How Woodworking Plans Guide, Teach and Help You Improve

The first thing I ever tried to knock together out of wood, as a boy of 7 years, was a soapbox derby racing car. I planned to make it out of wood pieces and metal parts I found abandoned. I soon found out that I had absolutely no idea of how to do this. I bent over nails and hit my thumb with the hammer numerous times. Soon, I felt overwhelmed and gave up completely. I could have used some adult instruction and I sure could have benefited from a good set of plans.



Many years later, I emerged as a professional woodworker, furniture designer and president of a corporation that made original, custom furniture for well-do-do clients. In between the soapbox derby car and the furniture firm, I made a lot of mistakes and tried to learn from each one of them. What helped me in the beginning was the discovery that reasonably priced woodcraft plans were out there that could show me how to make things out of wood. I determined that some plans were poorly drawn and often imprecise, leaving scratching my head as to what I ought to do next.



Occasionally, I would discover well-conceived, well-drawn, step-by-step plans that I could actually use. They had not only well-designed, easy-to-follow drawings, they had clearly-written, detailed instructions as well as a precise inventory of materials needed. I discovered that with this quality of plan, I could not lose.



In the beginning, I would buy plans that I liked and then follow them exactly to the end. I learned a lot of basic, intermediate and advanced woodcraft abilities from doing this. As I went on, I would find plans that I felt confident in modifying to my taste, just a bit, here and there. As time passed and my skills evolved, I started drawing my own plans, thus giving an outlet to my individual creativity.



To date, I never begin a project without a plan in my hands, whether it be someone else’s plan or my own. So, I guess what I am pointing out is that the novice woodworker should consider following someone else’s plans exactly and then, as his or her woodworking skills develop, go into modifying plans and even drawing your own plans.



Am I done with following pre-made plans? Not at all! In fact, I still benefit from them. Now, at the very least, they give me inspiration for projects that most likely would have never occurred. They are quite effective for building things around the home, inside and out.



To assist you in seeing what I mean by plans giving you ideas, here is a much-shortened listing of plan types to be had from one of my principal sources of plans. This online vendor offers access to a downloadable package of over 14,000 plans of all kinds. Here are only a few of the many kinds of plans he offers:



You’ll find barn, bed, bench, billiard table, bird feeder, boat, book case, bridge, cabin, cabinet, carport, cart, chair, chest, clock, coffee table, compost bin, computer desk, cradle, deck, desk, doghouse, dresser, file cabinet, fireplace mantle, frames, garage, gazebo, greenhouse, guitar, gun cabinet, home office, hutch, kitchen, lamp, landscaping, media center, mirror, ottoman, playhouse, shed, shelf, stool, storage, swing, table, tool box, toys, utility building, wagon, wind generator, windmill and many, many more categories of detailed woodworking plans.



All you have to do is click on the sort of plan you are interested in and you will be taken to all the plans under that grouping. Choose one of these and you are ready to start. Access to all 14,000 plans is accessible to you for one, very low, affordable price.



Are you thrilled at the idea of initiating a new woodworking project, learning new skills and building what is drawn in the plans to an ideal finish? There are plans for beginner, intermediate and advanced skill levels so you can, without difficulty, opt for a plan that is appropriate what you have absorbed previously and what you are ready to learn.



I was going to say "Good Luck" to you but following these expertly-crafted plans has very little to do with luck or skill. All you need to know how to do is follow simple, clearly written instructions. So, instead, I’ll just close with "Have Fun" and "Be Proud" of the final result!



Bob Gillespie

Woodworker



About the Author:



Bob Gillespie writes on many subjects including woodworking plans. He is a full-time woodworker, Internet marketer and author who lives on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Learn more about woodworking plans at Bob's blog at:



http://woodworker-plans.inetwyoming.com



Other blogs of possible interest:



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