Who's making cabinets?

[Tim Lucas]

Eric,

Are you looking for software to use or are you preparing software to be used??

Tim

[EricSchimel]

I've been designing my own cabinets in SketchUp and them importing them into Aspire. This works great for all of the weird one off stuff that I do, and while it works for cabinetry, it's pretty inefficient. I figure there are a lot of people here that have been doing it for years and probably have some good feedback on what works, and what doesn't. Cabinets are a whole different animal than custom stuff...

[jTr]

Eric- Trying another response, as I see you are precisely where I was a few years ago, and still am. There are probably many things we could visit about regarding streamlining the process. Dang- this monitor hiccup is a real pain. Anyhow, years ago, one guy answered my plea for a way to make Sketchup work, and in one post gave me a full breakdown of importing dxfs from Sketchup to VCPro. An incredible help. Would sure like to visit, just hate to draft a few paragraphs only to see them disappear into oblivion.... again.
If you'd like, maybe send a pm - perhaps this is a way to discuss some tricks/techniques . I rarely get a chance to visit with anyone running their business with Sketchup and the Shopbot, so I am interested in a discussion.

Jeff

[jerry_stanek]

Eric- Trying another response, as I see you are precisely where I was a few years ago, and still am. There are probably many things we could visit about regarding streamlining the process. Dang- this monitor hiccup is a real pain. Anyhow, years ago, one guy answered my plea for a way to make Sketchup work, and in one post gave me a full breakdown of importing dxfs from Sketchup to VCPro. An incredible help. Would sure like to visit, just hate to draft a few paragraphs only to see them disappear into oblivion.... again.
If you'd like, maybe send a pm - perhaps this is a way to discuss some tricks/techniques . I rarely get a chance to visit with anyone running their business with Sketchup and the Shopbot, so I am interested in a discussion.

Jeff

Why don't you type it in a word program then copy and paste here

[ken_rychlik]

I have been cabinet building with cnc for a little over 10 years now. Started with v carve, went to the shopbot link when it came out. (I had my share of glitches and issues with the link and it took years for updated). They may be fixed now, but I bailed both on the shopbot and the link. I now use a combination of CPP (I wish he would return emails and support it better) and Vcarve along with a different brand cnc that I won't post here. I still have friends around here and still suggest shopbot as a first machine for anyone looking. I use full dado's so the sides of most cabinets are always the same. Copy paste and cut. With full dado's the streachers, decks, tops, ect are just straight pieces that can be cut on cnc or a table saw as the need arises. There are toolpath templates in vcarve that work like magic. Drop your parts on a sheet, load the toolpath template and hit go. Kind of like an atm machine. :-) When I use cpp I also import to v carve as I like the toolpath options more there. When it all comes down to it, a cabinet is just a box. A drawer is just a box as well. One simplification I did was made all my dado's to where it leaves 1/2 inch of material in the sides. That times 2 is one inch so all streachers are just 1 inch less than the cabinet width. I had customers think that a blind dado looked like no dado or just a butt joint from the front, and they actually like to see that each piece goes into the next. Oh by the way Don, I got away from the 3d stuff. It was time consuming and a front layout of each wall has been working fine to sell with. I have a full sheet of front views of all cabinet types, sizes and appliances. Just drag and drop them on a Vcarve sheet the size of that wall, and move along.

Ken

[Greencarvings]

I have been cabinet building with cnc for a little over 10 years now. Started with v carve, went to the shopbot link when it came out. (I had my share of glitches and issues with the link and it took years for updated). They may be fixed now, but I bailed both on the shopbot and the link. I now use a combination of CPP (I wish he would return emails and support it better) and Vcarve along with a different brand cnc that I won't post here. I still have friends around here and still suggest shopbot as a first machine for anyone looking. I use full dado's so the sides of most cabinets are always the same. Copy paste and cut. With full dado's the streachers, decks, tops, ect are just straight pieces that can be cut on cnc or a table saw as the need arises. There are toolpath templates in vcarve that work like magic. Drop your parts on a sheet, load the toolpath template and hit go. Kind of like an atm machine. :-) When I use cpp I also import to v carve as I like the toolpath options more there. When it all comes down to it, a cabinet is just a box. A drawer is just a box as well. One simplification I did was made all my dado's to where it leaves 1/2 inch of material in the sides. That times 2 is one inch so all streachers are just 1 inch less than the cabinet width. I had customers think that a blind dado looked like no dado or just a butt joint from the front, and they actually like to see that each piece goes into the next. Oh by the way Don, I got away from the 3d stuff. It was time consuming and a front layout of each wall has been working fine to sell with. I have a full sheet of front views of all cabinet types, sizes and appliances. Just drag and drop them on a Vcarve sheet the size of that wall, and move along.

Ken

This is my experience exactly the same as Ken, I did an entire 5000sq ft house full of cabinet, dining room, kitchen, built in pantry, and every closet as a built in, as well as a set of "locker" style cabinets for each family member for the entry way. I did it exactly like Ken.