Who uses plans???

[Jeffrey Makiel]

My projects start out with a hand sketch. Then a 3D model is made and often rendered to help see how it will look. Then the model is 'flattened-out' into a plan and/or template.

I may seem like a lot of work, but that's how my thought process works for me. Anyways, I like doing this part of a project...sometimes more than executing the project itself.
-Jeff

[Keel McDonald]

I build from my own designs. I always draw it up on graph paper to make sure that I get the dimensions right. It helps me to get the materials list right too. I probably will invest in a computer program someday, but for now, I enjoy the time spent designing almost as much as the time spent building.

[Darrin Vanden Bosch]

Hello all,
I'm new here also but have been working with wood for over..., well lets just say this isn't my first rodeo. I have started with plans then modified them on some projects, but for the most part I design as I go. I can see the finished project in my minds eye and just build it, then I will go ahead and make a drawing of it for my plan book.
Sometimes when you have a problem with some part of the design you just have to step back and most of the time the answer is staring back at you, it's obvious.

Darrin

[Steve Clardy]

Hello all,
I'm new here also but have been working with wood for over..., well lets just say this isn't my first rodeo. I have started with plans then modified them on some projects, but for the most part I design as I go. I can see the finished project in my minds eye and just build it, then I will go ahead and make a drawing of it for my plan book.
Sometimes when you have a problem with some part of the design you just have to step back and most of the time the answer is staring back at you, it's obvious.

Darrin

Welcome Darrin!!

[Ben Brownbrwn]

What I do is, I start from a plan but end up with my ideas in the process to make it better. Of course I figure it all out before I make the first cut

[Sam Yerardi]

I don't have a vast repetior (spelled right?) but I've worked from plans and on my own designs. And sometimes a mix of one or more designs. I want to try one straight from a plan once and see how it turns out. I have learned however, that even in the good books there are sometimes mistakes in the materials list so study the design carefully before comitting to the materials.

[JayStPeter]

I almost always design my own thing. There have been a couple times that a magazine or book project has caught my fancy and I built it. More often with jigs than major projects.
I usually draw a semi-scale sketch on graph paper. Dimensions are usually gleaned by measuring other things or simply holding out a tape measure and saying that looks about right. Then on to building.
I decided it was time to use some computer drawing program because I generally have to draw the sketch a number of times to tweak the designs. So, for my latest project I used SketchUp and "built" the entire thing including joinery. It was the smoothest project I've ever built ... go figure.
I still use a sketch because I like to draw things cartoonish to emphasize design features, then tone them down to reasonable.

Jay

[Scott Velie]

Except for the simplest things I always work form plans. I usually either design from scratch or modify someone else's plans. (FWW has some good ones).

PLANS + CUT LIST = LESS WASTED LUMBER.

Scott

[Jesse Cloud]

I always work from plans. As most things I build are for my wife, we use the multiple drafts of the plans (just sketches at first) to hone in on what she wants. I learned the hard way that if I want to make a change in midstream, I'd darned well better go back to the drawing board and update the plans before I cut any more wood.

Only storebought plans I ever used are Lee Valley's adirondack chair plans.

[Jeff Wittrock]

I will sometimes make rough sketches for a project.

I used to make detailed drawings with dimensions, but I could never seem to stick to my original plan anyhow, so I gave up going into such detail.

If I see an article with detailed plans, I like to look at the joinery details, but usually don't worry too much about dimensions.

Sometimes I like to just "wing it" so I can kind of make the project fit the wood, and not the other way around. If I have a piece of wood with some pretty grain pattern, I may change dimensions so I can use it.

I have one more than one occasion scaled down the size of a table top because I ran out of wood, and was too cheap to go buy some more.

[glenn bradley]

I get ideas from plans as far as a point of assembly or joinery that may not be obvious from a photo. I use SU if I want to play with dimensions for a piece. Once I've gotten the idea solidified, I don't create plans for the piece. I've also not worked from printed plans much, if ever, that I recall. Scratch paper and some scribbled notes as I go.

[Greg Cole]

WOW, almost 2 years of inactivity and this thread comes back into circulation....
No plans here. If you ask for any detail about a past project, I MIGHT, repeat MIGHT be able to find the scrap lumber I doodled dimensions on. Any drawings in my shop are done by the helper.... aka little dude (my 6 year old). I have nice prints of dinosaurs, volcano's.... about everywhere.
I will find inspiration in a magazine or posting here.... but I never have built from a plan nor will I. Even if I convinced myself to try it, I'll bet the contents of my shop that I'd change something(s). I have a couple of the shop drawing books (Stickley & Greene n Greene/Darrell's Book) which I could see my self adhering to, but more for the sake of making a reproduction, not what I usually do (more adaptation to fit style, lumber on hand etc etc etc).
To me, the winging it is as much of the fun as anything & after a few "winged efforts" you can see your problem areas before they arise and "design" accordingly.

Greg

[Rod Sheridan]

I always make plans for furniture, down to the detail level ie a drawing of a stretcher showing all mortises, tenons etc and their dimensions.

I also make a cut list for components that gives me the size, quantity, and any other notes such as make one extra piece for shaper setup etc.

Designing and drawing in my opinion are the two most important steps in the construction process for the following reasons;

1) I can find problems before I'm in the shop, and make sure that I like the design, the construction details etc.

2) I can maximize the use of my shop time by not having to figure out what to do next while standing at the tablesaw.

I travel in my job, and I can spend time in a hotel at night with the laptop computer working on a furniture drawing, so it makes use of otherwise wasted time.

A good set of drawings, saves me time, money, and aggravation, as well as being able to repeat the piece of furniture again if I wish.

regards, Rod.

[Chris Padilla]

My wife designs everything and then I have to figure out how to build it!

There are some real nice PDF plans done of the Zig-Zag chair from the "How they do that?" thread posted by Chris Cordina:

http://www.festoolusa.com/Web_files/...WCM_zigzag.pdf

Of course, they are F dominated by the Domino.

[Victor Stearns]

For the most part, I design and draw my own. I do have some books with plans but always seem to only use them for overall dimensions. I find that designing my own along with the build leads to a greater satisification than following someone else's plan.
Victor