Where Can I Buy Woodworking Plans?

Places to Buy Woodworking Plans

1. Woodworkers Treasure Chest and Ted’s Woodworking Plans – I review these products below,
2. Etsy – I review below and list some plans available on Etsy, and
3. Books – I list some great books from Amazon below.

As I noted in my post What Do I Need To Start Woodworking, I suggested that you look at the projects that you plan to complete prior to getting a full set of tools. Purchasing plans will not only give you all the information to complete the project but will also either list the tools required or give you the information like the plans and cutting lists where you can create your own list of tools required.

If you are unable to list them yourself, you can print the plans out and take to your local hardware or tool store and have one of the staff at the store assist in getting the tools that you require.

Where to buy woodworking plans

Woodworkers Treasure Chest

The Woodworker Treasure Chest by Sawdust Addict is an example of where you can buy woodworking project plans in the one place.

Pros

• There are thousands of ready to build plans,
• You can download individual plans via a PDF reader, so you don’t have to download all the plans to get the one you want,
• Tutorial videos on how to navigate through the plans,
• You can print out the plans to use,
• There are 3D plans that allow you to view the project as you move it around however, they don’t have the dimensions on them,
• There is a premium range of plans that are better quality and have more detail than their standard range,
• Bonus section with Downloads on “Essential Guide to Routers”, “Definitive Guide to Wood Turning Essentials”, “Design and Building Cabinets”, Furniture and Cabinet Construction”, “The Successful Woodworker’s – 12 point checklist to eliminate frustration, waste and failure”, “The 10 Most Common Woodworking Mistakes”, The Art of Woodworking”,
• They have what they call “APPS” that has a Woodworkers Calculator, Mitred Door Calculator, Board Foot Calculator, Project Wizard,
• Project Wizard, it’s main feature, allows you to enter the type of project you want to complete and Project Wizard searches through the data base listing the plans they have. Once selected and through a series of question on what timber and joins you may use it advises a list of tools needed. It will then ask about the finish and provide information on the finish and how to apply it. Then you can save all this information to use now or save for a later date. It allows you to change what you have saved and gives you an option to print out the PDF. This is by far the best tool this site has to offer,
• They have tutorials on shop safety, safety equipment, tools, jigs, Understanding wood, wood types, workshop layouts and some additional videos,
• They offer add-ons like Module 1 – DIY Carpentry Project, Module 2 – Tiling projects that enhance and Increase Value, Module 3 – Build functional cabinets and Shelves
• 60 Day Money Back Guaranteed
• Private Facebook Group

Cons

• Not all plans are PDF (namely the 3D versions),
• Plans have been sourced from other sites,
• The plans vary in quality and can be light on detail,
• No dimensions on the 3D plans

Ted’s Woodworking Plans

Like Woodworkers Treasure Chest, Teds Woodworking Plans has put together a large selection of woodworking project plans to choose from. Once you purchase the plans, they then have some handy upgrades and further resources that you can add to your purchase.

Pros

• There are thousands of ready to build plans, it’s advertised that there are 16 000,
• Step-by-Step Instructions,
• Cutting and material lists for most of the plans,
• Views from all angles,
• Detailed Schematics,
• Suitable for beginners and Seasoned Woodworkers,
• Option to get everything on DVD, at a cost for those who may find that easier,
• VIP Deluxe add-ons when you purchase the basic plans – which offer more specific item like, “Ultimate Woodworkers Reference”, “Over 219 Outdoor Shed Plans”, “Home 3D Building Software”, “10 Designer Plans with CAD Drawings”,
• The “Handy Dad” Project Collection add-ons when you purchase the basic plans – “The Big Book of 700 Boys Projects”, “Tree Housed and Play Houses”, “Build your Own”, “The Big Book of Science Project”, “DIY Home Repairs”, and more,
• Downloadable Zip Files,
• Links to plan videos,
• DWG and CAD Plan Viewer to edit and modify plans,
• Woodworking Guides tips and tricks,
• 60 Day Money Back Guaranteed,
• Has a giveaway – Sign up here and get your 50 free plans.

Cons

• Some of the plans come from old DIY magazines,
• The plan videos are just links to YouTube,
• Files can take some time to download,
• Plans have been sourced from other sites,
• Not all plans have a material and cutting list.

Etsy

Etsy provides a platform online where people are able to sell items online. There is a range of categories one being woodworking where there are Woodworking Plans for sale.

Pros

• Etsy has a list of Woodworking Plans with pictures that you can scroll through and depending on the size and type of project the prices vary from as little as around $6.00 up to several hundred dollars.
• If you are only looking at completing one project and know what it is you want to build, then this is great way to get the plans.
• If you plan on completing a lot of projects, then you can buy plans in bulk which gives you value for money.
• They offer step-by-step instructions, cutting and material lists, views from all angles, free of ads and easy to download and print.

Cons

• If you where to buy a lot of plans it would soon start to add up,
• You may need to download software onto your computer to download the plans depending on what format they are in.

Plans you can find on Etsy are,

1. Folding Work Bench – Wall Mountable
2. Plans to Build Your Own Wooden Double Dog Kennel
3. DIY Adirondack chair – woodworking plans
4. Hanging Porch Bed Woodworking Plans

Books

Books are a great resource for Woodworking Plans and all types of woodworking information.

Woodworking books can be found at most major book stores and is a great go to guide to have in your work shop.

Check out the “Great Book Of Woodworking Projects” on Amazon which has something for everyone and was put together by American Woodworker.

Other great books on Amazon are,

1. The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking: 150 Easy Projects
2. Animal Puzzles for the Scroll Saw, 2nd Edn
3. Wood Shop: 18 Building Projects Kids Will Love to Make
4. The Workbench Design Book: The Art & Philosophy of Building Better Benches
5. Practical Weekend Projects for Woodworkers
6. 100 Weekend Projects Anyone Can Do: Easy, practical projects using basic tools and standard materials 
7. How to Make Workbenches & Shop Storage Solutions: 28 Projects to Make Your Workshop More Efficient

Why Pay for Woodworking Plans?

Woodworkers Treasure Chest and Teds Woodworking Plans are a collection of plans put together and bundled into a package. They have sourced the plans, added additional resources to provide a one stop shop.

Etsy on the other hand has single Woodworking Plans to Buy from different people who have posted them for sale. Great way to get that one of Woodworking Project Plan.

Books, there is nothing like having a book open and following the guides and plans. To touch, feel and display the book gives you the ability to refer back to it.

Buying Woodworking plans provide great value for money, are generally better in quality and save you a lot of time searching the internet.

 

Happy Woodworking

Regards Ben

 

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