Plan Storage Area

[Lee Schierer]

The earlier post requesting plans for a golf stand started me to thinking. What if we could create a place at SMC where people with dimensioned drawings or personally created plans could post the plans as files that could be searched and down loaded. Members could access the site and search for plans relevant to what they are trying to make and down load copies for personal use. Anyone willing to share a plan or drawing could upload the file.

Update:

Contributors was meant to mean people that support SMC with an annual $ contribution.

Plans would have to be the property of the submitter!

Plans would have to be used for non-commercial purposes once down loaded.

Typical Autocad files I make are about 100K, bitmap versions tend to be .5-1 meg in size.

[Bob Michaels]

Great idea.

[Keith Outten]

Great Idea Lee,

We could create a new Forum for plans, drawings and projects.

How many of our Members are willing to upload and share their drawings?
I know that those with laser engravers and CNC routers would benefit from an area that we could share Corel Drawings, CAD Drawings, ArtCam files and even ShopBot control sbp files.

I believe we can setup controls that will prevent unauthorized access to the new Forum, if this isn't something we would prefer to share with Guests.

.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I think it is a great idea, and would be a benefit to the members of SMC, but I voted for only letting the contributors at the plans.

I mean really, $6 a year? Download one plan and you have that back in spades!!!

At the very least, make it only for members, no guests, but I think it would be a good way to get some to contribute.

Just my two yen's worth

Cheers!

[Bob Childress]

I'm with Stu on this one. Let's see, $6.00, that's 2 gazillion Yen ain't it?

[Art Mulder]

We could create a new Forum for plans, drawings and projects.

How many of our Members are willing to upload and share their drawings?

I wasn't so sure when I first saw the idea, because I don't often make, or use, complete plans for my projects. However, Keith's comment about extending it to drawings and projects makes it more attractive. Also, I am starting to use Sketchup more and more, and so at the very least I'll have better drawings to share.

But I'm with Stu - can we find a way to limit it to contributors? This is going to bang on the bandwidth. If we start putting the uploaded projects there, those are lots of photos. And plans/drawings will likely included lots of sketchup files, which are going to be a few MB each, or bigger.

I can see this being a big "selling point" for SMC.

I also think that having certain "exclusive privelegs" for contributors will encourage people to make the effort. A nice carrot to dangle...

[tod evans]

well........my "plans" are usually bar napkin sketches or full sized drawings on mdf or ply .......but i could see this as a way to help generate some income without using advertisers so i`m all for it!.....02 tod

[Nick Clayton]

I agree with those that replied. It would be a great feature as many members create some amazing piece's that I know I would like to duplicate in design. However, after using the forum for about three months and gaining quite a bit of information from the members I realized that I needed to contribute to support the forum. It's a bit like NPR, you can listen for free, but if you use it often you should support it in the way it supports you. Having a plans forum would invite members to become contributors. It's not like we make money for dividends from the contributions. Besides, I think Keith may need a new server once people start uploading files
Just my penny's worth

[Mark Pruitt]

I voted for only letting the contributors at the plans.

I mean really, $6 a year? Download one plan and you have that back in spades!!!

Ditto. My sentiments exactly.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Glad to see that some of you agree with me!!

Just funning

I know that if we did this, I would make an effort to keep and make better drawings of projects, that could be uploaded to this new forum. I know they would not be "pro" plans, but they would most likely be enough that someone could print them off and make one too.

For example if you go here, I have a lot of detailed pics of my sharpening set up and the jig I made for doing bowl gouges.

If I took these pics and added dimensions to them, and people wanted to copy the set up, it would be fairly easy for them to do so.

Just a thought.

Cheers!

[Jeff Horton]

CONTRIBUTORS? Does that mean only if you add a plan you will get access?

Not sure I like that because I rarely draw much more than a sketch with some overall dimensions. Then I do a lot of math in the margins cyfering as I go. Not sure most folks could work off of anything I did.

Being an old draftsman I could do detailed sketches but I have no need for myself.

[Jim Becker]

Jeff, I believe the context of "contributors" is relative to financial support for SMC...kinda a carrot to get to the plans/drawings.

Speaking as a member and contributor, I find that to be a reasonable plan, as it were...a contributing membership benefit.

[Jay Knoll]

I'm with Stu, we need to encourage people to financially support this place as well as participate! Come on, $6 a year is very reasonable

Jay

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hi Jeff, when I say contributors, I mean the people who donate the $6 to SMC to cover operating expenses.

If you look below my name, it says "2006 Contributor" this means that I paid the $6 (at least) to the site.

Cheers!

[Steve Clardy]

Sure. Contributor access only would be a good idea.
I don't use plans, but the ones that do, it would be handy for them.
I'm like tod on plans.
Any scrap 2x4 or sheet of paper is my plans