Can I Build It?

[cabinetman]

That might be a question you ask yourself when you have a project in mind. I'm not bashing the idea of buying plans. There's a lot of requests about buying plans, so I thought having a discussion about "to buy, or not" might help. I'd like to also include the freebe plans that are available.

Most custom woodworking and cabinet shops can't buy explicit plans for projects that walk in the door. From my own experience I can say it can be pretty scary. Even after all these years it's a challenge to take on a project and be responsible for gettin' it right. So, how is it done?

My method is to just look at the idea, and figure out what steps I have to go through to make it look like the idea. I may do many rough pencil sketches until I get very close. I may present those sketches for approval.

Among the rough sketches, I'll do a rough explosion drawing to show the joinery and general details. Then I take the sketch and draw it to scale on a drafting table (that's right, a drafting table). I'll draw a floor plan, plan views, elevations, sections, and detail drawings. I know I've posted this before, but I feel getting specific in the "to buy plans or not" thinking process might make trying your own hand at the planning stage would broaden your scope as a woodworker.

At first for some it might be easier to buy plans just to see how someone else relates how to make or build something. Plans are generally set forth in a typical format. A materials and cutlist may also be included. Seeing how that's done could be helpful. Once you get the procedure for drawing up a set of plans, you will see how to improve it by just doing the work as the plan indicates, and your work progresses through to completion. You might find areas of improvement in details, or maybe drawing a joint from a different angle.

For a large project like a kitchen, I use a method like I found as a kid putting model cars and airplanes together. I make several copies of the pages of the plans and mark right on a page in either a letter or a number for each cabinet, the doors as they lay on the cabinets, drawer fronts, drawers, shelves, and every panel that makes up the entire job. Those numbers or letters then get put on each piece as they are cut. I wind up with several sheets, each may be for a specific part. For example, one sheet may be just an elevation showing all the doors on the cabinets, with their corresponding number or letter. I will also have a cutout sheet with many rectangles representing 4x8 sheets and draw on each rectangle the cutout layout for each numbered or lettered item.

What does that do? Well, it tells me how to cut up a sheet, which sizes first and in which order, which allows me to maximize material and minimize waste. It also will tell me if I'm missing anything, by just looking at the parts and their markings and comparing them to the drawing. It's a fool proof system that works great. It sounds like a lot of paperwork, but, a project with a lot of parts can be confusing when cabinet panels can be close in size to some doors or shelves.

There are other advantages. It keeps parts separated and will keep parts that need certain machining readily available. This all may sound confusing, but developing your own methods takes its course and will become a habit that just happens. For other projects, the paperwork may not be as involved, but the design end of planning a project into plans become easier.

Doing your own plans will bring you closer to the work that is needed to be done, as you will be thinking of the variables in making the project from just an idea or rough sketch. You may find yourself understanding joinery to a greater degree in just planning out which joint to use where. Personally, I find as much fun in the planning stages as I do in the fabrication. It's not that difficult...you'll see.

Besides, if you get in a jam, there's always help on the forum.
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[gsmittle]

A DRAFTING TABLE Man, that's old school.

I have to confess I use one, too. I find it makes the creative process more "real" than drawing on the computer. Something about brain to hands to paper works better for me.

All you young whippersnappers can have your silicon-based newfangled "drawerings". There's nothing like the smell of graphite in the morning...

Seriously, though, C'Man, that's a great description of your creative process. Thanks.

g.

[jabe]

I do the same thing as you cman, rough shop drawings to 3 view w.drawing bd., bill of materials, cut list w/scaled drawing of how each sht. will be cut and parts labeled. Keeping in mind that each sht. of ply is in numbered sequence so the grain patterns will match when the cabinet is assembled.
When I taught HS shop, I would say every project is 90% planing to make the job go smoother. I always taught basic mech. dr. 1st in my begining woods classes, it was more economical to have them make all their measuring mistakes on paper first b4 cutting any wood. So every kid who took my class were taught scaled 3 view drawings w/bill of materials, calculating Bd ft x cost, b4 starting 3 weeks of safety tests then into the shop to work. All written safety test for every machine had to be passed with 100%, they had 4 chances to pass each machine. They hated learning the planning stage but most enjoyed working in the shop. The ones who work in the building industry or became contractors always said the planning/blueprint reading has helped them alot.

[chopnhack]

That is a great overview C-man! I prefer hand drawing as well, it seems easier than learning sketchup (which is pretty neat). I can't boast about drawing to well though.....
Jabe, you did your students a great service.

[drillman88]

Thats a great run through on your design process Cman.
I have a friend is a fairly accomplished woodworker and has far better tools than me that will not attempt to build anything without a purchased plan.I try to tell him to trust his instinct and design a few small pieces to get a feel for it before his next major project.I would feel very limited if I worked this way.
I derive a lot of pleasure from the creative aspect of design.Now a lot I have done didnt work at all, but I still learned from my duds, probably more than from things that worked.
That is one of the many things I learned from my Dad is to not fear failure because you cant grow if you dont fail.You just cant make a living if you don't learn from those mistakes.