Will Hayward
New Member
Stephanie, just noticed your post now.. I'll see what I can do for you.
The first step is a list. Include all the features and things you want in the design, no matter how obvious they might seem, this is your check list to make sure you include them and don't remember halfway through the build.
The second step is to start sketching a few different designs, incorporating as many of the features you have on the list, as possible into it. It's always best to do this with a partner and bounce ideas of each other.
The third is to try and combine the best points of a few different drawings you have done up, to make one design that includes all (or almost all if you can sacrifice certain things) of them.
Step four, is to take the sketch of the chosen design and do a technical draw up. This should include labeled measurements, specific materials , notes and comments etc. Post this one somewhere that you spend a lot of time. Let it sit for a few days and take a look at it every once and a while to see if any new thoughts come to mind for necessary changes.
Five; once all changes are made and you are sure that it's safe to proceed, write up a 'Material Purchase List' with lengths and sizes of wood, tools, screws, hardware, etc. To do a list of wood up, it may be easier to do up a cut list. A cut list is something that shows you exactly how many pieces of what size wood you need to assemble the puzzle. By adding these together you can figure out how many uncut pieces of wood to buy. (For example, if your design requires you to have 4 pieces of wood that are 2x2x21.5" then you could buy a 2x2x96" board for those.
tbc...
