never really thought about making prototypes

i sketch things out roughly on paper and refine that

was reading a book and he always makes prototypes
usually at a reduced scale from the final piece but for small boxes
or similar he made them the same size


maybe if i had a commision to make something i would prototype
but it is too much extra work to do for anything else

On 6/30/2016 9:02 PM, Electric Comet wrote:
never really thought about making prototypes

i sketch things out roughly on paper and refine that

was reading a book and he always makes prototypes
usually at a reduced scale from the final piece but for small boxes
or similar he made them the same size


maybe if i had a commision to make something i would prototype
but it is too much extra work to do for anything else

I've only done it a couple of times, mostly when trying something new to
me. Pine is cheaper than cherry if you screw it up. Couple of times
though, the prototype was very good and became a gift to someone.

I made a prototype for a stand to hold all my AV components. Fifteen
years later I'm still using it while contemplating the final design.
Could be finalized any day now.

Electric Comet wrote in news:nl4ff0$ri3$1
@dont-email.me:

never really thought about making prototypes

i sketch things out roughly on paper and refine that

was reading a book and he always makes prototypes
usually at a reduced scale from the final piece but for small boxes
or similar he made them the same size


maybe if i had a commision to make something i would prototype
but it is too much extra work to do for anything else

You don't have to build 100% accurate or detailed prototypes. It's
sometimes as effective to just model the parts you're interested in.
Like a chest of drawers, you may want to see how 2 vs 3 drawers fits so
you just mock the front part up.

You may just take two pieces of wood and dovetail them. Better to do it
with something you don't feel bad about cutting a few inches off of
rather than your project wood.

One of the keys to prototyping is that the prototypes should be able to
be built quickly, learned from, and cheap. It can be worth the extra
work, especially if you're still in the design phase.

Puckdropper

On 6/30/2016 10:57 PM, Puckdropper wrote:
You don't have to build 100% accurate or detailed prototypes. It's
sometimes as effective to just model the parts you're interested in.
Like a chest of drawers, you may want to see how 2 vs 3 drawers fits so
you just mock the front part up.

You may just take two pieces of wood and dovetail them. Better to do it
with something you don't feel bad about cutting a few inches off of
rather than your project wood.

One of the keys to prototyping is that the prototypes should be able to
be built quickly, learned from, and cheap.

Very well stated.

I find prototyping to be essential for some projects, and used them even
more years ago ... before I started using SketchUp, which in itself
allows you to "prototype" in a practical sense.

Reproduction chair making is a good example of the practicality of using
prototypes. This particular one was done without the benefit of 3D modeling:

http://ewoodshop.com/craftsman-chair/

It can be worth the extra
work, especially if you're still in the design phase.

Absolutely, the ability to take a prototype off the workbench, place it
in its desired location, or in the visual plane in which it will be
used, is often essential in settling upon a final design ...
particularly for us non artistic types with no designer gene.

And, as Ed stated, do it well enough in the prototype stage, and the
prototype may become the keeper.

--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://www.google.com/+eWoodShop
https://plus.google.com/+KarlCaillouet/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
https://www.facebook.com/eWoodShop-206166666122228
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 23:01:44 -0400
Ed Pawlowski wrote:

I've only done it a couple of times, mostly when trying something new
to me. Pine is cheaper than cherry if you screw it up. Couple of
times though, the prototype was very good and became a gift to
someone.

well that is the thing
if you go so far to make something might as well make it usable

i am making something simple now but i think i will have to make
a couple of prototypes but no one will ever know they were
prototypes for a grander plan


I made a prototype for a stand to hold all my AV components. Fifteen
years later I'm still using it while contemplating the final design.
Could be finalized any day now.


haha yeah falls into that category of not letting perfect get in the
way of good enough

I've made prototypes for a jewelry box and a necklace cabinet. No big screwups so my wife took them. Son wants a double pedestal desk with atypical dimensions. I mocked up one pedestal with scrap wood and used some MDF as the top to confirm it looked OK and he was happy with the "feel". Working on the final version now.

Bill

On Sunday, July 3, 2016 at 12:15:46 PM UTC-4, Electric Comet wrote:
On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 23:01:44 -0400
Ed Pawlowski wrote:

I've only done it a couple of times, mostly when trying something new
to me. Pine is cheaper than cherry if you screw it up. Couple of
times though, the prototype was very good and became a gift to
someone.

well that is the thing
if you go so far to make something might as well make it usable

i am making something simple now but i think i will have to make
a couple of prototypes but no one will ever know they were
prototypes for a grander plan


I made a prototype for a stand to hold all my AV components. Fifteen
years later I'm still using it while contemplating the final design.
Could be finalized any day now.


haha yeah falls into that category of not letting perfect get in the
way of good enough

On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 8:02:27 PM UTC-5, Electric Comet wrote:
never really thought about making prototypes

i sketch things out roughly on paper and refine that

was reading a book and he always makes prototypes
usually at a reduced scale from the final piece but for small boxes
or similar he made them the same size


maybe if i had a commision to make something i would prototype
but it is too much extra work to do for anything else

"Prototype," I don't need no stinking prototype !!! But then, of course, technically speaking, almost EVERYTHING I make is a "prototype. ;-)

On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 11:01:48 PM UTC-4, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 6/30/2016 9:02 PM, Electric Comet wrote:
never really thought about making prototypes

i sketch things out roughly on paper and refine that

was reading a book and he always makes prototypes
usually at a reduced scale from the final piece but for small boxes
or similar he made them the same size


maybe if i had a commision to make something i would prototype
but it is too much extra work to do for anything else

I've only done it a couple of times, mostly when trying something new to
me. Pine is cheaper than cherry if you screw it up. Couple of times
though, the prototype was very good and became a gift to someone.

I made a prototype for a stand to hold all my AV components. Fifteen
years later I'm still using it while contemplating the final design.
Could be finalized any day now.

It's only temporary...unless it works.