the 21 century

st

CRAFTSMAN

an essay on traditional woodworking and modern technologies

by Ness Tillson

WOOD
designer

Wood Designer | the 21st century CRAFTSMAN

Legal Disclaimers
All contents copyright 2014 Wood Designer Ltd. All rights
reserved worldwide.
No part of this document should be reproduced, transmitted or distributed in any form, whether digital or otherwise, without the prior consent of the author.
The opinions stated within this document are based on the
views held by the author.

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This document offers information only. The author has

endeavoured to provide accurate and up to date information. Nonetheless, it may not be applicable to everyone in
every circumstance.
The author disclaims responsibility to all people and entities for any liability, damage or loss that occurs as a result of
acting upon the information in this document.

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Contents
Legal Disclaimers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. Introductions, and a Brief History of Wood and Computers. . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Stone Age Computers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. First Steps in IT Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4. Learning the IT Ropes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5. Using CAD Systems in the Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6. Moving out of the Workshop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6. Wood Working Technologies in the 1990s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
7. High Tech Problems for Small Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8. A Fast-changing World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
9. What Objectives for a Small Business?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
10. New Horizons for the 21st Century? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
11. How to choose Software for your Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
12. Dos and Donts when Looking for a Software Package. . . . . . . . . . . . 18
13. Rating Wood Working Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
14. Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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1. Introductions, and a Brief History of Wood and Computers

Hello,
Thanks again for joining the Wood Designer Community.
My name is Ness Tillson, I was brought up in England and have been a self-employed carpenter running a wood working
business since 1979.
I now run a workshop in Grenoble in the French Alps and make mainly stairs but also do quite a bit of general carpentry and
joinery, as well as cabinets.
I started off my first company with a couple of friends in the early 1980s.
We were all woodwork enthusiasts and just wanted to make a living doing what we liked best, designing and making high
quality, bespoke, unique furniture and stairs. We wanted to be proud of our work and for customers to be proud of what we
made for them.
The result was that we spent many hours crafting for very little financial return.
This eBook is a story of how my business has developed over the years, and of the positive influence of information technology along the way.
I hope you enjoy the read. All the best,

Ness Tillson

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On the left is one of the many underpaid jobs that I made in

the early 1980s.
This solid walnut cabinet was designed and crafted by hand
to fit into a suite of existing furniture with the same Henri II
style.
This piece is actually a multimedia suite with the central
doors opening and sliding in order to reveal a television.
The design process was long and quite tedious, requiring
many different drawings and tweaks before finally coming
to the design that fully suited the client.
A simple CAD system would have saved me days of design
work. Cabinet software like Polyboard could have saved me
weeks!

Original design by Ness Tillson

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In those days, I was faced by the problems of many small

start ups: no money to invest, minimal equipment and fierce
competition from established companies and especially
from industrial manufacturers who were selling joinery and
furniture for prices lower than the price we could buy the
wood.
After the initial euphoria of having my own company wore
off I was left with the nitty-gritty of running after customers
who didnt want to pay more than the furniture shop across
the road and getting paid for half the hours that I spent
lovingly designing and polishing my work.

This stair was also designed and built by hand. The stair is
in elm and was one of my first stairs built using horizontal
laminates for the curved strings and the tangent system for
the wreathed handrails.
For more information on building curved stairs with horizontal laminates and tangent handrails, please go to the
WoodDesigner.org members area, in particular the Stairs:
Extended Training area and this section in the eBook
Library.
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2. Stone Age Computers

In those days, computers were just starting to show up in
peoples offices.
CAD and design software was in the Stone Age, but when
I saw how these new tools worked I quickly thought about
the potential that they would have, not only to make our
work faster and easier but also to enhance what I liked best
in the job, creative design, and make easier what I didnt like
doing, spending hours pushing piles of wood through wood
working machines.

Luckily, Im stubborn and pig headed so I struggled on and

ended up vaguely mastering the basics of computers and
drafting with CAD.
I quickly found that although CAD drawings made working
drawings easier to manage, I was actually taking more time
designing than by hand!
More conventional minded colleagues were looking at me
dubiously, while doing the job faster and making more
money drafting by hand.

3. First Steps in IT Land

So I broke the piggy bank and bought a PC (they were very
expensive in those days) and found some cheap CAD software (Autocad was far too expensive for me).
Full of hope, I threw myself into mastering these new beasts,
the computer and the software.
However, little did I know at the time how far I was from my
dream solution.
Having no computer knowledge at all, I didnt know what a
file was. I struggled for weeks trying to master MSDOS, files,
bios, typing and the CAD software. A real nightmare!
Stone-age computer designed by IBM and Microsoft

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4. Learning the IT Ropes

Still convinced that CAD systems must be the way to go, I
persisted in my search for a way to make them work better
for me.
Up to then with all the time, work and effort I had invested I
had more the impression that I was working for CAD than it
was working for me!

The stair on the left was one of the first I built using CAD
drawings. Twisting up through six levels in a strangely
angled stairwell, CAD was a fantastic tool for setting up all
the different angles.
After struggling for some time I realised that the system I
was using had a macro programming language that could
automate command sequences.
Realizing that I was nearly always using the same commands
for drawing I suddenly saw a possible way to gain some
time.
So I sat down for another few weeks to learn how to use the
macros.
To optimize drafting and design, I wrote some macro
commands, specifically made to speed up drafting wood
working plans.
The difference in the time needed to draw my plans was
divided by 2 or 3.
I was over the moon and that started me off on a long
winding road of research on how to best use computers for
our everyday tasks.
Searching for better ways to adapt the computer to the task
rather than having to adapt oneself to the computer.

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5. Using CAD Systems in the

Workshop
In my workshop, I had my team running on CAD plans.
As we had a lot of work commissioned by architects, one
customer, an architectural engineer, asked if I could write
some macro commands for his design work. After making
him some macros for his work the word got out, and I soon
realised that struggling with CAD was the daily bread of the
majority of designers using CAD systems.
By 1990, I was doing a double days work, one day running
the carpentry workshop and one day (more like one night)

programming macros for architects and engineering

companies.
Other programming jobs came in and adapting the
computer to the user had become my second job.

6. Moving out of the Workshop

In 1990, I left the wood working shop to my associates and
set up a software development company specializing in
CAD development.
It was a big boom area in those days and hand drafting was
quickly being replaced with CAD. I ran the CADD company
for 10 years. We had 3 full time developers and five or six
other people.
Although far from wood working we developed some nice
applications. Among other things, we developed one of the
first applications that could draw building plans in Autocad
from a hand-held laser beam.
All this while I was keeping in touch with my ex-company
and associates in the wood working world.

Original design and

manufacturing by Ness Tillson

We trained and advised small wood workers in CAD, and I

spent some time looking for a wood working software that
might help to cut the time needed to draft by hand.
This Louis XIII style arm chair (French 17th century) in
walnut with turned double twisted legs, was designed with
CAD and made and sculpted by hand.

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6. Wood Working Technologies in

the 1990s

7. High Tech Problems for Small

Companies

I was well immersed in the CAD world. We were a registered

Autodesk developer and reseller.

For a few years struggling with some difficult personal

issues, I fought on through my wood working business, making cabinets and stairs and also using my CAD
experience.

Looking for a CAD system for wood working I was surprised

to not find any convincing wood working software.
All I found was over complicated calculators which required
not only a hefty cash investment, but an even heavier
investment in time and energy to get it up and running,
while getting very dubious results in terms of saving time!
While there were very few wood working companies
with CAD, CAD systems had invaded all industries from
mechanics, to buildings through electrical circuits and every
job that needed drawings. Except for the wood working
industry.
All the wood working software I saw were bugged and inappropriate to do anything but very basic boxes and far too
expensive for small shops.
In 2000, due to personal events beyond my control, I
decided to close my software-development company and
go back to carpentry in my home workshop.

It was my job as a business consultant that made me fully

aware of the difficulties that small businesses were having
with modern technology.
Although everyone knew that sooner or later production
had to be computerised and although there were software
and CNC machines on the market, finding and setting up
a working system was not only expensive but a real nightmare for most small companies.
As a small business I was approached by many companies
trying to sell me the latest versions of their CAD systems.
In the early 2000s things hadnt changed that much since
the 1990s. Software was expensive, hard to use and often
ill adapted to the diverse range of work that small wood
working businesses have to cope with.

So I was back to my old trade but with a whole new

perspective from my CAD experience.

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Its then that I stumbled across Boole & Partners, the

company that develops StairDesigner and Polyboard.
Boole & Partners software looked well made, easy to use
and reasonably priced.

It was clean, neat and precise. It didnt do everything, but

what it did, it did well, and as it interfaced perfectly with
CADD through DXF files, there was a work around for nearly
every problem I came across.

I downloaded the demo versions and was pleasantly

surprised.

I used the free demo software for a few years just for making
the 3D view to show customers, and then I bought the full
versions.

Through my years in my software company I know a

bit about software development, and this software was
different.

The full versions saved me so much hassle and time that I

decided to set up a website and offer the software to others.
And that is how I started creating websites on stair building.
These sites have since become not only sites offering design
software but also offering a whole range of wood working
services which has culminated in the development of
WoodDesigner.org.
No software solution is perfect, and I dont consider Boole
& Partners software the perfect software for everyone and
every business.
However, for small to medium-sized wood working businesses that need to make a large range of projects, it
certainly is one of the most efficient and cost effective solutions on the market today.
The stair on the left was made using StairDesigner and
progeCAD. For more information about the design process,
please take a look at this page in the members area:
3/4 Turn Stair with Curved Stringers [Part 2]

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8. A Fast-changing World
Working often as a consultant to other small companies I try
to offer what I consider the best adapted solution for any
given wood working business.
Software and technology are fast evolving worlds, and
today each solution has its specific benefits and drawbacks.
I dont advise the same system for a shop that is producing
10 stairs a day and a couple of kitchens a year as for a shop
that produces one kitchen a month and two stairs a year.
In the last few years, wood working CNC technology and
software have progressed faster. 3D printing and prototyping are not only appearing as professional tools but also
as consumer products that enable anyone to create a 3D
object on the fly.
The same is going to happen in the wood working industry.
Machines and software solutions for wood workers are
coming into what I call technological maturity. Prices are
falling, and software is becoming slowly easier to use for the
average wood worker.
With the slow integration over the last few years, and 10
years of high tech in our daily lives, the mindset of smallbusiness owners has also matured, and the use of high tech
as a viable production tool is no longer as daunting as it was
15 years ago.

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With the economic and cultural pressures of the modern

world, it is probable that the scene is set for a profound
mutation in the way that small wood working businesses
will evolve.
Modern-day software and CNC technology has the potential to be a tool that adds value and beauty to the lives of
everyone involved with craft orientated businesses.
As a consultant, I try to deliver the best technological
solution tailored to the personality and needs of each of
my customers so that they in turn can better serve their
customers and improve life for everyone.

9. What Objectives for a Small

Business?
I consider that technology in a small business has to help to
make running a small wood working shop easier and more
satisfying.
Our objective being to put the value back on the creativity
of a craftsman, while taking the pressure off the manufacturing process.
Make more... more creatively work less.... enjoy the business of your business.

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Owning a small business isnt supposed to be a lifesentence, it is supposed to be a ticket to making a good
living, creative satisfaction and adding value and beauty to
you and your customers lives.
It is my belief that at the beginning of this 21st century
we are undergoing a technological revolution that will
completely change the landscape of small craft orientated
businesses.
To continue existing, small businesses will have to focus on
what other businesses cant offer: creatively crafted, personalized, high-quality products.
The days of a small shop trying to compete with industrial
units producing the same cabinet or stair for everyone are
coming to an end.
There will always be people looking for cheap products but
there is an emerging market of people who are willing to
pay the extra for high-quality custom-made products that
only a small craft-orientated business can offer.

This modular furniture in cherry with maple panels and

ebony mouldings was designed using AutoCad and made
using traditional wood working techniques.

This is more than a trend, its a movement out of the industrial era where people are saturated with the feeling of
becoming themselves an industrial product.

The numerous modules can be assembled to make any

number of combinations and contain over 800 different
parts that took over 3 months to design and manufacture.

Take a look at this web site: http://www.custommade.com/

Polyboard could have saved me many hours on this project.

Polyboard used with a simple three axis CNC router could
have saved me weeks.

You are what you eat and what you consume is, partly at
least, who you are.

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Original design by Ness Tillson

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The craftsman has a role to play in this new order of

emerging priorities.
Through the creative mastery over his craft, he enables and
empowers others to have a creative expression in their own
world.
Of course, this has always been the case but since the event
of the industrial era where economics drive everything and
everyone, one of the main obstacles to making a living from
ones craft has been the price of the job. The price is itself
largely determined by the time spent.
And thats where todays technology can lend a helping
hand.
With modern-day tools, it is possible to design fast, or even
interactively with the customer, and go straight to manufacturing in a minimum time.

Original design by Ness Tillson

With a well-oiled software to CNC system you can produce

the highest quality custom built projects with minimum
time and materials.
This is an opportunity for craftsmen and small wood
working businesses that has never existed before, an opportunity to capitalize on their creative power rather than their
muscle and production power.

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10. New Horizons for the 21st

Century?
Today the technological landscape is just at the point of
maturity for the small craft orientated workshop.
Prices of CNC machines have fallen to reasonable levels
where the investment can be profitable even for the
smallest of businesses, and we have software that is not only
far cheaper than ever before, but also far more accessible for
non technical minded craftsmen.
The scene is set for a mutation, an evolutionary leap
forwards in the practice of professional wood working that
is at least equal to the day mechanical saws and planers
started appearing in the small shops to replace the 14-hour
days of the 19th century carpenter.
Over time, I have come to the conclusion that small businesses are certainly one of the foundations to a more
human society. The small business has the capacity to create
and promote human relationships and mutual enrichment
that becomes less and less possible as the business grows in
size and complexity.

Made to measure Stair and handrails in walnut.

All wreathed parts are made using horizontal laminates.
Designed by Ness Tillson with StairDesigner and progeCad

From this point of view, I feel that the craftsman and the
artisan have a specific and very special role in creating a
better and more human world.

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Owning a small business should be a rewarding and creative

adventure, and not an uphill struggle to survive.
Many small business owners are not aware of the dramatic
changes that are underway in modern society and continue
to work hard, battling to keep afloat in an ever rising sea of
complexity, economic crisis and falling prices.

For the business to be sustainable, survive and flourish in

the modern world, profit must be a result of a real contribution to society at large and especially the people that are
closest to them, their customers and communities.

Whereas a complete change in mindset will be necessary for

survival.
The good news is that, as in all evolutionary leaps, for those
who can negotiate the turn, they will find themselves faced
with vast new horizons of opportunity opening up before
them.
Opportunities that have the potential to help improve
their lives and business and set off a chain reaction that
will have a positive impact on the business owner and their
family, the businesss employees and their families, and the
customers and communities that rely upon the business.
Greater creativity, satisfaction and profitability lie dormant
within every small business.
A systematic approach that integrates new technologies
as tools to leverage a businesss key strengths will always
generate a more certain, more profitable, more sustaining
advantage than any other approach.

An ensemble of church furniture and cross with Christ, I made in the 1980s.
These pieces are made of scraps of off cuts of larch, walnut, cherry, beech,
elm, oak and just about anything I could find laying around in the workshop.
This furniture was designed and made by hand. Highly underpaid in financial terms but highly profitable in spiritual and creative satisfaction.
All money lost by Ness Tillson.

A business, and even more so a craft based business, cannot

exist solely to maximize profits.
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Now that the end of the world is over lets work together
towards a brighter and more creative future for the 21st
century.
Please let me know your thoughts via the forum at
WoodDesigner.org.

11. How to choose Software for

your Workshop
Choosing a software solution for your business is a major
decision that should not be taken lightly. It is a bit like
getting married; you will be engaging yourself for years to
come; it will either be an enriching and profitable experience or an uphill struggle that could end in divorce. Divorce
is always painful and costly.
You are not only going to invest a possibly hefty amount of
cash but even more importantly you are going to commit a
significant amount of time and effort in learning, setting up,
adapting and eventually reorganizing your manufacturing
methods around the software.
There is lots of software on the market today and navigating through all the different features can be somewhat
daunting and confusing, especially as every wood working
company has its own specific way of doing things and its
special needs.

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Its easy to look at shining websites and sales letters trying

to compare different features, but the real difficulties arise
when you have the software in front of you, and you are
looking for that command that you saw somewhere listed
on the sales letters.
Although its easy to compare a list of features, learning how
to actually use those features for every-day work will make
you bless or curse the day you invested in the package for
years to come.
To make the right choices when sorting through different
software solutions it is essential that you know clearly your
starting point and what you are seeking to achieve.
Here are few questions that might help make these points
clearer:
1. What do you offer and to whom? This situates your
type of work and customer. If you only make high end
custom kitchens, you will not need the same software as
a company which makes off-the-shelf cabinets.
2. What do you want to offer and to whom? This question
situates your present vision of where you want your
business to be tomorrow. Do you have opportunities
in mind that youd like to be able to exploit in the near
future? Does the software have to have specific features
for this future job?

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3. What are the tasks that take up 80% of your companys

time? This question gives you the priority features that
the software package must cover.
4. What are the tasks that you would like to automate but
take up only 15% of your time? These tasks are a plus if
the software can do them but far less important for your
business than the previous list.
5. What are the remaining tasks that youd love to automate but only take up 5% of your time? This list will
give what youd like the software to do for you, but if it
doesnt its not a big deal today.
In choosing a software program for your shop, you should
not only compare the features of the software you are
considering with the features of similar solutions but how
those features are implemented.
There is no point in having extremely powerful software
that is so difficult to use that you never use it.
Probably, the most effective tools that you have are to look
at as many demo videos of the software as possible, use the
demo versions to get the feel of the software and then ask
the right questions to the software vendor.
This should give you an overall impression as to if the
package will suit you. I have compiled below a list of questions that you might want to ask when interacting with
a salesperson representing any software package in this
industry.

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This list, of course, is not exhaustive, but will at least give

you an idea of some important issues you should address.

12. Dos and Donts when Looking

for a Software Package
Download and try to use the demo versions to get a feel
for how the software works. It is very important that you
take some time to learn how to use the basic features of
the software.
Sales demos are fine to see the software working but
will not give you the feel of actually using the software.
Be careful because a well-trained salesman can make
even crappy software look very seducing.
Using the demo versions will give you immediate
subjective feedback on the quality of the software and
its easy of use.
Dont be discouraged if you cant understand the more
in depth aspects, this is normal and will take time and
training for any software package.
When combined with intelligent questioning of the
vendor, testing the demo version can be very powerful
for making the right choice. The key is to understand the
following mental processes.

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1. You will likely find the first minutes or even hours

confusing as you struggle to get over the way
the software works, this is normal so dont get
discouraged.
2. Once familiar with the interface youll be able to
appreciate the overall quality of the software and
its interface. This is the stage you can judge if the
software package might be for you.
3. You will block on using the more complex features
of the software and have a feeling of frustration.
This is normal and shows that the software package
is a real professional tool. At this stage get in
contact with the vendor or developer and ask if the
software does this or that and how.
4. If you get your questions answered correctly you
should know if and how the software fits your
criteria. Youll see and feel its strong and weak
points (from your point of view and not simply
from the salesmans point of view) and its potential
for your company. You should also have a good
idea of the software companys integrity.
Do not put too much importance on references.
References are fine, but generally, they are hand-picked
by the vendor.
I would certainly not give you a reference who was
dissatisfied with our program (hopefully, there are not
many who fall within this category). Instead, I would
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give you a reference in whom we had confidence that it

would be complementary towards our program!
As well as this remember that each company and person
is unique. It isnt because another company finds the
software well adapted to them that it will necessarily fit
you.
Software representatives practice their sales presentation to perfection and are trained to keep control of the
demonstration.
By taking the salesman out of his comfort zone, you
will see how flexible the software is, how easy it is to go
from one screen to the next, and how complicated or
easy it is to make changes in the middle of a job.
Remember: whatever software you are investigating,
it will not only be costing you quite a bit of money, but
more importantly it will be helping you run your business, and therefore, your livelihood. So ask questions as
they come to you during the demonstration.
For example, while you are looking at a beautiful 3D
rendering of a room filled with cabinets, point to one of
the cabinets and ask, How would I change the material
for this one cabinet, raise its kick board one centimeter,
and change the number of drawers?

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Once he shows you how to do that, ask if the cutting

list, pricing, and CNC code have been appropriately
changed. And of course, ask to see the changes.
It cannot be over-emphasized for you to be prepared
to ask in-depth questions and ask the software representative to demonstrate the making of cabinets you
manufacture.
Even though his existing setup does not produce everything according to your method of construction, he
should be able to design the style of the cabinet you
expect, and then show you the price and cutting list
that is currently generated by the actual construction
method.
Do not expect a salesman to know the answer for every
question you ask, but ask them anyway.
Although you should expect the salesman to be able
to answer the majority of your questions, there will
be some he cannot. This is to be expected because of
the diversity and custom features built into programs
designed to accommodate the most work methods
possible.
However, those questions he cannot answer should be
responded with something like, I dont know how to
make the program do what you are asking, but I will
find out and get back to you. That kind of response is
honourable and should be respected without affecting
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your opinion of the software you are investigating.

However, if he tries to fake it with a quick answer
without showing you how it is done; you might have a
problem.
Ask about technical support!
What is the charge for support and updates? How does
the company provide technical support?
If you are required to purchase another program to
generate CNC codes, will you need to pay additional
technical support fees fort that other software as well?
What happens if your computer is stolen or crashes
beyond repair? Will you need to pay a fee for a new
program?
If you are provided with dongles, or keys, to operate
your program, what cost of replacement can you expect
if you lose or break a dongle?
Ask how you are expected to learn the software. Is there
written documentation? Video tutorials? Classes to
attend? Onsite instruction? What are the costs involved
in learning the software? What is a realistic timeline for
you to be up and running?
Know what your needs are before inquiring about
the software! Do you need design capabilities? Shop
Drawings? Bidding? Cutlists? Face frame and/or
Frameless? Do you need CNC support? Do you need
panel optimization? How many computers do you need
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to install the software on? Job Scheduling? Automatic

Inventory control?
What costs are involved in upgrading to a higher
version later on? For example, if you are thinking about
purchasing a CNC router in the future, can the software grow as your business grows? How much would
the upgrade cost? Would you have to purchase the
program all over again? Would you have to purchase
another program to generate CNC codes?
Do not allow yourself to be pressured into making a
hasty decision. You have done without software for
quite a while. Take your time to think it through before
you purchase.
Find out what kind of computer you will need. How
much memory will you need? Disk space?
How many computers will you be allowed to use the
program on? Is there a charge for using the program on
more than one computer?
After a cabinet is totally finished and placed on a floor
plan, how easy is it to change every aspect of that
cabinet?
If you are investigating CNC, ask the salesperson to
design just a single machining operation as a cabinet
part of a newly created cabinet style that was not
already existing in his library. Then ask him to generate
the actual G-Code for the part. This is very important.
You will be able to see the steps necessary to set up

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your machining, as well as how the CNC files are made.

Do not be satisfied with the DXF files that are made,
for these are simply graphics files without embedded
machining information.
If you only get DXF files make sure you are clear about
how you are going to get the G-Code files that will be
sent to the CNC router itself! This way, you will see the
entire process, and not be surprised later.
If your CNC router requires a code that is something
other than G-Code, such as Woodwop (Weeke &
Homag), Biesseworks (Biesse), HOPS (Holzher) or Xylog
(Morbidelli), make sure the software you are investigating supports those languages.
Dont ask a sales representative from our company or
from some other software company to compare their
product with those of their competitors.
That is an unprofessional question and nearly impossible to answer as each software solution has its pros
and cons. Remember: it is the representatives job to
present their software, while it is your job to do comparison shopping.
Beware of the sales representative who degrades his
competitors without the competitor being present. This
behaviour is a statement defining the representatives
character and integrity. Software should be sold on its

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merits and capabilities, not on the assassination of its

competitors.
When you ask a question, some representatives, like
politicians, can go on tangents and not really answer
what you asked. Make sure your questions are answered
clearly and to your satisfaction.
No software will create 100% of all cabinets made by all
cabinet shops. However, make sure the software you
are considering can create the majority of cabinets you
expect to build. So dont ask the sales representative
to create the most complicated cabinet you have ever
built. Instead, ask him to create the most complicated
cabinet that you usually build.
Find out at least one capability that you know the software you are investigating does not perform, and then
ask the salesperson about that capability. You will be
able to conclude a lot about the salesperson and the
company from his answer.
Find out the total cost of the program you are investigating, for the capabilities you need. Are there hidden
costs, setup fees, etc.? Are there extra costs for face
frame vs. frameless construction? Is there a charge if
you change your construction method for all your cabinets or even for one particular cabinet?
Ask how one-of-a-kind cabinets are handled. What if
they require a totally different construction method

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than your usual cabinets because they are built

uniquely?
Just because a program advertises it supports a specific
type of construction, does not necessarily mean it
supports your method of building these elements.
Show the salesman your method of making them and
ask the salesman to reproduce it for you to see.

13. Rating Wood Working

Software
The table overleaf reflects my honest attempt to list
the strong points and weaknesses of StairDesigner and
Polyboard, in comparison to similar software packages on
the market today.
This is a my very subjective point of view as I do not claim to
have an in-depth knowledge of all competing software.
The chart below describes the rating system Ill be using for
the features listed in the table.
Rating

Meaning

A+

substantially better than other software I have seen

somewhat better than other software I have seen

about the same as other software I have seen

somewhat worse than other software I have seen

substantially worse than other software I have seen

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Feature
How important is program cost to
you?

Description

Rating

Obviously, cost is a factor in any purchase.If it is true that you get what you pay for, then selecting
a program would not be confusing at all. One would simply purchase the most expensive program
available. But what if a given company had values that did not revolve around making the
maximum profit?With Boole & Partners, we have a different vision in mind than simply making
money. Our aim is, and continues to be, to provide veryhigh quality softwarefor a veryaffordable
price to as many people as possible.

A+

We are substantially cheaper than many other offers but this doesnt mean we are better or worse
for your business. The best software will depend on what you need to get done and how you want
to do it.
Although price is important trying to learn and use bad cheap software can, over time, cost you far
more than any price difference.
Whereas investing in well adapted software will pay back the extra few thousand in cost a 100 fold
very quickly.
The important point is that the software you buy suits your business and works in a real working
environment, and not just in a demo.

How important is installing the

program on multiple computers?

Polyboard and StairDesigner are designed to work on one computer at a time so if you need to
work with several computers the easiest way is to install the full version on your main working
computer and the free version on any other computer you wish to work from.

A+

The free version will produce the same files as the full version but will not generate the manufacturing files.
In this way, you can work on your laptop at home or in the field and then easily transfer the information to your desktop at your office to process the manufacturing files.
So, you can buy one full licence and work on multiple workstations at no extra cost!

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Feature

Description

Rating

How much am I charged for a new

version if my computer breaks
down?

If your computer breaks or is stolen, you are not charged anything else to install the program on a
new computer.

A+

How important are bidding and

pricing to you?

For bidding purposes, Polyboard considers material costs, hardware costs, edge banding costs,
lineal foot charges and square foot charges. Detailed overheads and taxes are not integrated in the
costing.

StairDesigner is oriented design and calculation and only gives an approximate cost of basic
materials.

Polyboard is extremely versatile in the design of complex custom cabinets with sloping or slanted
parts.

A+

How important are building cabinets and furniture made of slanted

parts to you?

Polyboards strength is in the way it can build easily any geometrically shaped cabinet (or anything
else for that matter) and maintain all the parts and assembly details updated.
I dont know of any other cabinet program that does this like Polyboard.
This is unique and priceless, especially if you are building strangely shaped custom furniture for
lofts, exhibitions, etc.

How important are building cabinets with face frames for you?

Polyboard doesnt make cabinets with face frames. Although there are work arounds I wouldnt
suggest using the current versions of Polyboard for framed construction.

How important is building curved

cabinets and stairs for you?

Polyboard can machine curved edges and cut outs on any part of a cabinet but will not create a
bow front cabinet. To build these cabinets you have to export the base cabinet into CAD and reconstruct the curved parts.

StairDesigner does a good job of building curved stairs. But it only gives the DXF plan, elevation and
developments as DXF files so these have to be used in CAD to draw the final parts.

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Feature
How important is ease of use to
you?

Description

Rating

Regardless of what any salesperson tells you, any program that performs a multitude of tasks for
custom cabinet makers and stair builders will involve a learning curve to master the software.
Although we strive to make our software as easy to use as possible, and I do consider it comparatively easy to learn, it does require dedication on your part to understand all facets of the software.
For cabinets, ease of use can be divided into two areas: design and construction.
Polyboard in my opinion is next to none in ease of design (excluding bow fronts and front framed
cabinets) . You can be up and designing within a few hours.

A+

However, the manufacturing details are more complex and will need more time to master.

StairDesigner is very easy to use, and many amateurs have designed basic stairs with no problem.
On the other hand, more complex stairs will also need you to be able to edit DXF files in CAD.

Whichever program you decide to purchase, make sure you are committed to learning and using it!
If you do, you will have a program that will be like another employee for you, and a very good one
too. If you do not, then you will have wasted your time and money.
How important are presentation
renderings to you?

Polyboard and StairDesigner offer basic 3D Renderings. That includes textures and lighting, which
gives you a good idea of what the project looks like but are but are not photo realistic.

To obtain photo realistic rendering youll have to export the DXF files and use them in another CAD
or render package.
If you consider quick photo realistic rendering a must for your customer presentations you might
consider other software better suited.
We have chosen to concentrate on the design and manufacturing end of the wood working business, while our presentation graphics are intended to be drawn quickly and rendered within
seconds.
For StairDesigner, the software will not draw all the decorative parts of your stair and you will
certainly need to edit DXF files in CADD.

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Feature
How important is technical support
to you?

Description

Rating

We recognize the importance of providing excellent and quick technical support. There is nothing
more frustrating than being blocked on a project simply because you cant find or implement a
command.

We are a small team, so you will either be talking to me or a developer personally. We try our best
to answer questions as promptly as possible.
Questions can be asked via email or on the WoodDesigner.org forum. We also have a wealth of
training resources in the members area to help you get the most out of your software.
How important are pre-packaged
cabinet catalogues to you?

Polyboard 5 supports a cabinet catalogue mode where you dont have to design the cabinets. You
can just enter a list of pre-designed cabinets and start manufacturing.

How important are stair assembly

details for you?

StairDesigner is very efficient at calculating all sort of stairs but doesnt draw all the assembly
details, mortise and tenons, doweling, etc. Although you get the extra wood needed StairDesigner
doesnt actually draw the joint. To draw these you will have to export the DXf files and draw the
details in CAD.

This is not a problem if you make a couple of stairs per week, but if you manufacture 3 or 4 a day,
you might find another software that draws all assembly details more adapted to your business.
How important for you is administration work, inventory, estimates
and invoicing?

If you are a bigger company and need to maintain stock inventories, and have estimates and
invoicing and other admin tasks directly tied to production, our software is not for you. Although
Polyboard gives an accurate pricing of the job, there are no administration functions.

How important is CNC support for

cabinets and stairs to you?

Polyboard generates machine codes directly for machines that accept the following;
WoodWOPMPR, Biesse Works CID and Xlog Plus XXL. This means that you define tools and tool
paths in Polyboard and send the code directly to the machine.

For all other machines, (usually using standard G-Code) you have to use DXF export. This means that
youll need a CAD/CAM program that enables you to set up the tooling. We suggest using VCarve
that costs around 400. VCarve also includes automatic tool pathing, nesting and the possibility to
cut complex shapes and sculptures. StairDesigner only produces DXF so youll need CAD/CAM.

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14. Conclusion
I have chosen to promote Boole & Partner software because of their
quality and exceptional value for price. This has been proven to me
over and over through the years using the software daily in my own
business.
This doesnt mean that these programs are the best for you and your
business.
As I have already mentioned, each business, and each person, is unique
and the best software for you will depend on a lot of parameters that
are specific to you.
If you have any questions or need help in choosing a software strategy
please dont hesitate to get in touch on the forum at WoodDesigner.org.
The members area of the site also has a huge resource base to help
you learn and benefit from our software. And we have lots more great
training planned too.
I hope this document has been of interest and of help.
Wishing you all the best for the 21st century, and hope to hear from you
soon.

Ness Tillson
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