Sketch Up Question - Groove in Table Top

Kevin Reid

Member
Messages
84
Location
South East Michigan
I am relatively new to Sketch Up and I am teaching myself the program by designing some end tables and coffee tables. I would like to add some details to the table tops. I would like to add a v-groove approximately two inches in from all four edges. I have been able to draw a straight bottomed groove using the push/pull tool but am stumped by the v groove or a cove bit bottom. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
Kevin,

What you will want to do is draw the profile you want on the edge of the table top and use the "follow me" tool. I suggest you search for old posts of Dave Richards where he has one of his tutorials on the subject or wait until he responds.
 
Last edited:
Kevin since you want the V-groove to be inset all the way around, draw a rectangle that represents the centerline of the groove on the top. then delete the top face leaving the rectangle. Draw the triangle for the V-groove at the midpoint of one side of the rectangle representing the centerline of the groove. Select all of the lines representing the centerline (Ctrl+Select) then get the Follow Me tool and click on that triangle. Heal the top face by tracing an outside edge and, if needed an inisde edge of the V-groove. You may need to select all of the top and run Intersect with Selected. Then delete the stuff you don't need.

I'll make some images to demonstrate.
 
Here we go. These along with my description ought to help.

4b75c178.jpg


93c12caf.jpg


c33554b6.jpg
 
Thanks Dave, I understand what you are doing now. The close-up picture of no. 3 helped. Much more elegant solution than I would have used (profile the outer edge of an inner rectangle then add onto the outside of that to build a bigger final rectangle representing the entire table top).
 
Bill, one thing I didn't go into is to consider how the table top would be made in wood. If it was going to be made of solid stock glued up, perhaps it should be drawn with the separate parts as components. In that case, I would draw it differently. Kevin didn't ask about that though so I assumed this was what he had in mind.
 
Dave,Bill:

That is exactly what I want to accomplish. Thank you so much for your reply. I will try that out on my long plane ride tonight. I am heading from Detroit to Quito Ecuador. I prefer to use my 7 hours in flight doing something useful like designing furniture. Thanks again.:wave:
 
Enjoy the flight.

Before falling asleep last night I thought of another way to do it that doesn't require you to delete the face. Use Offset from the edge of the top to position a line representing the center of the V-groove. Use Offset again to position lines representing the limits of the V-groove. One inisde the centerline, the other outside. Select the centerline all the way around. Get the Move tool and, while holding Alt, move the selected lines down. I would actually run the Move tool down a vertical corner line since you don't have to actually click on the thing you're moving if you've preselected it.

For a 45° slope on the V-groove, the move distance is equal to one half the width of the groove.
 
Dave;

I tried your solution tonight on my trip and it worked like a charm. Thanks again for your help. Very straight forward when you think about it. I just have to get the hang of changing my way of thinking when using SU when compared to CAD programs.
 
Top