idea but solves the stability thing because its attached to other cabinet:

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

This one does away with the half wall completely, and relies on wide 6" threshold to cover up floor boundary (one problem with this is that i can't reuse existing trim since i will need too much to recreate the entire entryway that is now bigger; in other designs i can move around the removed trim):

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

And lastly, here is a hybrid where the half-wall is gone, but the cabinet sticks out a bit, which would let me reuse trim, and because this has the same exact wall treatment for the edge of the wall as the island design, i can very easily add a half-wall island later if i want, without having to mess with wall:

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

Downsides to the designs which move the stove and use a full row of new cabinets include: there are some cabinets that would be 17" above the stove and protrude over the stove half way (fire risk?); the presence of the new base cabinets would make it slightly inconvenient to reach the wall cabinets above them, and really hard to reach the archival storage cabinets at the ceiling (which already require a ladder and the turning off of the ceiling fan).

So what do you think? Which would you recommend?

nosh · « **Reply #93 on:** April 06, 2010, 01:48 AM »

I love the first layout. The half wall not only looks good but could also be practical for serving, etc. You could try anchoring the wall to brackets fitted inside the door frame for added stability.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #94 on:** April 06, 2010, 08:26 AM »

My feeling is that the half-wall/cabinet provides important screening of kitchen activities while still keeping you in the loop with guests.

Also, because your kitchen is so high, the views with completely open access to the kitchen make the kitchen itself look narrow and unwelcoming. In contrast, the half-wall protruding into the opening serves as a visual barrier to slow down the path that the eye follows through the space, thus making the space look bigger. The half-wall also causes the eye to linger at a lower level, rather than hitting the end wall and moving up a narrow space.

This one keeps the half wall island idea but solves the stability thing because its attached to other cabinet:

Presumably you'd make the top of the half-wall cabinet and the adjacent cabinet as one piece. That and a decent floor anchor would provide all the stability you need (well, for the furnishings, at least

).

Have you considered an over-the-stove microwave instead of overhanging cupboards?

mouser · « **Reply #95 on:** April 06, 2010, 08:31 AM »

Have you considered an over-the-stove microwave instead of overhanging cupboards?

Indeed i have, since it's clear now that the cabinets above the new stove location just would be against code because of fire risk.

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

A problem is that those cabinets are only 12" deep, so a microwave is going to just out several inches (at least 3!), which would seem to me pretty ugly, especially if you're going to see the side of it when looking in.

I also really like those two big cabinets that are there..

mouser · « **Reply #96 on:** April 06, 2010, 09:01 AM »

And here with the cabinet above removed except for small open shelf -- i could use that as a mini pot rack and hang some frying pans or something from it.. i just don't love the idea of losing that cabinet and the loss of symmetry on that wall..

Software for planning wood bookcases/cabinets/tables etc?

cranioscopical · « **Reply #97 on:** April 06, 2010, 09:22 AM »

I also really like those two big cabinets that are there..

With the first layout, I really don't think you'd have much trouble contriving a stable base for the 'half-wall' cabinet.
Assuming you don't wish to use the 'bungee cord around the stove' technique, a sturdy top fixing into the wall at the left (looking in) combined with a decent base anchored to the floor should make that pretty well immovable.

mouser · « **Reply #98 on:** April 06, 2010, 09:28 AM »

a sturdy top fixing into the wall at the left (looking in) combined with a decent base anchored to the floor

just remember this is a 1929 plaster and metal lathe building with steel girders.. i have no idea what im going to find in that left wall to anchor to, and the floor area under the half-wall is concrete with half hardwood and half kitchen tile on top of it.. it is not going to be simple to anchor down into that concrete without doing some surgery on the adjacent kitchen tiles and hardwood, etc. stuff that will be nervewracking and permanent. a huge advantage of building a bigger island area on the left is being able to skip all that.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #99 on:** April 06, 2010, 09:41 AM »

a 1929 plaster and metal lathe building with steel girders

I don't see the problem — a good oxy-acetylene torch, a couple of sledge-hammers… you'll be able to look down on your neighbors in no time!