Using Free Woodworking Plans

By: Tim Sousa

Any woodworking project should start with a good plan. A good woodworking plan will lay out for you all of the measurments, the materials, and in some cases the tools needed for a successful project. You don't need to spend a lot of money on plans, though. If you go to your local home improvement store, they may have free plans available to you. An even easier way to find free woodworking plans is to look on the internet. Thousands of free plans are available for download. Before you download any plans, though, there are some things that you should check, to make sure your project will go smoothly and easily.

Check the measurements of the plan. Are things measured in inches, or centimeters, feet, or meters. Make sure the measurements of your woodworking plan meet your needs. You certainly don't want to build a three foot long table, when you only have two feet of space. If you plan on making your project larger or smaller, you should also check and make sure that the measurements are easily scaled up or down if necessary.

Look through the list of materials required for the project. You may or may not be able to find all of the materials in your area, or the materials may be expensive. Check the materials and see if you can find substitutes if necessary. Do a little bit of research, and find out if the materials listed are truly suited for the design, and if they meet your needs. You don't want to build a shelf to put in a humid area, such as the bathroom, and find out that the wood is susceptible to mold growth, or warping in damp conditions.

Take a look at the complexity of the plan. Even a simple looking plan requires a certain level of skill. Honestly assess your skill level in woodworking, and decide whether or not you can handle it. Look to see if there are ways to scale down the complexity of a woodworking plan to make it more simple. Maybe there are some unecessary features that you could eliminate that would simplify the plan for you. If you find a plan that requires advanced skill levels that you do not yet have, perhaps you can find a skilled craftsman in your area to help you modify and simplify the plan.

Check the copyright of the plan. If you're just planning on building a piece of furniture or decoration for your own home, then copyright isn't much of an issue. But if you plan on selling your work, you should check the copyright of the plan, and determine whether or not you are allowed to sell any works created from the plan. Keep in mind that the plan is someone else's design, and they may not be giving you permission to use it for anything other than personal use. If you sell projects created from a plan that is not yours, you could be sued for making profits from another person's work.

The internet is a great tool, allowing you to easily find woodworking plans and other woodworking resources. Before downloading a plan, though, just do some research, and make sure that the plan is right for you.