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:
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
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:
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.
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
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 scre wups 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
"Prototype," I don't need no stinking prototype !!! But then, of course, technically speaking, almost EVERYTHING I make is a "prototype. ;-)
It's only temporary...unless it works.
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