Templates by Numbers

[russ_1380]

Morning all.

I'm still new to carpentry, and I'm still getting to grips with various techniques.

I recently tried building a very simple cabinet and struggled keeping everything square and parallel. (I suppose this is the key to good looking work).

Whilst googling for techniques, I came across this:

http://www.templatesbynumbers.com/?q=howitworks

Has anyone tried it?

I think it costs £30, but for a beginner do you think this would be reasonable.

Any comments good bad and ugly appreciated!

Cheers

Russ

 

[StevieB]

£30 per template or £30 to download a computer programme that draws the templates? If the latter then it has potential, if the former spend your cash on a good joinery text book and learn how to do the laying out yourself would be my advice. Practice on scrap wood - either pine, which can be soft, or some strips of ply, offcuts of MDF etc. Just spend an afternoon making lap joints, tennons, mortices and so on until you get a feel for it. Don't go for a Krenov style cabinet on legs as a first project.

As with all these techniques there are two important parts - accuracy of laying out and accuracy of cutting. You can have the most accurate layout, but if you use a blunt chisel to cut to the line then you will not end up with a nice looking result. Buying templates will only give you an accurate layout, not a good finished piece of work. Unfortunately for us this takes time, patience, skill and above all practice! Of the people on this forum a few have mastered these techniques, the rest of us are at various points on the line between beginner and master. Not all of us will make it, and some will branch off into other territories such as box making, turning, hand tool collectors *ahem* users, power tool junkies and so on. to become proficient in any of them takes time, effort and to a greater or lesser degree (opinions vary!) money. Time and effort are key however, money can speed up the process to a degree.

Thats a bit philisophical for me! To answer your original question, no, I think its a bit expensive for a single template and you could get to the same starting point with a bit of practice.

Steve.

 

[wizer]

I've looked at that site a few times and it was reviewed by Nick in BW (I think) and I simply don't understand what they are offering. Someone please explain it because it just looks like your buying a mathematical equation?

 

[russ_1380]

cheers guys

Yeh, I'm only using MDF, scrapped wardrobes etc at the mo! I'm not good enough yet to be let lose with nice hardwoods.

I believe the idea of the site is:

You pay the 30 pounds and have access to ALL their plans.

Where it is different to other pay to view plans, you input things like the desired dimensions you want the final product to be; i.e. smaller or larger.

You also tell them the diameter of your router bits, width of circular saw blade etc. I think it then tailors the measurements it gives you, to include for the width of the cut `(router or circular saw blade etc).

....the plans it gives you are then tailored for your individual tools. (I know this is the real skill of the furniture maker/carpenter, but I believe its mainly aimed for novices like me).

I must admit their website isn't very clear as to what their selling. Havign only briefly glanced at their website, I might email them and find out more about what they are actually selling.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

You could do the same thing with some graph paper, I can't see the point in spending £30 of a simple sum.

Pete

 

[ajmoran]

Seems an opportune time to break my UKW duck

Russ, Wizer,

Russ - You're right about how Templates by numbers works. Dovetails, for example, you tell the system what size router cutter you want to use and it will calculate a template for corresponding pins and tails templates. You can then print out the template, overlay it onto the workpiece and you've got the positions to align your router - using simple homemade jig, Woodrat, Ultracut etc. The system also produces a DXF file so you could get the template CNC machined if you want.
Or alternatively you could use the template to cut the joint with handtools as Watford Boys School did in a recent British Woodworking article. We've done several school exercises and students just take to it with minimal instruction.

The system can also be used for cabinet carcass and frame and panel design. Here you specify height, width, thicknesses, joinery type etc and the system will generate a detailed plan with sizes for all the constituent parts, including drawer box/shelf, drawer runner and hinge positions. The plan includes diagonal measurements for all the parts to help get them square when using something like the Festool TS55 and guide rail (info on website). A cutting list and DXF export enable the whole thing to be delivered to you cut to size if you want to use a cutting/CNC service.
It also does sheet material optimisation of all the carcass parts (and ad hoc cutting lists too).
The system is designed around 'follow the prompts' and the whole process beginning to end takes a couple of minutes. Check website for videos of how this works.

Where it gets really exciting is the 'Multi-Cabinet' where you can design a whole run of cabinets with drawers, doors and shelves - perfect for built-in design. The system offers interactive Golden Mean proportioning etc as well as manual control so you can experiment with the overall sizes, then press the 'Generate' button to produce a detailed plan.
Recently I've made a set of built in bedroom wardrobe. 3metres wide, 2metres heigh and 600mm deep with 8 individually sized doors and 7 progressively size drawers so visually interesting (and aesthetically pleasing, I hope). Around 300Kg of MDF/Birch ply in total (it calculates the total weight too) which I had cut using a commercial cutting service from the cutting list generated with Templates by numbers.

If any UKW members want to evaluate the system, feel free to contact me.

Cheers
Andrew

Templates by numbers

 

[russ_1380]

Cheers Andrew.

That sounds like something I might be interested in.

Do you offer an introductory price? e.g. a smaller fee just for one plan? I mean a kind of 'try before you buy/subscribe' scheme, if you like? Or even a discount for UKW members?

I give you credit, it is a very clever idea! especially for beginners like me, where I struggle with designing in tolerances for things like router/bade size etc.

One suggestion; please don't take this the wrong way. I looked at your website numerous times, but I was still unsure what product you are selling (until you came on here and told us all). Maybe I'm giving unwanted feedback, but I personally didn't find the website very good at explaining what it is your company sells.

Thanks for explaining, its something I may be interested in.

Russ

 

[wizer]

Thanks for joining in with your explanation Andrew. I must say it all sounds rather complicated, but I'm sure there are people who'd make use of this service.

 

[ajmoran]

Russ - I'd be happy to set you up - and any UKW members - with a free evaluation. Please send me an email address and I can do the rest.
The point about the website clarity is well taken, and indeed I've updated it today based on your comments. I'm sure there is more I can do so please keep the comments coming.
One of the best ways to understand what it does is to view the videos (follow link from start page) and read the case studies (under education section). There is also a channel on YouTube - TemplatesByNumbers. My 'How to fit a router table insert plate' video gets around 1000views per month.

Wizer - thanks for your comments too. The irony is that Templates by numbers is intended to make the process of making a plan for a joint/assembly as simple and quick as possible. I have a customer down in Devon who regularly makes dressers and he's a big fan of the 'frame and panel template' because he can spend a few minutes designing the template, print it off, take it to the workshop and spend the majority of his time earning through making furniture. Have a look at the 'Frame and Panel' video on the website - 3minutes long.

Cheers
Andrew