Woodworking is a great hobby but it can be frustrating. It requires a plan of attack in order to be successful. One way to ensure success in woodworking and to hone your skills is to follow woodworking plans. There are plans on the Internet that you can download for free. However, there are some things to keep in mind when you use such plans.
Completeness
A good set of woodworking plans will be complete. That means it includes a full and complete list of materials. This includes lengths of boards (not just the type used), all the power and hand tools required as well as hardware like nails, screws and pegs. Each should be precisely sized. Once you begin you don't want to find out you are missing an important tool or piece of hardware. Another thing to look for is bit sizes for routers and drills, as well as the type of bit to be used. That is very important. Some free woodworking plans fail to mention these important pieces of information.
In Depth Explanations
Good woodworking plans have in-depth explanations about the processes involved in building your project. Steps should be clear and easy to understand even without the help of pictures. If the plans have pictures, however, that is a big plus. Don't look for plans that are too wordy, but many free woodworking plans are too sparse in explanations. If you are a good woodworker you will have enough experience to work around these issues, but for the beginner trying to decipher complex plans for complicated projects, it could be enough to send you back to the computer to look for a new hobby.
Where to Find Them
Free woodworking plans can be downloaded from many woodworking sites but there are some that you may want to try first. The first is www.woodworkersworkshop.com. It has plans with pictures and great details. You can do a search for "Woodworking plans" to find more. Some blogs will have plans, as well. You can get alternate perspectives and perhaps easier ways of doing the same project by downloading two or three sets of plans from various sites (since they are free).
Use Them
Some people complete entire projects from free woodworking plans. But sometimes, free plans aren't the best and most productive way to build something. Study your plans and go through them completely before you start, because you may immediately see a better way to do something. You can also try to substitute different types of hardwood, or hardware for the ones suggested if you already know how the entire project is going to come together in the end.
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