Designing a good journal template for projects

[Jo_Bai]

I was thinking about starting to journal about my projects when I needed to replicate some items and completely forgot the dimensions I used. 

So far I found something like that, but thought I could use your knowledge and make one myself and make it for everyone to use.

 

 

Ideas so far are:

An Index

Date

Description of the basic idea

Timetable for different work steps

Sequence of the important steps

Used starting stock

Which special tools are needed

Encountered problems

Other notes

References 

 

graph paper for drawings

 

Now my question for you is, what would you do different/add/remove.
 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

That is better than the system I used which was a sheet of graph paper with the scale drawing and misc. notes scribbled in the margins and back, with a printed out picture from my phone or computer. All kept in an aluminum clipboard with some scanned into the computer.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[BillyBones]

Yep, definitely beats the back of receipts, napkins and what not. 

I just got that same book and so far i am pleased with it. As far as content not much i can think of really adding. User friendly is where i would make the improvement. I would like to see the book as a spiral bound so that when in use it lays flat. Being right handed when writing on the left side it is a pain to hold the right side pages down so they do not interfere with my writing. It would also help from use in the shop. The guy that wrote is a jewelry maker so he i would imagine is used to a much more clean orginized work space than a blacksmith. When you have to clear space on your bench to use the book i think it would be much easier if spiral bound to deal with. 

[Chenier]

>> When you have to clear space on your bench to use the book ... <<

We ended up with a spare music stand from a local band. It's great for holding shop drawings, small binders, manuals etc. and easy to move around the shop to where you need it. One of its blessings is the stand isn't good for much else so it doesn't collect "stuff" that needs to be cleared away.

[Jo_Bai]

My thought was to make it loose paper. You take a journal page and put it on something like a clipboard. When you are finished, it goes in a binder and is archived. Does that sound better than a book?

The idea with a music stand is great. I also have the problem that flat surfaces collect things.....

[BillyBones]

I was actually thinking of cutting the backing off mine, punching some holes and putting it in a 3 ring binder. 

I was thinking of something that could be sold on book shelves when i said a spiral bound. 

That music stand idea is pretty good, now if only i knew a blacksmith who could make one...

[Frosty]

I have a dry erase board with pencil tray for rough working sketches in the shop but I do all my planning sketches on Graph paper. I have a few ring binders I experiment with in the shop. I like my spiral graph paper binders but I need another one for notes and it's silly impractical looking up an old project and notes. 

What I like about the ring binders is I can intersperse lined note paper with Graph paper so I can sketch on the right side and write notes on the left. When writing notes I label, materials, dimensions, times, etc. and they aren't consistent between projects so having printed lines on the note page wouldn't work very well for me. I like peal and stick colored tabs I number to make finding things easier. The "tabalogue"() is the first couple pages.

I put the "As Built," drawings, pics, notes, etc. on the next page set in the binder. It ain't perfect but works pretty well for me. I also have a bunch of clip boards and places to hang them around where I work.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[yves]

As much as I can, which means when I think of it, I put drawings and notes in a book. When I have to find these notes, that drawing, I go to the alphabet page with page numbers on the lkast page of the book. This one :

In this example, the name of what I am looking for starts with an E, so I go at the lettre E and go down the page numbers read what is in this index starting with an E  and on page 29 of this page I read "Étripe chat etc. "

On page 29, I find what I was looking for :

And if I have to add something, notes of pics, I stick them in the book and on the original page ( page 029 in this case ) I write down the page where I will find addendums.

For me this is very flexible and being the way I am, I do not loose these notes

 

[Jo_Bai]

Thanks for all the ideas. I will try to build V.1 in the following days.

[Chad J.]

Uhh, i would use one for a day or 2 before it was buried under a pile of ADHD inspired half finished projects.  Of someone designed a notebook that had angled covers on it that prevented it from allowing misc. Projects from building up on it...

[BillyBones]

This past weekend i took that book, clamped it down with a straight edge, took a utility knife and cut the spine off. Was going to punch hole but while getting a 3 ring binder i found... (dramatic pause)... document protectors. So i just put the individual pages into the protectors. 

Now, just to actually use it. 

[JHCC]

Document protectors are great. You can take the pages out to make notes, and the protectors keep those sheets clean the rest of the time. You can also make temporary notes on them with a grease pencil and wipe them off later (check first to make sure the specific pencil is compatible with the specific protector, though).

I have photocopies of my Hossfeld bender’s manual and the Hossfeld catalog in sheet protectors and a binder for shop use, keeping the originals on the shelf of my smithing library. 

[swedefiddle]

Good Mourning,

A kids scribbler works great. Make lots of drawings/sketches. Squeeze a flat ruler between the pages, it won't fall out, unless you drop it.

Some people NEED detailed drawing to move forward. Some people make things and make a sketch after they have started. The finished project is in the brain, reverse the steps to the beginning and begin. Alter as needed, subject to...........

If you don't enjoy what you are doing, Do something else. If you don't enjoy your design, Change it. Does it Sing or Swim? Who cares. Just make stuff......

Neil

[Frosty]

That depends on what you're making doesn't it Neil? Ever try installing a railing or gate that was eyeballed instead of measured and drawn? Things like bottle openers and can ring lifters are eyeballers. Coat hooks too IF you aren't putting a number of them on a board for someone's entry. Matching coat hooks look better and sell MUCH better. Not that a coat hooks needs a dimensioned drawing, I can make matched sets using story marks on the anvil to mark and isolate sections.

Still, having a sketch with notes is a good thing, I might get asked to replace one 10 years later.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Mike BR]

Not drawing isn’t the same as not measuring. My bandsaw table is covered with number I’ve scribbled after I pulled out a calculator to figure a particular dimension, even though the overall design existed only in my head. Of course, I might work differently if I could draw better—or at all.