subject: Free Woodworking Plans [print this page] If you are going to create a stick of furniture, especially if it is fairly complicated or you have never manufactured anything like it in the past, it is a good idea to get a set of wood working plans. These furniture plans are not expensive and free woodworking plans can be found too.
However, it is prudent to be suspicious of free wood working plans as they may not be precise and you will have little recourse to protest if they were free or even pirated. Free wood working plans may be all right, but you do not want to find out that they are not half way through the task.
A good set of wood working plans, free or not, will give a clear exploded view of the item to be made and a narrative explaining the various steps and procedures. The plans may also make recommendations about the timber and tools to use, the length of time it could take to make in man hours and the complexity level.
If you want a large collection of wood working plans, there are CD's around which have 14,000 on them for $30-40. They are a good bargain. Other places you could search are online forums, the library and craft or DIY shops. Shops are almost certainly the dearest alternative.
Once you have chosen an object to make, you should consider which style you would like. A kitchen cupboard could be hardwood or softwood. It could be a Welsh dresser or a Scandinavian design. It could be modern, traditional, Georgian or Victorian, to suggest but a few.
Once you have answered these questions you can go searching for your wood working plans. You might be lucky or you may have to find the middle ground if you cannot find exactly what you fancy. This is why I think that it is better to buy a CD of plans that have been sorted into a database, so that you can easily find out what is available in your collection.
You could search for 'kitchen cupboard' and 100 woodworking plans might recommend themselves to you. Or you could type in 'Victorian Welsh Dresser' and only get two suggestions. The point is that you will not be wasting your time chasing a pipe dream, when there are no plans available for the exact item you are looking for.
When you have a set of suitable plans, I think that it is better to get them blown up, or maybe that is just because of my eyesight. However, it is a pain to have to take off your safety goggles to put on your spectacles every time you want to check a size. This is easy from a CD because many printers have a capability to print poster size. If yours does not, take the CD to a printer's, an architect's or a technical office. They will be able to print A1 straight from the CC.
Then you can attach this enlarged wood working plan to the wall or an easel and you are all set to start making your furniture in style.
