Adding Details During the Build

[Tom Bender]

Designing and refining is half the pleasure I get from my hobby. The basic design and type of joints get worked out on paper, then the build starts. Currently it is a dresser sized tool cabinet. After 18 months it is passing the halfway point. Joinery is detailed as I go along. A door and two hidden drawers have been added. I add sketches and drawings and mark up the originals. It's slow and requires constant rechecking and it's the way I like to spend time. Just working wood would be tiresome.

[Jim Koepke]

Figuring things out is at least half the fun.

jtk

[Phil Mueller]

I’m with you. I do initial sketches…occasionally full size, but things get changed/added along the way. Sometimes it’s because i didn’t think through the design well enough at the start, and sometimes it’s just to add or subtract some things. Can add lots of time to a project, but like you, I enjoy it.

[Jim Becker]

Redesign mid-project, particularly for one-offs, is a normal thing for human beings. And like Phil mentions, I go in with a concept and some general dimensions, but the material and the work generally dictate what the final result is. If there's a critical dimension/profile, I'll absolutely stick to that, but always reserve "poetic license" for creative changes, manipulations, additions, etc.