Got Plans??

Ron,

There are some sites that offer plans for free, but you are correct, most people want to sell their plans…it is an interesting idea, the sharing, perhaps you could work out some variation on the gnu public licence for open sharing.

I am not sure how much sharing would be involved rather I would probably create most of the plans myself. Having been woodworking and drafting for a number of years now it really doesn’t take long for me to create my own plans. Depending on the project I can probably draft a project most people can build from in an hour or two adding a cut list and 3D model would probably double the time but…The plan would be to create the plan in ACAD and offer it as a download as a PDF with a cutlist in excel? Sharing would certainly help create a large project base fast though.

-- http://rjoneswoodworks.com/

I know Martin mentioned that one of the future updates to Lumberjocks would include a place to sell items. Since you have drafting and woodworking experience, maybe you could sell your plans online. You have a good idea with the PDF download and cutlist included. You could give the plans away if you like, or sell them for a small price and give Martin a cut.

One thing some of us would like are plans that do not have limits on how many times they can be built. Some places and sites say the plan is only for personal use, or only so many can be built without buying more. Volume licensing does not get discussed much.

Anyway, I would like to see more plans available.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Bill,
My plan would be to make them free:) and if possible obtain small donations and sponsers to offset any costs associated with production. To be honest I typically generate something for myself anyway so with a little extra effort I can produce something you all can use. Now I would probably charge if someone needed an existing plan modified but other than than that they would probably just be free. Now I would encourge feedback from users who found something to be inaccurate or missing and at that point an update would be in order. The biggest drawback I can see is a small selection at first but in time… To be honest I have only purchased one plan so I am unfamilar with the volume issue, then again free is a nice thing. Right now I am just toying with the idea and trying to work out some details so all your feed back helps:)

-- http://rjoneswoodworks.com/

Hi, I guess like ever person trying to get back into woodworking I’ve been cruising the web pages looking for plans. I’ve been frustrated with the above mentioned problems and a few more.
I would like to see a better data base or list of whats available with out having to have the skills of Colombo to find what I want.
On that list I would like to see an icon or small scale drawing of the finished product. Quite often after a long search I find that what’s offered isn’t what I was looking for. (that’s frustrating}
It would be great if they were divided into different experience levels.

I’ve often thought of doing something as well but I think I will aim at promoting finished products for woodworkers.

-- jft

John,
That’s exactly my beef with whats out there now!! One of my ideas is post only completed projects with a completed picture and details. I like the idea on the experiance levels as well, thanks for the input!

-- http://rjoneswoodworks.com/

You are an “angel”—giving without wanting something in return.
What a concept – -share the wisdom.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Ms Deb,
I have to be honest in saying that if I can do something like this and someday (not today) make a couple bucks at it great, it’s just not in the plan to make the money at the expense of Joe and Jane Woodworker. We’ll see what happens and maybe in a couple of weeks I will have something together for you all to look at:)

-- http://rjoneswoodworks.com/

angels still have to eat, don’t they!! :)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thank god for a day job:) This may be more of an experiment than anything but I guess we’ll see

-- http://rjoneswoodworks.com/

I can see this as one more aspect of the many facets that LJ can become. I’d bet many of us would be willing to share plans of projects we’ve completed. Some I would consider selling (highly researched unique projects, perhaps slated for print publication), but other more common ones – variations on an existing theme (tables and so forth) I’d gladly share.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Van Gogh -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

If you are going to create the plans in AutoCad or such-like. It may be a good touch to be able to get the file for down load, so that some of us could modify the designs for our own needs. I for one would be willing to pay for this.

Another thought may be to offer a service to place other peoples plans onto AutoCad for a small fee. I know as a part time CAD user, it takes me an eternity to draw up projects and rely upon Pen & Parer most of the time.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Tony,
That is something I have thought of and will most likley offer. I think the drafting service however is a whole other animal:( However, this may be a good option to increase the database of projects as well as bring in freah ideas and designs.
Thanks to everyone so for the thoughts!!

-- http://rjoneswoodworks.com/

I’ve found some decent freebies online. I agree that there are many free sites that are more of a bait and switch type of thing. They often link to commercial sites and they get to collect the referal fee since we click the misleading link. Good luck. My biggest gripe about plans, is that the drawings are do not effectively represent how the project “fits” together. Some exploded views are better than others. I would pay particular attention to drafting the joinery. I appreciate plans that offer variations of the plan and show a couple finishing examples. This requires more from the author, so I understand why most don’t have this, but it is nice. Also, links to project resources have been valuable to me. When I built a wooden mallet one time, I had no idea where to get lead shot. Luckily, I had a link!

-- Jeff, South Carolina

I have downloaded some nice plans online that are free. However, other plans sometimes seem to be lacking. They provide a drawing with dimensions, but not description on how it is assembled, no cut list, not much beyond a picture.

I still think RJ is on to something here. I have not had any experience with CAD. While I would like to learn, I can not spend hours and days drawing out a design that I can do quickly on paper. Obviously, my paper drawings are not drafting standards, but usually just a ruler and pencil. I also add notes for some things I want to remember. I also plan out the pieces and sizes at that time. I would not mind having someone translate these into CAD designs with cut lists so I could sell or pass them along as well. Also, I could use a nice set for myself for when I make another. Sometimes my notes are all over, I make changes, etc and then can not follow it later.

I am looking forward to seeing RJ’s designs soon.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com