| |
 |
Building from a Plan |
 |
 |
| |
As another example, the author in a magazine may have used a
bandsaw with a special circle cutting attachment to make the
40” diameter tabletop. What if you don’t have a bandsaw?
Don’t give up on making the project, simply find another way
of doing it. What else do you have that can cut in a way other
than a straight line? Do you have a router or a jig saw? Either
can be put to good use by making a simple trammel that pivots
at the center of the table blank and has your router or jig
saw attached to the other end 20” from the center. If you don’t
have a router or jigsaw, use a handsaw or table saw for a roughly
round cut, then make it rounder with a belt sander or disk sander.
Cut it out close to the mark by taking lots of straight pieces
off the blank, then screw a lazy Susan bearing to the underside
and clamp your belt sander to your work bench. Slowly turn your
table top against the belt sander to get an even, round table
top. While your instructions may indicate a bandsaw to complete
the project, there are actually several ways to do it.
The idea is to think about all the possible ways to make the
project work, even if they seem silly at the time. After coming
up with as many ideas as possible, assess each. Don’t automatically
dismiss any – spend time trying to see how you can make the
ideas work. Once you have hit on a solution that works for you,
check to see how it affects the next step in the plan, as well
as how it fits into the project, in case there is anything else
you need to change.
The next time you see a project you want to build, don’t limit
yourself because of your tools or skills. View the plan as a
process and think carefully about how you can build it with
what you have.
Michel Theriault
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Other Articles from this Issue |
|
|
|
|
