Do you do your own design work?

[evenprimes]

I'm a very novice woodworker, but the main attraction was in building items that I designed.  I assumed that most (all?) woodworkers would be the same.  

 

However, after listening to a few woodtalk shows and seeing some comments here, I'm now wondering how many woodworkers DO design their own projects.

 

Just to be clear, there's nothing truly new, so I recognize that we're all inspired by other things.  It's one thing to build a item based on a picture you saw (that's you doing the design) and another for you to go measure that item and copy those measurements (that's someone else doing the design).  

 

I'm not saying one way is right or wrong, but I'm curious about how people approach their projects.

 

So, how do YOU approach design?

[Rapid Roger]

I usually see something I like and pretty much copy it and change a few things to suit my own needs and ideas.

However, I really enjoy coming up with my own projects and ideas and working things out for myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also made a wooden windmill for the back yard (decoration only), an oak belt and buckle, and some pencil boxes for the kids at church, and bunch of boxes and games for the grand kids. 

I just naturally migrate to the unusual and fun things.

 

Rog

[Mister Pants]

I often do hybrid design, not sure if that's a correct word or not.  While I have done some stuff that's fully original, often I'll see an existing piece that I'll take the base idea of and re-design into a piece that I'm building.  Two that come to mind are a jewelry armoire where I used an old spice box as a starting point and a chippendale mirror inspired plate rail.  I wouldn't personally call those original designs, but not from plans.  Not sure what to call it .

[dwacker]

Per your definition I design everything. I dont necessarily agree with the definition. Ive made many of Sam Maloof pieces over the years from just pictures. I would not claim them to be my design even though I came up dimensions on my own. With that I would say that everything I do is a culmination of many peoples designs. I like to just leave it at that and be happy with the finished product.

Don

[duckkisser]

more often then not i dont have a set of plan and measurements in front of me but i will start a project after looking at some photos of something i like.

[Lifesaver2000]

Other than a Murphy bed I built, I have designed everything myself (for good or bad).  Of course, since "form follows function" there will always be some general design features that will be common among pieces, but for the most part I have designed my pieces based on what it needs to do, what tools/skills I possessed, and a few items I designed based on the materials I had on hand or available at the time.

[jHop]

I think every wood worker falls into this category.  Sure, we might start from a "boxed set" of plans, but then we'll run into something that doesn't work, or some need we personally have that the plans don't, so we modify what's in front of us.  This then becomes something we designed.  Enough practice of doing the bought plans will show us where we can add something, and enough time spent cutting prototype parts will show us how to do it.

 

Eventually, we can just look at the board we purchased and say, "Yup.  It's a fill in the blank," and start cutting without fear.  (I'm not there yet.) 

 

I start with the plan, but I look at where I'm thinking of putting the product, and consider if the design has all the elements I need or not.  If it does not, I consider what I'd need to do to fill all my requirements.  Then, I decide whether it's worth using the plan or making my own.  So far, I have only found 2 plans I consider worth following (regardless of whether or not I will tinker with it).  But I will say that following the plan is a great way to figure out where to add those "hidden parts" you might not realize you need yet.  Like glue blocks.  (Wish I would have known about those sooner.)

[jhl.verona]

Well I voted 'Always design my own' but that's not quite right. I will happily study one or more plans to make sure of the mechanics, since I don't have enough experience to work 'off the cuff'. Once I'm happy that I've taken care of the wood movement and other beginner's 'gotchas', then I'll try to add something of my own, simply because I enjoy that as much as cutting up bits of wood...

 

Though I'm not building massive projects, just simple stuff like this business card and pen holder...

 

 

I think Roger should patent that can crusher... 

 

John

[Rapid Roger]

Well I voted 'Always design my own' but that's not quite right. I will happily study one or more plans to make sure of the mechanics, since I don't have enough experience to work 'off the cuff'. Once I'm happy that I've taken care of the wood movement and other beginner's 'gotchas', then I'll try to add something of my own, simply because I enjoy that as much as cutting up bits of wood...

 

Though I'm not building massive projects, just simple stuff like this business card and pen holder...

 

DSCF9125.JPG

 

I think Roger should patent that can crusher... 

 

John

 

 

Well thanks for the nice comment John.  Don't think that I'll go to the trouble of getting a patent however.

I designed this crusher about  5 years ago. It took two prototypes to get the final design and I've made 25 or thirty of them since then.  I've given 4 of the first ones to friends and relatives and sold the rest for $50.00 a piece. Think that I still have a couple left and stored in the basement. 

Besides looks, the nice thing about my crusher is that it will take the taller cans (Coors) and after you pull the lever down to crush the can and as you lift the lever up, the crushed can falls out of the back and into a collection bucket or bag. People seem to really like them for patios and decks because of the looks and ease of  use. (They all are made of red oak.)  Kids will start collecting "empty's" just so they can crush them!  

I've had mine (the first one) in the shop for about five years and it is still holding up after being used about six times a day everyday. It is a bit dusty however.

 

Rog

[Byrdie]

I have a few projects that I've built from plans, including measurements, supplied by others, some others that I've created the general design but incorporated ideas from plans or finished pieces I've seen, and some projects that the design its self has been completely and organically my own.  That's not to say nothing else like it has ever been made, just that the form I've created is original.

[wdwerker]

I might start from a clients picture for something they like and then take it from there. Rarely does the finished project look the same . I embellish and add a few touches to make it custom to the location .