Drawing plans - what do you use?

[novocaine]

I was a draffy and a piping design in a past life, so tend to turn to Autocad when I want to do a full drawing with exact dimensions. the first steps are always freehand on paper to get a feel for it, maybe with a ruler when I can get to the drawing board. the ideas from drawing freehand are important, even if it's just sqiggles in my notepad.

 

[Blockplane]

The explorer Bill Tillman used to say " if an expedition cannot be planned on the back of a fag packet, then the plan is too complicated" - I tend to agree for most basic woodworking, but when it comes to such things as 22+ closely spaced parallel lines meeting an angled surface at one end and a variable curve at the other (aka harp design) then its time to buy a roll of lining paper and head to the drawing board.

 

[Brentingby]

Sometimes I like paper and pencil but once I learned how to manage with SketchUp, I find I use it more. 2D is fine as far as it goes but if I need to show my designs to others, a 3d perspective view, especially one that can be shown from any direction is much more useful. It's much easier to make changes when the design is digital than when it is on paper, too. If it makes sense to do it, 2D drawings can be created from the 3D model, as well. Seeing this kind of SketchUp work is encourages me to see what is possible and do better, too.

 

[Woodmonkey]

I find sketchup to be great for cut lists. When you use sketchup, you're certain that the tweak you made to the rail lengths is going to be reflected in the cut list automatically, so no wasted wood

I find the rule of thumb is great for cut lists - it's instant, requires no computers, computation, hardly any thought at all:
basically you cut stuff from the list in descending order of size (length and/or section) start with the largest - but from the smallest possible bit of stock. Not always but often is spot on. You can get caught out with sheets and orientation so may need to think briefly.

Ah but the point is where does your "list" come from, on a complex job sketchup is invaluable for creating your list. As Matt said if you tweak one part then unlike a pencil drawing, the rest of the parts will be automatically adjusted. It can also render excellent 3d sketches which customers seem to like.
It would take me ages to draw this and probably wouldn't look as good

 

[Morten]

Pen and paper and sketchup for sheet layout.

 

[Jacob]

I find sketchup to be great for cut lists. When you use sketchup, you're certain that the tweak you made to the rail lengths is going to be reflected in the cut list automatically, so no wasted wood

I find the rule of thumb is great for cut lists - it's instant, requires no computers, computation, hardly any thought at all:
basically you cut stuff from the list in descending order of size (length and/or section) start with the largest - but from the smallest possible bit of stock. Not always but often is spot on. You can get caught out with sheets and orientation so may need to think briefly.

Ah but the point is where does your "list" come from, on a complex job sketchup is invaluable for creating your list. As Matt said if you tweak one part then unlike a pencil drawing, the rest of the parts will be automatically adjusted. It can also render excellent 3d sketches which customers seem to like.
It would take me ages to draw this and probably wouldn't look as good

You take your list from the rod, all tweakings having been done.
The rule of thumb also self corrects - if a piece is found unsuitable (knots or whatever) you just move on to the next one and the unsuitable piece gets used further down the list (shorter pieces etc).
This better than dead reckoning - say you want 20no pieces at 300mm you might cut them from two 3M pieces with no waste, but then find you haven't a piece suitable to cut two 2M lengths wanted.
It works very well - as you get to shorter lengths you find pieces suitable in your offcuts collection, but without having to work this out in advance. It's automatic.
So you follow this strict procedure for cutting to the list, but then - from the rod you are on autopilot and can then make all the components in any order to suit - knowing they will all fit. Drawers first if you want, and so on.

 

[Moonsafari69]

Yep, paper and a pen. Sometimes even a red pen if there's something needed that I really shouldn't forget to include in the build

 

[Tetsuaiga]

Sketchup for me. Paper and pencil for ideas stage.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

I use Revit :lol:

I do use autocad which is obv not free, you could try Draftsight if your just after 2D

We have revit in the office but it's beyond me and at almost £2k for the licence, im not going to get one to experiment with. lol

 

[YorkshireMartin]

I find sketchup to be great for cut lists. When you use sketchup, you're certain that the tweak you made to the rail lengths is going to be reflected in the cut list automatically, so no wasted wood

I tried this and did follow the instructions to set up the addon, but it produced complete nonsense. So obviously I got something wrong somewhere, but no idea what.

 

[YorkshireMartin]

My propelling pencils and graph pad arrived today. I'll see how this goes and might try sketchup again in the future.

 

[Jacob]

My propelling pencils and graph pad arrived today. I'll see how this goes and might try sketchup again in the future.

You also need a drawing board, T square and set square. These are essential basics.
Don't cost much - you could even splash out and get A1 size with parallel motion

https://www.graphicsdirect.co.uk/challe ... GwodFuQJoQ

 

[Mr T]

Rods have only been mentioned briefly, by Jacob. Although I use sketchup and have done for about ten years I have never felt comfortable with it.
In all but the simplest jobs I find a full size workshop drawing or, if it's large job, a set of rods is essential. It allows you to draw up a cutting list
and also pick off angles during making. Many students leave my improver's courses saying that using a workshop drawing was the most important
thing they learnt.

Yorkshire Martin, are you creating every element of the design as a component? Cutlist problems can arise if you don't.

Chris

 

[Jacob]

Rods have only been mentioned briefly, by Jacob. Although I use sketchup and have done for about ten years I have never felt comfortable with it.
In all but the simplest jobs I find a full size workshop drawing or, if it's large job, a set of rods is essential. It allows you to draw up a cutting list
and also pick off angles during making. Many students leave my improver's courses saying that using a workshop drawing was the most important
thing they learnt.......

Chris

Exactly.
When I did a C&G course many years ago I thought I already knew something about woodwork (having been reading cr*p magazines for years :roll: ).
I was utterly wrong and the single most important thing I learned was how to use the rod system about which I knew absolutely FA previously. It does get a passing mention in older books - but not in newer ones - it's another lost art.
Renders computers and sketchup redundant - except for the odd tricks like 3D drawings and perspectives, if you really can be bothered to learn how to do it!

It's the last step of the design process, whereby you draw up full size sections and can see that everything fits - including hardware if you want to draw it in. You then mark up by taking marks direct from the drawings by laying components on, and marking with pencil and set square. Once the rods are done you are on autopilot and can make a cutting list, mark up and machine huge piles of timber in the knowledge that they will all fit - as long as you have counted the number of components correctly; PITA if you find you need to make up some more gazing bars later!

 

[MattRoberts]

I find sketchup to be great for cut lists. When you use sketchup, you're certain that the tweak you made to the rail lengths is going to be reflected in the cut list automatically, so no wasted wood

I tried this and did follow the instructions to set up the addon, but it produced complete nonsense. So obviously I got something wrong somewhere, but no idea what.

I do my cut lists manually, not through a plugin. I just lay copies of the items out on templates of the stock I have, so I know which bits to cut from which boards