| To this point we have established that woodworking plans are simple to find. However, once having set your sights on a prospective masterpiece, how can you tell if it is a decent plan? I have looked at literally thousands of plans, and distilled what I have found into five component parts; drawings, photographs, patterns, lists, and text (otherwise known as instructions). A good plan should contain all of these.
Drawings can be classified as two or three dimensional. Two dimensional views include top, side and front views. Each of these views should be shown, especially front and side views, and they should use dashed lines to represent joints or construction details that are not visible from the surface shown. The most helpful three dimensional diagram in the exploded view. This shows all of the component parts of the project in the correct orientation, however, they appear to be not fully assembled. These drawings help to establish the orientation of the pieces clearly in your mind.
Cut-away views can be two or three dimensional. Generally these show details of construction; the way certain pieces are joined together or shaped that are better viewed as close-ups. Often these will be necessary to show placement of unique types of fasteners (for example metal table top fasteners) or the configuration of a complicated assembly like the side, back, and bottom of a drawer.
Regardless of the type of drawing, good drawings have several characteristics in common. They should clearly show dimensions in a way that leaves no question as to how they apply to the part. Drawings should be proportionate; that is if the piece is 48 inches tall and 12 inches wide (such as the plywood side of a bookcase), it should not appear square in the diagram. Good illustrations should have an appropriate title, so that it cannot be confused with another part of the assembly. In addition, each part shown should be clearly labeled to eliminate confusion – this includes all details of the joinery. Everything in the drawing should be obvious: you should not be trying to spend your time figuring out what is being shown, especially while you are cutting out the parts.
A quick note about dimensions: all dimensions should be explicit. If, for example, the illustration shows two shelves in a corner cupboard that are supposed to be 11 inches apart, is the 11 inches from the top of the first shelf to the top of the second? Or, is it bottom to bottom? Perhaps 11 inches on center? Maybe it is 11 inches from the bottom of the first to the top of the second? It is important that this be clearly shown, and consistent in ALL drawings.
There are two types of photographs that you are likely to find in a plan. First is the photograph of the finished project. I prefer a good quality color photo of the completed piece as it will give me an idea of how it would look so I can decide if it is right for my home or application. The second type is a close-up shot showing either specific details of construction or specific processes involved in the construction. I usually prefer that these photos are black and white, because they offer more contrast and distinction between objects.
In order to design around construction, designers use woodworking joints specific to the application; the idea is to use the joint that will ensure strength and stability, while maintaining the beauty of the piece. Many joints are tried and true, being used for generations, but new innovations occur continually. Whether drawn or photographed, little details that illustrate idiosyncrasies of construction should clearly illustrate how the designer meant the piece to be joined and assembled. Look for darkened pencil lines, different colors of wood, shaded drawings and other indications that the author is trying to enhance the contrast in the photo or drawing to highlight construction details.
Close-up shots of parts being milled on the table saw or other machinery are very useful. Especially for the novice, these photos can show you how to set up your saw in order to cut or shape specific parts of the project. These can be invaluable in learning safe ways to perform a multiplicity of operations, as well as keeping you from serious injury. Many "how do I …" questions can be answered in this way. A word of caution, however, beware of the "blade guard removed for photographic clarity…" types of pictures. Except in a few particular operations, you should be able to keep your safety guards on your tools at all times.
Moldings, curved pieces, ogee bracket feet, cabriole legs, and other pieces involving edges that are not straight, require patterns so they can be effectively duplicated. A pattern is an exact scale diagram that you can use to make a full-scale template. The template is placed on the piece to be shaped so you can mark it for cutting. Patterns are essential for success when recreating a project from a plan.
Lists are excellent tools for organizing your work. The most useful list to find in a plan is a bill or materials, which lists – piece by piece – all of the parts of the finished project and their finished sizes. Knowing the type of material that you will be using, and allowing 15% to 20% for waste, you can use these to figure out how many board feet of solid wood and how many square feet of sheet stock (such as plywood) that the project requires. Welcome to estimating. I know that this sounds simple, but people spend a great deal of time in classes to learn how to estimate for projects, construction and otherwise. Don't be afraid to dive in though. It is not easy to estimate materials for a project and you can expect to make mistakes, perhaps a lot of mistakes at first! Remember to start small and sooner or later you will get the hang of it. Besides, goofing up your estimating can provide a great deal of quality material for you to build other projects with. Lastly, it is a good idea to ensure that your bill of materials contains a complete list of all of the hardware that is required to complete your project.
Finally, the text element of the plan should provide you with a clear idea of how to build the project and in what order. When you look over a plan, ignore any anecdotal information or history. That information may be interesting when reflecting back on the project after it is complete, but you should be more concerned with the process when deciding on what to spend your hard earned cash. Ask yourself; is the written information easy to understand? Does it provide some clarification of the drawings? Does it provide a process so that I know what to do first, second, last? The latter question is of singular importance. The other four components of the plan show you what everything is supposed to look like, but what parts should be cut out first? At what point do I install the drawer runners? Do I put the udder on the cow stool before the legs or after? If the text doesn't make these things clear, find another similar plan.
It is important to realize that many plans cannot provide in twenty pages, what others provide in two. Carlyle Lynch, the late, noted cabinetmaker recorded many fine American furniture classics by drawing up plans for them. These plans can provide you with all the information you require to construct a fine quality piece, albeit they are exceptionally professionally done and require some little experience and practice to make full use of them. On the other hand, I once built a buffet directly from a set of plans in Canadian Woodworker magazine, which provided scant information in 15 whole pages of pictures, drawings, exhaustive lists and texts. I can say unaffectedly that building that buffet was not only frustrating, but expensive – considering they extra materials that had to be purchased to mitigate the mistakes.
When selecting a project plan, consider the above information and try to shoot for the best combination of the five components; drawings, photos, patterns, lists, and text. Study the plan carefully before you buy and consider your impressions; can I visualize building this? By this I don't mean to let any lack of self-confidence take over, rather can you see the process in action. Does the plan leave too many questions unanswered? Start small. Odds are that there will be at least one mistake in the plan you purchase. Starting with smaller mistakes allows you the time to develop the skills to deal with those little surprises of woodworking effectively.
No plan is perfect. You never get all of the information that you need, and this may result in times where you find yourself thinking on your feet and improvising. Try to consider all the problems you may have before selecting a project, but remember that the wood is very forgiving and invites you to creative. This is the beauty of woodworking. |
