Anyone else here not work from plans and drawings?

I don't work from plans or drawings, I plan and design as I work, similarly, I also don't copy other's plans and build from them. Quite often, I don't even measure. I'm often asked for plans of things I design and build, my answer is always the same: 'The plans are in my head, you can't have that, because I'm using it'. I'm widely criticised on other forums for my methodology.

Anybody else work the same?

Just one of the plans swimming around inside my head.

I'm often told my head is full of $#!t!

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Originally Posted by th62

I don't work from plans or drawings, I plan and design as I work, similarly, I also don't copy other's plans and build from them. Quite often, I don't even measure. I'm often asked for plans of things I design and build, my answer is always the same: 'The plans are in my head, you can't have that, because I'm using it'. I'm widely criticised on other forums for my methodology.

Anybody else work the same?

Just one of the plans swimming around inside my head.

I'm often told my head is full of $#!t!

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If I am prototyping something for someone who plans on going into manufacture, then I draw up 3d parts and assemblies in SolidWorks 2023
Most of the stuf I make for my own use is just throw the parts in a pile and sort out what I feel will best serve what I want to build. I do measure for machining hole locations and bearing mounting or shafts or for symmetric parts.

Formal drawings? Not often, but sketches, outlines, dimensioned drawings of details, notes made on scrap paper ... I draw things up all the time. I do it so I can figure out materials, spacings, bom, shapes, etc. - so I can use what I have in inventory (the "stuff" piles) and what I have to get (fasteners, tooling, consumables, etc.).

Keeping everything in my head is for the concept phase, but even then I will sketch it out so I don't forget. This is especially needed if you work on a whole bunch of things at the same time.

If it's fairly simple I use my head. Sometimes I have to work out the math, or calculate an angle or something. But generally no drawings.

Mark

Quote:

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Originally Posted by th62

I don't work from plans or drawings, I plan and design as I work, similarly, I also don't copy other's plans and build from them. Quite often, I don't even measure. I'm often asked for plans of things I design and build, my answer is always the same: 'The plans are in my head, you can't have that, because I'm using it'. I'm widely criticised on other forums for my methodology.

Anybody else work the same?

Just one of the plans swimming around inside my head.

I'm often told my head is full of $#!t!

---

I pretty much work the same. I believe that if someone wants to copy something that I have done, then the idea is the important thing, that and photos should be enough to work on. Exact dimensioned drawings seem unnecessary once you have the idea.
BTW It seems to me that you ought to ditch those other forums.

The value of this forum is the idea or solution. We are, makers, fabricators, doers. We each have our own tool environment and accomplish our goal in a manner that is special us. We also bring and incredibly varied experience and intellect. Many times, if someone asks for drawings they are just being lazy and/or lack the creativity to see a solution. Many will always ask for free IP but your gift is the idea. How much you do after that is individual choice but you should not feel obligated to spoon-feed anybody. If you are paid for your effort then different story.

For me it depends on the complexity, materials, and the tolerances required. Simple things are all in my head. Preplanning for nearly everything starts there for sure, as levels of complexity build, I get it down on paper. Sketch or more detailed as the design requires. As the cost of materials goes up, the details in the planning/drawings increase.

Right now for example, I need to make some 2.250" diameter disks from 0.375" steel. That is not cheap. I have some 5.475" laser cut round plates. I got them for free but I do not want to waste them. I can get 3 disks for sure. But if I change my design, I can get 4 from each plate. I need to draw that up to see how much I need to take off my design. Looks like 2.200" will fit 4, and will fit on one disk. Some may be able to figure stuff like that just using math/trig, but I need to draw it.

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Originally Posted by BuffaloJohn

Formal drawings? Not often, but sketches, outlines, dimensioned drawings of details, notes made on scrap paper ... I draw things up all the time. I do it so I can figure out materials, spacings, bom, shapes, etc. - so I can use what I have in inventory (the "stuff" piles) and what I have to get (fasteners, tooling, consumables, etc.).

Keeping everything in my head is for the concept phase, but even then I will sketch it out so I don't forget. This is especially needed if you work on a whole bunch of things at the same time.

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Similar method here, but I've taken to documenting the build later (dimensioned drawings, etc) so others can replicate/ learn... I used to face a lot of similar comments as mentioned by the original post, but found a lot of the younger/ newer people joining machining/ making as a hobby are missing the childhood I took for granted. Because they are missing the foundation which allows them to see the concept and then derive their own method, I at least document some of the method to help them build up their knowledge/ wisdom. By helping the next generation come up, I hope they will be able to give their children a better start in manual arts/ interests than they got.

Des

The old (army?) saying runs true, "it's not stupid if it works"!

You should work to use your skills and abilities to your best advantage. If others can't work that way, that's their problem.

e

I was really good at the fabrication part of my Industrial Design schooling, but not so much the ideation part, which is where you sketch out idea, refining them in waves until you end up with either a viable idea ready for prototyping or something that the customer likes.This negatively affected my grades in that area. My ADHD brain thinks through and dismisses ideas faster than I can draw them, so I ended up with not much more than a few half-drawn sketches that are all but unrecognizable. I tried ignoring the random thoughts, but never could. A couple of times I did the sketches after the final project by remembering the ideas that I'd rejected.
With behavioral therapy I've learned how to adapt, so now I can at least draw up plans and ideate a bit. Still, most of my project plans are limited to showing the absolutes - those aspects that must be a certain way in order to do their job - leaving the rest to be at least modified to suit if not made up on the fly.

Another thing I do that may not be as strange as i think is that I'll meditate on a project, for lack of a better term. When I'm falling asleep or just resting I'll let a part of my mind work through ideas, then when I have one I think is good will imagine fabricating the entire project down to selecting the tools I'll use for each operation. Whenever this reveals a flaw I'll slip back to the ideation phase, then work back to fabricating. Rinse Repeat. Often this forms a sort of muscle memory so when I fabricate in real life I'm more or less working from memory. That it's a memory of something that hadn't happened in real life doesn't matter. When I'm awake and doing something that doesn't require much concentration I can to the above at a slower pace. Occasionally I'll have what is like an epiphany where my mind's eye presents a fully fleshed-out idea that I wasn't consciously aware that I was thinking about. I can draw it out while mentally examining (rotating, disassembling, adjusting) just as easily as if it were sitting on a table in real life.

Neil

I mostly fabricate things off the top of my head, jotting down an important dimension or some part of the construct.
Of course, not every object comes out completely correct the first time which leads to rebuilds and do-overs. Rev B if you will.
Sometimes it costs time or materials but that is how I learn. But making exact plans takes time too.
Following plans exactly is too much like "sit down and shut up, this is the only way it can be done" lessons from grade school.

Attachment 46095
I’m grateful for an opportunity to join this discussion. Mostly my plans are lists, lots of lists, of things I’d like to make. There’s always lots more. On lists from years ago were once cherished ambitions, now abandoned, mostly because they were too difficult. This is a typical entry in my notebook. There are many ideas from Pinterest. Often it’s hard to get back to sleep, planning the projects for the morning. I haven’t ever learned to read a carpenter’s square, but I’ve done hundreds of drawings. I noticed that my wife’s uncle, a German master-carpenter, used a square without markings, and that’s what I have generally done. With joinery, or cabinets, I always draw up a rod, or rods, on board, from which to mark out. Almost nothing I’ve posted on this forum started as more than a rough sketch.

Hmmm, I don't even use rough sketches, except maybe for wiring harnesses, so many cables, so many colours hard to remember, t mostly I just sit down with a bunch of wires and sort it out as I go. This seems to be the only hobby forum where members don't use plans. When I say I don't use plans, I'm met with such derision. Whenever I post a tool I've made drill jig, ball turner, belt sander, et al, I always receive requests for plans.

Apparently, I have no idea what I'm doing or have no idea how to do anything 'properly'.
Similarly, if I don't do things the way the 'experts' do them, the way they were taught, the way their teachers were taught and so on down the line, once again I have no idea.

So you'll be shocked to know, we are an odd lot

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Originally Posted by th62

Hmmm, I don't even use rough sketches, except maybe for wiring harnesses, so many cables, so many colours hard to remember, t mostly I just sit down with a bunch of wires and sort it out as I go. This seems to be the only hobby forum where members don't use plans. When I say I don't use plans, I'm met with such derision. Whenever I post a tool I've made drill jig, ball turner, belt sander, et al, I always receive requests for plans.

Apparently, I have no idea what I'm doing or have no idea how to do anything 'properly'.
Similarly, if I don't do things the way the 'experts' do them, the way they were taught, the way their teachers were taught and so on down the line, once again I have no idea.

So you'll be shocked to know, we are an odd lot

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There is not a thing wrong with the way you do things. If it works for you, it is good.

For ME, I have just learned over the years that I have to get out of bed to put the thoughts and ideas that are keeping me away down on paper. Then I can go back to sleep. Sometimes I wake up with the solution to a problem I had the previous day. If I do not at least sketch that idea, it may very well wither away before I get to implement it.

Recently I wear head phones when I mow to protect what is left of my hearing. I listen to music so I have my phone in "beer can" holder on the mower. Since mowing can get boring, my mind wanders a lot. Many times I stop to leave a note for myself in regard to an idea.

Also, to paraphrase "Dirty Harry" many of those "experts" you mention are only experts in their own minds!!

They make all of those different flavors of ice cream for a reason!!! :hattip:

An hour on the board saves a day in the workshop.

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Originally Posted by Mook

An hour on the board saves a day in the workshop.

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Or, an hour on the board is an hour less on the tools.

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Originally Posted by th62

Or, an hour on the board is an hour less on the tools.

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Or, I can't even get to the board because it's piled high with crap.

Neil

Not mine, I don't use one.