do you draw you own plans?

[keith ouellette]

I have drafted (if you could call my chicken scratch drafting) the plans for the few things I built. I am making the plans for my router table / saw wing/ cabinet now. I have the attention span of a wound up toddler and it makes everything very difficult for me to do. Concentration is not in my vocabulary.

Aside from the lack of attention span do any of you make your own plans?
Do you find it difficult?
Does it get easier the more you do it?

[Jim Becker]

I did "detailed" plans for the cabinetry when I renovated our kitchen back in 2003. It was somewhat necessary at the time, both to insure things fit together right as well as to support my skill level at that point.

These days, I rarely draw anything out in any kind of detail. I sketch some basics and determine major measurements, but from that point, I measure off the work in progress. I would, however, draw something out in detail if it had any kind of complexity.

Given what you indicate, for a straight forward project like your router table, perhaps sketching out the carcass with the primary dimensions followed by working with story sticks will help you move things along. The former insures you get things started with some organization and the latter insures consistency as you move through the project. Your "plan", in effect...is drawn on the stick(s)...

[Fred Voorhees]

I think only once or twice have I actually built something from plans other than those I have sketched out myself. Our sons and his wifes sideboard project, and a coffee table that I built for my Mother in Law are two things that come to mind. Oh, if you include plans for jigs, well, I have done a few of those from plans. Everything else has been drawn out by myself ahead of time to work out the measurements and details.

[Eddie Watkins]

I generally do plans with all the key measurements as reminders as I am assembling. It keeps me from having to worry about the math and the assembly at the same time.

Eddie

[glenn bradley]

If the build is reasonable complex I'll do a Sketch Up just to make chacking and adjusting measurements easier. Once I'm building, my plans are pretty much just notes jotted down for the details as I go.

[David G Baker]

I took drafting courses in High school and 1/4 semester of engineering drawing in college. Before I started any project I would drag out my drafting board and draw the project in exacting detail. It soon dawned on me that I was spending twice the time drawing the project that I did actually building it so the drafting board is out in my pole barn somewhere and I now rough sketch all my projects unless a permit is required.
I have a couple of copies of Auto Cad but couldn't force myself to put in the time to learn the software. I do on occasion use a very basic drawing software to rough out some of my projects.

[Dave Falkenstein]

I am fortunate to have taken a lot of drafting training in high school and college - I have a mechanical engineering degree. I do 2D drawings for just about any project. I use DeltaCAD:

http://www.deltacad.com/

DeltaCAD is inexpensive ($39.95) and is available as a fully functional trial download. There is a 45 day time limit on the trial, so you have plenty of time to try it before you buy it. When you buy it you get a printed manual and a software CD. There is ample online Help (if you know what question to ask). There is a simple tutorial to teach the basics in the trial version. As with all CAD programs, there is a learning curve. I have used DeltaCAD for several years and find it quite useful, especially for filling in dimensions on drawings.

[keith ouellette]

I did "detailed" plans for the cabinetry when I renovated our kitchen back in 2003. It was somewhat necessary at the time, both to insure things fit together right as well as to support my skill level at that point.

These days, I rarely draw anything out in any kind of detail. I sketch some basics and determine major measurements, but from that point, I measure off the work in progress. I would, however, draw something out in detail if it had any kind of complexity.

Given what you indicate, for a straight forward project like your router table, perhaps sketching out the carcass with the primary dimensions followed by working with story sticks will help you move things along. The former insures you get things started with some organization and the latter insures consistency as you move through the project. Your "plan", in effect...is drawn on the stick(s)...

I just saw david Marks (I think thats his name from wood works) last night and he used a story board for dados but I don't think I have ever seen Norm use one. I might try it. I also have to right down directions for my self like "Hey stupid, don't forget to do this before you do that or it won't fit"

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Keith, personally, I've never used anything but my own plans. Depends on the project as to how in depth they are. I like to detail the joinery always, so that I don't have to stop making sawdust and figure miter angles or cut lenghts out. By detailing the joinery, I get a cut list as well.

I get specific on sticky details too, or things I want to see in scale. The curve of the rails on my daughter sleigh bed, or dimension of the foot and head board on our bed, to make sure that all those little slats could be installed after the rails where partly assembled. On those, full scale drawing helped.

I do a lot of scaling up or down, and matching of existing furniture, which creates scetches, which turn into plans. My current project, two tool cabinets to hold my hand tool collection, is on their fifth or sixth revision, even though the cabinets are well on the way. I used a modular approach on these, so that I could redesign on the fly.

Long winded way to say yes, I plan. I think it is the most important step in efficient woodworking. Suprises half way though a project, waste time and money. As you get more experienced though, I think you do more standardizing, say, all dados, rabbets, and sliding dovetails are 3/8", so that you have to spend less time figuring that stuff out. I do like the planning step though, and I suspect most people don't spend as much time on it as I do.

[Peter Quinn]

Took mechanical drawing in school years ago. Have the same attention span presently that you mention. Drawing is a weak spot for me. Have been consciously working to improve my drawing skills using google schetchup, ecabinet systems, and trusty old drafting tools. Found a good refresher class at a local woodcraft with an architect on drawing/design for woodworking. Helped over come inertia considerably. I find the drawing process forces me to consider every aspect of design and construction, saves wood when I step up to the saw. Paper is cheaper than lumber in my area.

In pratice the detail in my drawings depends on the project. Simple utility shop projects get simple drawings (exterior dimensions, critical jointery). All actual measurements come from the actual workpiece. Usually enginered on the fly.

Have a small part time cabinetry/millwork business. Those drawings get complete detail. Often clients want to see renderings before signing a check for deposit. All intersections and reveals need to be worked out on paper to expedite construction/instalation.

Have been making at least one piece of furniture/year with a partner for local art show using air dried locally milled lumber he provides. Those pieces start with chicken scratch on a napkin and evolve without formal drawings as the random rough lumber often provides surprises and rarely conforms to our original thinking. We usually start from the top: ie make the most visable parts first, often the top on a table, grain match, mill, glue, dimension, then prepare legs/aprons accordingly. We let the wood make most of the decisions.

[Dan Barr]

I do my own drawings depending on what the project is and who its for. If its for a client, Yes. makes them feel comfortable and usually sends me back to the drawing board so that i can change things for them.

If its not too complex or i'm not worried about "perfection" or exacting use of materials, No.

I'm about to make a jewelry box for my wife. I'm going to draw it out first though. for all the other little "boxes" i've never drawn up plans. But for this one, i want to play with the appearance and get it just right and just for her. so, i'm going to do a few drawings. this will also save a few dollars on instrument grade quilted maple. that stuff is EXPENSIVE!!!

its going to be quilted maple and cocobolo. I cant wait to start it too. in my mind, its a beatiful little thing. hopefully it turns out as good.

ciao,

dan

[Dale Osowski]

My work usually starts out with a few sketches. I have sketch pads that I keep in my studio and in the living room, when an idea comes to mind I sketch it out. Sometimes it's something I actually do build and others its just another drawing in the pad waiting for its time. When I do get to building from a particular sketch I'll go a little farther on the pad with the details such as joinery etc.

[Bill Huber]

I like to make my own plans, I like that part of woodworking in that I can do all the design work and then see the finial product. To me that is one of the funnest parts of it.

So I do a lot of drawing in Visio to work out little details of fit and things like that. I can now see how things will fit together and what I need to change.

I work on a project for a long time before I ever cut any wood, I draw it out and adjust what I need to adjust and then change it again until I have it the way I would and then start cutting.

I am sure I could save a lot of wood by using someone else's plans but again I like that part of it also. When the project is done I can say its my project all the way.

[Gary Breckenridge]

I've had enough of generic plans for wood projects that lack fun and personality. I spend a bit of time visualizing what I plan to make. When I have worked out the tricky design features I may make a few simple sketches and do the math. I also know that I will be making changes as I go along. If I were doing kitchen cabinets for a customer it would be a different story but...

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I make drawings for everything. For me, it's as fun as woodworking. I enjoy coming up with my own designs, or using design concepts from others and adapting them. On the downside, I often make too many drawings and I begin to procrastinate.

The best part of modern CAD is that I can print out paper templates of complex parts. This takes a lot of error out of fabrication. See first pic below.

I usually start out with 2D stuff...but then I'm lured into making it 3D. It's probably the rendering phase (making photo realistic pictures...see second pic below) that becomes a time sink, especially if the software is not specifically designed for rendering, nor the computer being properly suited for it.

-Jeff