Dear Simon,
That's quite a challenge. I've thought about trying this myself, but I usually just take a nap until the feeling goes away.
You can download Corinthian column models from the 3D warehouse, but I don't know that any will be exactly what you want. Creating that distinctive spiral shape at the corners will be extremely difficult with basic SketchUp tools; you will probably have to use one of the plug-ins that allows you to draw compound curves. That's the bad news. The good news is that, because the capital is symmetrical, you only have to draw one-half of one side, then copy and execute a flip along command until you have replicated the entire shape.
Good luck, and keep the forum posted on your progress.
Best,
David Heim

Where are the gargoyles?!
dh

It stretches the boards and adds a flip-up mirror, too. That's one smart tool.

Didier,
I just downloaded the STL Export/Import plug-in on my Mac, but I can't make it work. It asks me for the name of a file to export, but won't ever let me export anything. What am I missing? Can you provide a brief explanation of how to make the export function work?
Many thanks,
David Heim

Very nice, Box.

Michael,
I know what you mean about thin shelves and dust. But the original had 1/8" shelves. Maybe the owners could afford cleaning help.
Best.
dh

Thanks, John. I'd love to have the skill to build this for real, but I'm not there yet.

Just finished a model of a fall-front desk designed by Harvey Ellis, an associate of Gustav Stickley whose designs lightened up Stickley's heavy, square furniture.
I built the model from drawings in an issue of Fine Woodworking magazine from 1982. Too bad the magazine didn't produce a decent measured drawing; I had to extrapolate several key dimensions, and I probably don't have the hinge pins on the front aligned with the holes in the sides.
Let me know what you think.
Best,
dh

P.S.: Dave R, you're sure to find some Easter eggs here.

harvey ellis fall front desk.skp

At least you have some dimensions. I'm working on another model from an early issue of Fine Woodworking. The drawings in the magazine are missing several necessary dimensions, which, of course, makes modeling a royal pain.
Best,
dh

Dave,
Is it possible that the dimensions aren't contradictory? That the posts for the headboard are supposed to be slightly fatter than the ones for the footboard?

Dave,
I'm sure you'll find something hard-boiled and dyed. There's probably extra lines or some such in the door muntins. (I drew segments for one-fourth of the window, intersected them all to make one component, then copied and flipped, exploded and remade a single component for the full window. Life is too short to make the individual muntin pieces and miter them with their odd angles.)

Best,
dh

I just finished the attached model of an 18th Century Georgian secretary, 'cause I have a bunch of other work that I'm avoiding at the moment. The plans for this piece appeared in the January 1983 issue of Fine Woodworking magazine.
Let me know what you think.
Best,
dh

secretaire-bookcase.skp

Dave,
Interesting piece. Reminds me of the Gerrit Reitveld zig-zag chair, which is basically bolted together at the front, but I have a feeling you aren't using many bolts in this table. What's the joinery? Splined miters? Mitered hidden dovetails? Inquiring minds want to know.
Best,
dh

Nice, as usual. But I agree with joewood: The case would look better if the end stiles had the right of way.
Best,
dh

P.S. Spent Saturday at a Maker Faire in Westport, Ct., demonstrating SketchUp. I think everyone who talked with me wanted to know if SU could drive a 3D printer. Welcome to the future.

Dave,
I used the Killen method: Draw the square portion of the leg. Hide a face. Draw a pommel shape along a diagonal and extrude it. Unhide the face and then intersect the square portion with the extruded pommel shape. Your method entails fewer steps and much less clean-up.

Dave,
I don't have enough mahogany left for this one, so it'll be a virtual table for a while. I may use it at the Mini Maker Faire later this month. You and I followed the same basic routine for creating the legs. Your method produces cleaner components, though. You also have a faster way to make the pommel than the method I used.
Best,
dh

I've been noodling a new design for a Sheraton-style hall table. The latest version, here, has turned legs with reeds along the shaft. The curved front will include a drawer, or maybe two drawers. No joinery yet--I'm still working on proportions. And since I made the leg in five stages--reeds, curved ends to reeds, foot, turned top section, and pommel--there are undoubtedly some stray lines and extra faces in there somewhere. The drawer exists only in my imagination at this stage.
Let me know what you think.
Best,
dh

sheraton hall table.skp

Number 6 gets my vote, with number 1 in second place. Good demonstration of using SU to quickly generate variations on a theme.
Best,
dh

Thanks, Michael. The piece was termed a "lady's desk" in the old book. But I don't think that label would work these days.
Best,
dh

I'm scheduled to do a SketchUp presentation at a Mini Maker Faire in Westport, Ct., at the end of April. At last year's Faire, I showed how to model a Fender Stratocaster guitar. This year I want to play it safe. I'm planning to model a couple of Mission furniture pieces. Here's one, taken from plans in "Mission Furniture: How to Build It," first published at the turn of the 20th century. I first modeled it a couple of years ago, and just redid it to see if I could improve the modeling. I think that all I have to do is add hinges and the hardware to hold the slant front in place.
Let me know what you think, and what nits you can pick with the model.
Thanks,
dh

mission desk test.skp