All my elevations are finished. The cool thing about this software is that once I've created every elevation, I can take off a parts list relatively easily. I do have to remember to add a couple inches to the tenoned pieces because I didn't reflect them in my drawings.
The "parts list" will reflect every single piece of wood in this desk, as well as each piece's dimensions. If someone else wanted to build this desk, they could easily do it with a picture of the finished desk, the elevations, and the parts list.
I could find desk plans that I could purchase. They don't include elevations, or they are very poor and basic. They're almost always wrong, too. That generally comes from drawing things on paper with dimensions. It's really hard not to transpose a number or get a wrong dimension because you can't stack parts in your head as you build, or easily back-check, or keep a fast workflow where you don't forget things.
When a designer begins cutting parts they'll normally catch it, but don't go back and adjust plans because it's a huge amount of work. Then the parts list doesn't match the drawing at that point, so things become a bit messy, but they'll still sell the plans because they're within a margin of error that's considered acceptable.
With plans, I can't build exactly what I want, either. So I just do everything from scratch. It's easier.
If I weren't so lazy I'd take notes along the way, and when I build the desk, take notes and explain how I put stuff together. That would make for the best plans in the world and I could sell them very easily. I don't want to.
I may take off the parts list today, but I have the flu and I'm stupid. I'll probably forge ahead, then check my work when my head clears.
Then I can figure out how much lumber I need and head to the Amish Sawmill, not get enough lumber, come home, start working, and wish I'd have gotten more lumber.
I have to build two of these desks. Mine is going to be a little different than Lisa's, but I probably won't draw it.
There are a lot of huge panels in this project, so it'll be slow going. I'm looking forward to seeing how long it takes by tracking progress in this thread.
Here's a couple pics of the elevations. I'll add a parts list later just to give you an idea of what it takes and how it's done.
