An Introduction to Woodworking Plans and Designs
Looking for a fantastic way to make your spare time more exciting and productive? If you're here, it's probably because you've figured out that woodworking fits the bill. There's nothing more satisfying than building great things from scratch, and that's what woodworking is all about.
Let's face it: if you buy furniture from a store, it's probably going to be much too expensive. On the other hand, if you're willing to put in a few hours' work, raw materials are vastly cheaper. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for cabinets, tables, and chairs, you can build them yourself for a fraction of the price.
How cheap is woodworking? You might be surprised. Putting together a queen sized bed from scratch might take less than $100. The cost is so low because wood is fairly cheap. Most of the cost associated with furniture goes into manufacturing. If you're willing to do your own manufacturing, all you need to start putting together durable and stylish furniture are some good woodworking plans.
Designers and fellow enthusiasts put together woodworking plans to teach people like you how to build a particular project. When you're hunting for one to use, start by checking out the lists of materials. A solid plan should have two sub-lists: one for materials, and one for tools.
The first sub-list is what tells you how much wood you'll need to build the project, and what kind. This will give you an idea of how much you'll need to buy.
The second sub-list tells you what tools you need. It's extremely important, because it's in this sub-list that the designer enumerates all the different saws and adhesives required by the project.
Though you might be surprised to find out that gluing things together is a key part of woodworking, it's a fact that nails, screws, and hinges only go so far. Adhesives can create stronger joints than fasteners, if you use them right. They also get used to seal up small cracks in the resulting work, when filler just won't do.
As you're looking through woodworking plans, keep in mind that 3D drawings are nice but not actually necessary. As fancy as good graphics can be, it's much more important to have good written instructions. 3D renderings are rarely perfect, while trying to follow a plan without some text is a recipe for confusion.
Also, make a point of paying attention to the measurements listed in the plan. Don't forget to check for any special instructions or requirements (specialty adhesives or Spackle) the designer might have included as well.
Lastly, go back to the original source of a woodworking plan before you begin. Enthusiasts sometimes update or change their plans after they've been published, as other people build the projects and contribute improvements that cut production time and costs.
Once you're ready to go, print out your plan if you have it as a digital copy. Laptops and tablets are wonderful devices, but the dusty workshop environment wreaks havoc on pricey electronics... not to mention that constantly clicking back and forth on a screen is neither the most efficient nor the safest way to work.
Want to get started today? Go to http://www.woodworkingplansinstructions.com and you'll find many more articles on this topic. There's even a link that will give you instant easy access to over 16,000 simple-follow woodworking projects and designs.
Let's face it: if you buy furniture from a store, it's probably going to be much too expensive. On the other hand, if you're willing to put in a few hours' work, raw materials are vastly cheaper. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for cabinets, tables, and chairs, you can build them yourself for a fraction of the price.
How cheap is woodworking? You might be surprised. Putting together a queen sized bed from scratch might take less than $100. The cost is so low because wood is fairly cheap. Most of the cost associated with furniture goes into manufacturing. If you're willing to do your own manufacturing, all you need to start putting together durable and stylish furniture are some good woodworking plans.
Designers and fellow enthusiasts put together woodworking plans to teach people like you how to build a particular project. When you're hunting for one to use, start by checking out the lists of materials. A solid plan should have two sub-lists: one for materials, and one for tools.
The first sub-list is what tells you how much wood you'll need to build the project, and what kind. This will give you an idea of how much you'll need to buy.
The second sub-list tells you what tools you need. It's extremely important, because it's in this sub-list that the designer enumerates all the different saws and adhesives required by the project.
Though you might be surprised to find out that gluing things together is a key part of woodworking, it's a fact that nails, screws, and hinges only go so far. Adhesives can create stronger joints than fasteners, if you use them right. They also get used to seal up small cracks in the resulting work, when filler just won't do.
As you're looking through woodworking plans, keep in mind that 3D drawings are nice but not actually necessary. As fancy as good graphics can be, it's much more important to have good written instructions. 3D renderings are rarely perfect, while trying to follow a plan without some text is a recipe for confusion.
Also, make a point of paying attention to the measurements listed in the plan. Don't forget to check for any special instructions or requirements (specialty adhesives or Spackle) the designer might have included as well.
Lastly, go back to the original source of a woodworking plan before you begin. Enthusiasts sometimes update or change their plans after they've been published, as other people build the projects and contribute improvements that cut production time and costs.
Once you're ready to go, print out your plan if you have it as a digital copy. Laptops and tablets are wonderful devices, but the dusty workshop environment wreaks havoc on pricey electronics... not to mention that constantly clicking back and forth on a screen is neither the most efficient nor the safest way to work.
Want to get started today? Go to http://www.woodworkingplansinstructions.com and you'll find many more articles on this topic. There's even a link that will give you instant easy access to over 16,000 simple-follow woodworking projects and designs.
