Flute Columns in Woodworking Design Software
Flute Columns in Board with Woodworking Design Software
A user of SketchList 3D woodworking design software emailed in asking if it is possible to cut flute columns in a board surface. Yes it is. The process is pretty simple and fast. First select the board at the board detail level. Then select the surface you want to flute. The image above shows the surface in blue. Click on non-round holes.
In this example the flute runs from bottom to top. That is a = 0 and height = board height. You might start the bottom at 6 and wrap the bottom of the flute column with some sort of footer. B is the distance from the left. Make it as wide as you like. For fun – make it almost as wide as the board: 14 inch board try a 8 inch wide flute.
Click contour edge and pick round over. Accept defaults. [It may be you need to edit this hole to set the contour.] Then you have flute number one.
Click the Edit / Clone Holes button while at the board detail level.
Enter the number of flutes you want to cut, check fixed spacing, and set the distance between the flutes. Pick “from the left edge”.
This is another post [2015] describing an over the top use of this technique. You can see it at CLICK HERE.
David Rozewski
SketchList began out of frustration with other CAD programs not meeting the woodworkers needs. Initially marketed to hobby users, the vast percentage of our users turned out to be professionals. Our goal is to make powerful design software for woodworkers and will improve their work and their businesses.
