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Thread: Who uses plans???

  1. #1

    Who uses plans???

    Anyone here build mostly from plans or do you do all of your designs on your own? Just curious. I've never really found a set of plans for anything that I want to make. Do you look to plans for inspiration and then modify them to fit your needs?

    To date I have "designed" all of the things that I have made. Not to say that I don't get ideas or inspiration from other works, nature, objects, etc. but I usually have a good idea what I want the finished product to look like and then go from there. I rarely ever start with a set of fixed dimensions and I usually let the materials and methods work themselves out in the process.

    Of course - I have only been building furniture and not built-in cabinetry where set dimentions make all the difference. I'm not opposed to using plans, but most of what I see are Shaker and Mission style and I prefer something more contemporary. I have yet to find a good source for contemporary furniture plans.

  2. #2
    No plans. I just kinda wing it I guess.
    Scrap of paper, whatevers handy to write on, then go from there.
    I do kitchens cabinets and staircases. Theres basic sizes I use, but everythings different.
    This set of cabs in the shop now, Lady wanted a spice rack, pullout, in the upper cabinets.
    Never done one, so I just winged it, and got it done.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,675
    Sometimes I build from articles in magazines or books. Sometimes I "roll my own" with pre-planning and sometimes with just a simple sketch on a napkin or merely a gleam in my head. Whatever is appropriate.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Waterford, MI
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    I usually roll my own, but I do try to get things all planned out on paper first so I dont get trapped in any woodworking cul-de-sacs or have to recut anything. The only thing I've actually made from a plan is Nawms folding chaise-lounge deck chairs. I figured it would take me longer to reverse engineer all the right curves, angles, and pivot points than I wanted to spend on it, so I just bought the plan off NYW's website.
    Use the fence Luke

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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    3,789
    I almost always build from plans. I think that there is a fairly even distribution among;

    1. Plans I make for something that I have seen or seen a picture of

    2. Plans I make up from scratch

    3. Plans I buy, get from magazines/books, or borrow (and I modify about half of these plans )
    -

  6. #6
    I usually draw up "plans" for the furniture I build. Never use a purchased plan, but do use them for working out some of the dimensions, joinery, etc. Most of the time I get inspiration from a picture in a magazine or book, and then modify it to my taste for the object. Most of what I make is based on 18th and early 19th century pieces.

  7. #7
    I guess I was referring more to purchased plans than home made ones. Glad to hear the creativity is flowing more on this site. On some other "sites" it seems that nobody can build anything w/o buying a plan for it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Western Ma.
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    I had just finished writing a response about how I always do my own plans which may be none, a simple sketch, or more elaborate if I'm in the mood, when I thought of the only plans I ever bought that I actually followed word for word. The first 2 canoes I built were from purchased plans.
    Last edited by Bob Johnson2; 03-09-2006 at 3:01 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Austin, TX
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    1,572
    I usually wing it with a sketch, but if the project requires something I'm not quite sure how to do I'll buy some plans (if available) just for that knowledge. The exception these days is period furniture. I've bought several Carlyle Lynch plans as a review of how things were done 2-300 years ago. They are marvelous.

    Pam

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
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    Plano, TX
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    pencil...sketch pad.....imagination......crossed fingers

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Carlyle IL
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brandon Shew
    I guess I was referring more to purchased plans than home made ones. Glad to hear the creativity is flowing more on this site. On some other "sites" it seems that nobody can build anything w/o buying a plan for it.
    As you spend more time here at SMC, you will find a very high caliber of designers in this forum.

    You will also find some very well respected furniture designers and makers as well as other fine craftsmen, i.e, turners and hand toolers here.

    All of us here have one thing in common, respect for each other and each others abilities. There are no dumb questions.

    Welcome to SMC..

    Joe

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Monroe, MI
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    I've never exactly copied a plan. I built the shaker table from one of Norm's books for one of my early projects. I've built a couple projects loosely based on commercial plans. Most of my projects are based on a drawing I create. Since I'm getting pretty good with QuickCad, I'll usually create drawings, but things always change during construction. I've built one project based on someone else's drawing. If I'm using sheet goods, I carefully plan all of the sheet good pieces to maximize my use of the materials, but for solid stock, I plan around the wood I have (or find wood that will work.)

    I've recently found that the Google image search is an awesome tool for getting ideas that I can use on my projects. I collected about 20 ideas for hall tables before I built mine. None of them were exactly what I wanted, but they all gave me ideas towards the end product. I just finished doing the same for a set of night stands I'm getting ready to build for our bedroom.

  13. #13
    Thanks Joe. I stumbled across this forum in my attempt to find an alternative to the others and I've been impressed with what I've seen over here so far.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Laguna Beach , Ca.
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    I design almost all the pieces I make and feel that the proportions, joinery and asthetics must be worked out in drawing propr to building....the more difficult the project the more important the drawings. For chairs I build from full scale drawings...cut out the drawings...paste on plywood and make master templates to transfer to the stock....it is a part of the process....You will find that many of the fine woodworkers started as artists....such as Maloof, Nakashima and Jere Osgood architects....so drawings and plans allow to flush out issues that make for more refined work....IMHO
    Last edited by Mark Singer; 03-10-2006 at 9:42 AM.
    "All great work starts with love .... then it is no longer work"

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Thomasville, Georgia
    Posts
    1,146
    Brandon,

    I work mostly from my own designs/plans. I've done a couple of things from purchased plans over the years, but find most of them lacking. Inspiration for a design comes from viewing pieces and adapting or just straight from my head or my wife's suggestions. In any case, I never finalize a plan until it gets the "SWMBO Seal of Approval"!

    Regards,
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Bill Arnold
    NRA Life Member
    Member of Mensa
    Live every day like it's your last, but don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

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