# Question Of The Week... (2014 Week 28)



## ripjack13 (Jul 6, 2014)

​
Howdy,
This is a weekly series of questions topic for everyone to join in on the discussion. Some of the questions may have a poll, and some will not.

_Don't be shy now, go ahead and post an answer*....*_

*Before making a project, do you draw it out? or is all in your head?*




**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
And of course the  too....


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## Mike1950 (Jul 6, 2014)

And of course the  too.... WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!

If It is furniture for the house- Kathie makes a rough sketch but I wing it from there. Boxes benches or?? i just build. I worked from plans in construction my whole adult life- I am not interested in them anymore- well I take that back they make great disposable bench covers...........

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 1


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## Schroedc (Jul 6, 2014)

What he said ^ Furniture or cabinets I'll draw out, small stuff I like to just get the picture in my head and go from there.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Nature Man (Jul 6, 2014)

Guess it really depends on the complexity of the project. I'm pretty new to woodworking, but I've always tended to be pretty handy around the house. That said, I certainly lean towards drawing up plans even if I modify as I go along. Chuck

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## GeauxGameCalls (Jul 6, 2014)

All from the head. Since I mostly turn there's not much thought goes into designing, I just let the tools take over!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Sprung (Jul 6, 2014)

It depends. I always draw something out when I'm building a piece of furniture or a complex item - whether it's a rough sketch with a few dimensions or a detailed, scale drawing on graph paper. However, I always deviate in some manner - big or small - from whatever I draw out when I'm actually building. Small items I don't usually sketch or draw anything out. I definitely work from the head. If I ever bought a set of plans, I doubt I'd follow them exactly. I definitely prefer doing the design work myself too. I'd rather draw inspiration from pieces I like rather than just copy a piece, especially if the piece, as designed, doesn't suit my needs.

Reactions: Like 1


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## JR Custom Calls (Jul 6, 2014)

I generally make it wrong first... Then write down the right measurements and fix it on the second (or third) attempt

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 4


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## Mike1950 (Jul 6, 2014)

JR Custom Calls said:


> I generally make it wrong first... Then write down the right measurements and fix it on the second (or third) attempt


 Been there and done that!!!!!


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## ButchC (Jul 6, 2014)

JR Custom Calls said:


> I generally make it wrong first... Then write down the right measurements and fix it on the second (or third) attempt



I call that adaptive prototypjng.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


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## Kevin (Jul 6, 2014)

This question was posed back in 2008 on WWT. I will just copy and paste my answer from then, below. I haven't made such a detailed drawing since then:

_I'm also a diddler at best. Below is the scribbling of a bathroom vanity I recently built. The drawing took about 20 minutes. Just take it out of my head and put down on "paper" or in this case scrap osage, and then build. 

I don't usually do drawings at all but i was working late and was not 'seeing" it as clearly as normal. I actually made the drawing half way through the project after i had cut a stile too short because I had seen something in the print in my head that I had removed but had forgot. 

So my advice is experiment before you decide you *have* to have a highly detailed "blueprint" before you saw your first board. I called this one my "Yellow Print". 



 _



For me, that was a HIGHLY detailed drawing. So I guess my 2 answers to your 2 questions are:

*1)Before making a project, do you draw it out? 
2)or is all in your head?*

1) Not usually and in the above case I drew it half way through the project
2) It's usually in my head, if there's anything in my head at all.

Reactions: Great Post 1


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## Blueglass (Jul 6, 2014)

Normally the drawing in my head is good enough. Once in awhile I do some drawings to work out kinks that I foresee ahead of running into them.

BTW Kevin, I love the note pad.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Brink (Jul 6, 2014)

Oh, always draw plans. Crayons and cocktail napkins are my fav. The final look is always in my mind, the drawings keep me on track, or I'd chase after the first puffy tailed squirrel that ran by. And man, can they climb! You can chase them for hours without catching them, but when you do, well it's like the saying "even a blind squirrel can find a nut sometimes". I just figure they smell them out....

Reactions: Like 3 | Great Post 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 6, 2014)

I usually draw plans on the bigger stuff or the a.d.d. kicks in and before you know it I get ahead of myself and screw something up. I was moving some things in my shop today and found a couple of drawings I made for some projects, I looked at them and kinda chuckled and packed em in a box, to be built yet.

Reactions: Like 1


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## RJH (Jul 6, 2014)

A.D.D.
Funny. But true.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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