Software for designing turnings?

[Marty Tippin]

I'm curious if anyone uses software to design a turning (spindle, bowl, hollow form, whatever) and "see" what it's going to look like before you fire up the lathe? Maybe try out an idea virtually before putting gouge to wood?

Years ago, in the days of the original Macintosh, there was a simple program where you could lay out a profile and the software would render a turned 3D version of that profile. I did a little bit of searching and it looks like there are a few programs out there today that do similar things, but of the ones I saw, it wasn't apparent if anyone was currently supporting the software or of I'd be buying something that's a dinosaur...

If you use software, what's the name of it and how do you like it?

[Jon McElwain]

I've got AutoCAD at home that I use for other things, but it comes in handy for drawings a series of forms with slightly changing dimensions. I generally will draw a form that I think looks good, then I will copy it a dozen times making it progressively narrower, then progressively wider, then taller, shorter and so on. It is easy to copy the drawing and line up dozens of images. Then I can pick the sweet spot. Once I have a shape that I like, I can print the image to the scale that I want. I transfer this image to a 1/8" piece of plywood, cut it out, and I've got a pattern that I can hold to the outside of the form as I am turning it on the lathe. If I want to make a smaller form that is the same shape, I just print it smaller and make another pattern. I know you are looking for a program, and I am sure you will not want to spent $3k on AutoCAD, but there are a number of less expensive programs that you could use the same way.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Check out Sketchup - it's available free from Google, and allows you to create turned objects. It's a great program for woodworkers in general - even allowing you to design the joinery of pieces and output full size patterns if you want to take it that far. Google offers a ton of tutorials and add-ons. There's a learning curve, but, depending on what you want to do with it, that curve can be relatively short. It's worth checking out.

[Peter Blair]

I use iDraw for Mac to draw embelishements that I plan to incorporate on my finished turnings.

I have considered using it for your purpose but to date I still mostly let the wood tell me what shape it wants to be while spinning.

[Michelle Rich]

I'm too old to use a computer..I draw on graph paper..that way I can get my proportions right..but that being said, everything changes when you put that gouge to the wood. I like the hands on of drawing.

[Dennis Ford]

I have progeCad (I like it for many things) but for turned items, my best design is drawn with a bowl gouge.