How many people buy Plans?

[SubGuy]

I am curious:icon_scra how many of you buy plans for projects in whatever form or fashion? I just thought of this as I am looking at making a Blanket Chest for the LOML. I know alot of people like to draw there own as do I, but I'm leary of it for this project as I have limited time to finish it.

 

[froglips]

Just downloaded/bought plans for making the Roubo trysquare from Popular Woodworking.

Can't have too many plans. I could use a few completed projects, but thats a different Poll question

Jim

 

[Mike Davis]

Buying plans means building somebody else's project. I would rather build what I want from the materials I have with the tools I have to fit the space I have. If I need a drawing I draw it out, usually after I'm finished so the drawing matches what I built. :rotflm:

 

[skysharks]

I do all the time. But I also draw up my own freehand. Most of the time I am looking for design, inspiration, techniques, from plans. I almost always modified to some degree the original plans.

 

[FredP]

Plans? plans? we don need no steengkeeng plans.:gar-La;
I am with mike on this one I do my own stuff. I don't care to build someone else s stuff.

 

[CarvedTones]

Oh man, now Mike and Fred make me feel like a lemming. :tinysmile_cry_t: :rolf:

I have purchased (yeah, the cheap guy used that word) plans for some of the few flat projects I have done, partially because I am not very good at flat work and need the detail and partly because those projects were usually done for my wife and she could "shop" for them in the plans listing.

 

[ScottM]

Lots of good plans in WW magazines and on-line. Many are free (well except for the price of the magazine). You either make them per the plan or adapt as you want.

 

[Canuck]

Most of the plans I have used are out of magazines.:embaresse

If I don't have access to an issue I have been known to purchase the plan. 9 times out of 10 I end up modifying the plan in some way, dimensionally, type of joinery, drawer/door design or something.

I am miserable when it comes to scale drawings.:BangHead:

Wayne

 

[mike_wood]

I do both. I figure if I buy plans people will continue to produce them. For me, it is a time saver especially for very basic stuff. I usually modify what I get.

Hard to believe folks denigrate using plans. I don't see any problem with taking advantage of other folks experience/ideas.

 

[Trent Mason]

Up until now, I haven't bought plans. Occasionally, I will download some plans (for free), but for the most part, I prefer to make my own. I've found that being broke really promotes creativity and originality. :rotflm:

Here is a good example: A buddy of mine asked me to build two adirondack chairs for him and his wife. They're not interested in paying a fortune for them, so I downloaded some free plans online to make those. However, one day when I build some chairs for Christy and my back porch, they will look unlike anything you have ever seen. :gar-Bi

 

[Mike Davis]

Denigrate is a strong word, I don't believe anyone did that. :dontknow: I would rather say that we promote creativity. I especially did not and never would say that it is wrong to use a plan. Only that I don't like to use others' plans.

Actually I did use a plan once for the Boy Scout Sled I built. I used a drawing by Mr. Ben Hunt that my son found on a Boy Scout web site. Of course I made significant changes. :rotflm:

 

[CarvedTones]

Trent,

Interestingly enough, Adi chairs and loveseat were one of the plans I bought. Full size templates are very handy for a project where a lot of the pieces are not rectangular and need to match. I have plenty of imagination for drawing and sculpting but furniture designed by me would likely not be very functional...

 

[SubGuy]

Well, I know that I am mostly learning on my own, as this is one of the major sources of my knowledge base. I know sometimes I need plans to help me from reinventing the wheel. But so far, this poll is very interesting.

 

[Mt. Gomer]

Well, I know that I am mostly learning on my own, as this is one of the major sources of my knowledge base. I know sometimes I need plans to help me from reinventing the wheel. But so far, this poll is very interesting.

Zach, I'm in the same boat. I'm still fairly new at this and think that plans are an excellent way of getting some very nice projects while learning new techniques and the basics of design and construction. As you add skills to your toolbox you can use those on other projects and when you're comfortable you can start designing your own stuff. They're also a good point of inspiration. Start with plans that are close/similar to what you're looking for and modify them to your needs.

The real point is that you end up with a project that fits your needs, that was enjoyable to build, and hopefully that you can learn something from. If using plans fits in with that then I say go for it!

Travis

 

[Trent Mason]

Trent,

Interestingly enough, Adi chairs and loveseat were one of the plans I bought. Full size templates are very handy for a project where a lot of the pieces are not rectangular and need to match. I have plenty of imagination for drawing and sculpting but furniture designed by me would likely not be very functional...

Absolutely. I think for me, it comes down to saving time on a commission. Just as you mentioned, for something like Adirondack chairs, it can be a real time saver. As fun as it would be to come up with my own plans for something like that, I doubt someone is going to want to pay me $1000 for a set of chairs that it took me 50 hours to build. :nah: :rotflm: However, one day, I would love for that to be a reality.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I'm currently building a dining table for the LOML, and for only the second time in my 40 years of woodworking, I'm using someone else plans: sorta. They were in a back issue of FWW, so I didn't have to buy them, and I made several modifications. Like Mike, most of the projects I build are designed to go in a specific place, so the size has to be unique, and my wife (the final authority) doesn't prefer a clearly defined style, so it has to be an eclectic mix of styles.

BTW, if you do use plans from someone else, go over them VERY carefully before you start cutting. I found a couple of dimension errors in the ones I'm using now. Apparently this is fairly common. Seems like each issue of the major magazines has a "correction" to a project featured in the previous issue. Hmmm! :icon_scra

Bill

 

[SteveColes]

I do all the time. But I also draw up my own freehand. Most of the time I am looking for design, inspiration, techniques, from plans. I almost always modified to some degree the original plans.

+1 In no way, am I a furniture designer. So if I have never built something, I try and find plans or an actual piece to see how something can be built.

 

[CarvedTones]

Absolutely. I think for me, it comes down to saving time on a commission. Just as you mentioned, for something like Adirondack chairs, it can be a real time saver. As fun as it would be to come up with my own plans for something like that, I doubt someone is going to want to pay me $1000 for a set of chairs that it took me 50 hours to build. :nah: :rotflm: However, one day, I would love for that to be a reality.

That makes me do a little head scratching - as you said, it can be a real time saver. I also found it helped me figure out how to use the boards I had in he most efficient manner because I could lay the templates on the boards and try different arrangements until I got the least waste. The plans probably did save me money.

There is an issue to be aware of with plans though. Many of them limit the use to making whatever is in the plan for personal use only and sometimes limit the number of times it can be used (and if there s a limit, it is often one). This is very common with boat plans and instrument plans and I think my Adi plans had that also. I don't know that it is ever enforced or whether it even is enforcable in some cases, but it is something to be aware of.

 

[scsmith42]

I do both, but frequently start with some plans for inspiration.

When the Good Lord was passing out aptitudes, I was favored with greater mechanical abilities than the norm but at the cost of artistic abilities. I can look at something and appreciate it - I can copy it, I can create something from scratch that is very functional, but when it comes to creating something from scratch that is artistically breathtaking, well that's just not my forte.

Plans help me to bridge the gap. Like others, I usually modify them.

Scott

 

[woodArtz]

I do both, but frequently start with some plans for inspiration.

When the Good Lord was passing out aptitudes, I was favored with greater mechanical abilities than the norm but at the cost of artistic abilities. I can look at something and appreciate it - I can copy it, I can create something from scratch that is very functional, but when it comes to creating something from scratch that is artistically breathtaking, well that's just not my forte.

Plans help me to bridge the gap. Like others, I usually modify them.

Scott

Bingo!