Thanks. I didn't give all the detail of my approach but I am using
components and was simply making the panel last. I actually had some
other trouble with the rail and stiles.

I made the stiles first and pushed the shape of the slot and face
profile all along the long edge.

Then I made the rails and did the cope cut that is the inverse shape
across the end grain.

Then when I tried to do the long cut again along the long side of the
rail the profile wouldn't cut through the curved surfaces of the end
cut. I am going to try and redo the rails by cutting the long side
first, then doing the cope cut from the back (flat) side of the rail.

I actually have some experience with high-end 3D modelers also such as
SolidWorks or Inventor (which is probably a problem for a Sketchup
user). In that realm, I would use the profile cut on the stile to
"subtract" the profile from the rail where it intersects, a boolean
operation in technical terms. Does Sketchup do something similar?

On Feb 19, 10:27*am, Swingman wrote:
On 2/19/2010 11:55 AM, SonomaProducts.com wrote:

OK, I am long-time (very long-time) AutoCAD user. I can do 3D in Acad
but my real skill is all 2D. Anyway, using Sketchup (what a blast) to
do some 3D for assembly drawings mostly. I've done enough of the
tutorials to be pretty good but have a Q.

You need to start thinking "components".

A simple frame and panel assembly would generally consist of five
individual "components";

2 Stiles
2 Rails
1 Panel

For these 5 components you actually only need to draw 3 "components":

1 Stile(then "move/copy" & "flip" on the green or red axis for #2)
1 Rail (then "move/copy" & "flip" on the blue axis for #2)
1 Panel

Each of these three should immediately be made into "components" as they
are created, and named.

Then it becomes a simple matter of doing mortises and tenons, and
grooves for the panel, in one copy ONLY of the appropriate rail and
stile component (which changs will be reflected in second copy created
by the "move/copy" and flip operations).

Then put them together, as you would in the shop.

There is another way to do it by using the panel rectangle component as
a basis, and the tape measure for guide lines for the width of your
rails and stiles, and build each component off that ... but you have to
make sure that you immediately make a component of each step or the
surfaces will react as you mention above, and/or stick to each other.

If you want, later today I can make a video of the process and post it
on youtube for you.

Let me know if you have any questions, or if this confuses the issue.

--www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)