Mistakes are free with cabinet design software

Ever make a mistake? I was taking a woodworking course at a local high school and took in a medicine cabinet I was working on. It needed some ‘professional’ help. I had made a basic mistake – lack of experience I say – and was relieved how quickly and easily the shop teacher was able to tweak this, hit that, put a clamp on over there — and I was back on track with the project.

It’s easier and cheaper to make and fix mistakes if you first make them with your woodworking software. Pretty much all you lose is your time – which of course there is never enough of – but still how much do you pay for a 4 by 8 sheet of cherry plywood these days?

One mistake I have seen people make with my cabinet design software is to forget things that overhang or otherwise stick out when sizing the project. I spend time linked to peoples’ computers helping them with designs. Just as we were finishing a very detailed and complex entertainment center — oh no — forgot about the space needed for the cove moldings on the left and right of the assembly. Another example of this is placing all the boards of a carcass with front value = 0 and then remembering the face frame.  Hmmm – really meant front value = 3/4 or 1!!!

Actually that’s not a big issue. I did a quick video on how to use assemblies to contain the face frame you forgot, and how to put that face frame assembly in front of your carcass.

You can watch the video on YOU TUBE.