Recreating curves from Sketchup in wood

[npr_geek]

Hey everyone. Probably a softball question here, but I'm designing some new bathroom furniture and we're loving lots of curves in the design. While I have everything roughly how I like it now, I'm faced with the quandary of how I actually create these curves in the wood! I have a drawing bow, but it's a fiddly way to do things and I'm wondering if there's something simpler and more exact that I'm missing. I know how I'm creating the detail on the bottom of the face frame -- it's a 3 point curve from 3.5 inches down then up to the center point, but given that the width varies between these two pieces, I know the curve is different. I honestly have no idea how I got the curves in the doors -- just eyeballed I guess (the yellow is where I'll inset some caning and the bottom opening on the tower is for hiding a cat litter box). Pictures attached.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[h3nry]

If you have your design in sketchup ... just print out a true-scale copy and transfer from the paper onto your wood. Set the camera to "Parallel Projection" and then use one of the standard views "Top", "Left", "Right" etc. Remember to disable "fit to page" when printing, and set the scale to 1:1.

I think sketchup is limited to circular and elliptical arcs. CIrcles are easy to draw, and there are techniques for drawing ellipses too. But if you want other curve shapes ... then you will have to break out the french curves and splines etc to do your drawing.

[npr_geek]

Thank you! Of course this is a great idea, and of course it's not something I can do in Sketchup for Web. Yet another reason to dislike this web version. True scale printing is an upgrade feature. 

[Beechwood Chip]

On 3/18/2025 at 2:38 PM, h3nry said:

If you have your design in sketchup ... just print out a true-scale copy and transfer from the paper onto your wood. Set the camera to "Parallel Projection" and then use one of the standard views "Top", "Left", "Right" etc. Remember to disable "fit to page" when printing, and set the scale to 1:1.

I was just doing this for a Sketchup design, but I kept on getting the sides of my 8" design clipped off when I printed full scale on 8.5" paper.  I finally got it to work by sending the design from Sketchup to LayOut.  LayOut is another program that comes with Sketchup that seems to be for printing.  Don't know if there's a web equivalent.

When I print from Sketchup the size of the window on my display determines how the image fits on the page.  It will try to print the entire window.

[h3nry]

8 inches wide probably wont fit on a single page. Sketchup leaves a small margin round the pages ... but I get the whole design spread out across multiple pages. I cut the margins off and tape the pages together if I need to.

[Chestnut]

For circular arcs you could always make a compas with a piece of wood nail and a pencil.

[Beechwood Chip]

On 3/18/2025 at 3:46 PM, h3nry said:

8 inches wide probably wont fit on a single page. Sketchup leaves a small margin round the pages.

That's true, but I got it to work when I printed with LayOut.

[wtnhighlander]

A circular arc can be drawn directly on the work, or on a pattern, from two points and a height. 

Visual aid:

 

[Mark J]

If none of the above works out for you there is another old school approach.  I use a similar method to transfer CAD drawings to full size drawings on graph paper, but I'm working in a 6" to 12" scale.  You will need a large open area of floor.  

Get a roll of brown craft paper, hopefully large enough for your project, or tape sheets together.  In SketchUp create a vertical (or horizontal) reference line marked off at one inch intervals (or whatever dimension is relevant for your project).  In Sketchup measure the distance from your reference line perpendicularly to intersect the design.  Go to the craft paper, draw the reference line and the one inch marks.  Now, measure the distance to the intersect point and make a dot with a pencil.  Repeat for each one inch mark.  Connect the dots and fare the curve.  Cut this out and you have a full size paper template.  Note, this will work just as well for a French curve as for a circular arc.  This can also be helpful to visualize what the full size panel will look like in the room.  

[h3nry]

On 3/18/2025 at 1:02 PM, npr_geek said:

Thank you! Of course this is a great idea, and of course it's not something I can do in Sketchup for Web. Yet another reason to dislike this web version. True scale printing is an upgrade feature. 

That is unfortunate ... I still use Sketchup version 8 which was free ... I had a look, but I don't have a copy of the install file. Unfortunately it is not available from an official source any more ... unofficial downloads are available, but they come with trust issues.

I guess once this computer bites the dust I will no lionger be a sketchup user.

[dwilliam]

For consistent curves, try using a flexible curve ruler or a thin MDF/plywood template you shape once and reuse. You can also draw true arcs with a trammel or router jig for perfect, repeatable radiuses. Making a template is the easiest way to keep curves identical across varying widths.