# The Planning



## joiner_sim (2 Jul 2008)

:?: 
Right, I'm starting out on my first furniture project. But I'm doing a bit of written work into it first. I suppose you could say like back in school when you had woodwork. This is what I'm trying to do, maybe not to a teachers standards, but to a standard that will help me to design the best piece that I can achieve.

So far I have a "Design/Material Ideas" section, a "Specification" and a "Research" (For my reasearch I have been on a chess forum and pitched my ideas and asked them for they thoughts, which has prooved quite valuable). I suppose I could do an "Objective" but it is kind of obvious on this project, make a chess board, i think that was something the teachers would put in so nobody was confused to exactly what they was doing!

Does anybody else draw up some planning before they start a furniture project? What areas in the planning stage do you look at?

Thankyou for any advice & replies.


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## Mr T (7 Jul 2008)

At the beginning of a project I usually draw up a rod or full size layout. This forms the basis of my planning. While drawing the layout I think through the construction problems, this gives me a rough idea of the way I will do the job. Through experience much of this has become instinctive.

In your case I am not sure a full size layout is worth it, as the configuration of a chess board is fairly straight forward. But as a beginner it may be worth writing down the order you think you should do things and consider what complications this order may create.

Chris


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## wizer (8 Jul 2008)

joiner_sim":13lhis2l said:


> Does anybody else draw up some planning before they start a furniture project?



I do more drawing than I do building


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## CWatters (9 Jul 2008)

I frequently use Googles Image search to collect ideas. Save them to a folder like a scrap book.


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## joiner_sim (9 Jul 2008)

I've helped the school work experience kids to make chess boards as a mini project, but the thing im looking for here really is to add the drawer and make it a folding table.

Also Im looking at using some nice timbers, rather than the regular softwood and sapele we given the kids to use


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## Wanlock Dod (21 Jul 2008)

Hi Sim,

You say


> I suppose I could do an "Objective" but it is kind of obvious on this project, make a chess board, ...



I suspect that you have more specific objectives:


> the thing im looking for here really is to add the drawer and make it a folding table.



You may want to ask yourself if you want to make a table which incorporates a drawer and the top of which is a chess board. You probably also want it to look "cool" (in whatever way you choose to interpret "cool"). These are probably all objectives, and at least noting them down as such will either make you mindful of what it is that you wish to achieve, or challenge whether or not you do wish to achieve them (does the chessboard/table really need to be the same thing?).

Just another way of looking at it really :? 

Cheers,

Dod


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