Sketches
When I started woodworking, I would draw up some elaborate plans for the simplest things. Sketches were free. Wood cost money. Drawing up plans was like organizing your woodworking dreams on paper. This method would give me time to redesign before sawing and wasting any wood.
Here are some kitchen plans for shelves and dividers drawn on the shelf template.
Now, many years later, my projects have gotten more elaborate, but my plans have gotten simpler. Most of the time they don’t go beyond one sheet of paper. The media center, with all of it’s face frame, dust frames, panels and drawers still only comprised one and a half sheets of very rough hand sketches and notations.
I was reading some woodworking blogs, and some of them had some very nice looking plans posted. I would love to be able to learn a CAD program just to have some sharp looking plans for the blog. But, sadly, it might take more time for me to put the plans in correctly than to do the actual project. Most of my projects are time sensitive, and are needed as soon as possible. Once I have my plans on this sketch I want to start making the sawdust fly. Half the time I am in the middle of one project and planning the next one in my head. My lovely wife constantly reminds me to “Finish this one first,” as I am telling her an idea for yet another project.
My dad was a journeyman carpenter and worked his way through dental school doing this. I still remember him doing projects -and he had many- with no plans whatsoever.
Part of me likes to think that the more experienced you get, the less you need detailed plans for every project. For now I will have to settle for rough plans. Some day when I have more free time I will learn how to use a CAD program. I might be too old to swing a hammer by then, but I bet I could make some pretty good looking plans.
December 4th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Am very interested in what woodworking blogs you like. I think I need to get my dad pointed towards some woodworking blogs as I keep asking for more projects from him.
December 4th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
ever tried google sketch-up? its free for one, and i work at an architectural firm and the drafters say it is just as good or better as other rendering programs. the only thing is that any kind of drafting takes hefty computer CPU and graphics capabilities so if your computer is old it might not work so well.
December 10th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
When I took a class at the community college, the professor mentioned that Notre Dame cathedral was built before the printing press. Communication amongst the workers happened somehow.
Of all the papers in my keepsake box, I treasure those that have my daddy’s handwriting the most. No computer printout would ever be the same.