Design Process Part Three

Now is the time where the decision is made to make it or throw it out.  The questions that I answer are relatively basic:

• Do I want to make it?  Putting it all on paper is this something that I want to make or has it lost its luster or drive?
• Can I make it?  Is the design too complicated to make, are the parts too dangerous to make or there are too many things that I do not know how to do?  This is just a question of safety and capability.
• Is it going to fill its purpose?  I really don't want to make something that will just get by for a short season.  I do not want a piece of furniture or toy that will only be temporary or break after a little bit of use.

If the project is still ago then print out drawings and buy lumber to make prototypes or if confident just make it.  I like to have space on my drawings to make notes and changes as they come up.  If I am prototyping I work in poplar and oak.  These are less expensive woods and easy to work.  It also has the contrast that to show with difference between species.  This gives and over all look of a project and if contrast adds or detracts from the project.  These woods are also less expensive to make mistakes on.
Now it is making the parts and assembling.  Take notes on the drawings of things that come up, either wrong dimensions or changes that would make the project look better.  For example, the train cars looked better with the sides inset on the floor  than flush.

This basically is to test the fit of the parts and how everything comes together.  This process identifies the potential parts that maybe difficult to assemble or impossible to assemble.  The caboose and cage car were interesting cars to build. Even though the holes lined up it was still a pain to get all the dowels to line up and in the holes.  It made it easier to round the tops of the dowels to guide into the holes.  The caboose I thought could put in the put the longer dowels in after I put in the balcony.  I ended up breaking the balcony.  So I changed the drawing so the dowels were all the same length.
Once the prototypes is done make it how it was designed.