8.4: Plan of Procedure

8.4 Plan of Procedure

A Plan of Procedure, or POP, describes how you intend to build the project.

If a working drawing communicates what you are making, the Plan of Procedure communicates how you plan to make it.

A useful POP identifies the major operations in a logical sequence and connects those operations to the appropriate tools, machines, setups, and reference surfaces.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this section, you should be able to:

• Explain the purpose of a Plan of Procedure.
• Organize woodworking operations into a logical sequence.
• Identify which operations depend on earlier steps.
• Pair processes with appropriate tools or machines.
• Recognize when a plan should be adjusted as the project develops.

Plan Before You Cut

A woodworking project contains dependencies.

For example:

• You need a flat face before planing to thickness.
• You need a straight edge before ripping accurately.
• A groove may need to be cut before an assembly is glued.
• One part may need to be measured from an already assembled section.
• Sanding some surfaces may be easier before final assembly.

A Plan of Procedure forces you to think about these relationships before you begin.

A Simple POP Format

A Plan of Procedure can be a straightforward table.

Example POP

Process	Tool or Machine
Select and rough-cut lumber	Radial arm saw
Flatten one face	Jointer
Plane to thickness	Planer
Rip to width	Table saw
Cut joinery	Appropriate machine or hand tool
Dry-fit assembly	Clamps and measuring tools
Sand parts	Sanders and hand abrasives
Glue assembly	Glue and clamps
Final sand and finish	Abrasives and finish supplies

Your actual POP should describe the specific project rather than remain this general.

Think in Subassemblies

Large projects become easier to understand when they are divided into smaller sections.

For example, a tool tote might be planned as:

• bottom;
• sides and ends;
• risers;
• handle; and
• final assembly.

Each subassembly can have its own short sequence.

This makes the project easier to manage and helps identify which parts depend on others.

Pair the Process With the Tool

Writing only:

“Make the joint.”

is not very useful.

Instead, think through:

• What joint?
• Which surfaces are references?
• Which machine or tool?
• What setup is required?
• Does the operation require a stop block, jig, fence, template, or test piece?
• What must already be completed before this step?

The more clearly you understand the operation before entering the shop, the less time you spend deciding what to do while standing in front of a machine.

Matching Can Matter More Than a Number

Woodworking is not always about making every part match a theoretical dimension perfectly.

Sometimes relationships between parts matter more.

For example:

• two sides should match each other;
• two ends should match each other;
• a bottom should fit the opening that actually exists;
• a handle should fit between the risers that were actually installed.

This is sometimes called relative dimensioning.

The developing project itself can become the most accurate measuring tool.

Measure From the Work When Appropriate

Suppose a drawing says a bottom should be a particular width.

After the box frame is assembled, the actual opening may differ slightly from the theoretical drawing because of normal machining and assembly variation.

Rather than blindly cutting the bottom to the original number, it may be better to:

1. assemble the frame;
2. verify that the frame is square;
3. measure the actual opening;
4. determine the required clearance; and
5. fit the bottom to the project.

This does not mean drawings are unimportant.

It means the plan should recognize when actual project dimensions become more useful than theoretical ones.

Story Sticks, Templates, and Spacers

Not every dimension needs to be transferred as a number.

Woodworkers often use physical references.

A story stick records important locations or dimensions directly on a strip of material.

A template provides a repeatable shape or location.

A spacer establishes a consistent distance.

These tools can reduce measurement errors and make repeated parts more consistent.

Plan for Test Cuts

If an operation involves a new setup:

test it before cutting the finished part.

Your POP can include steps such as:

• prepare test stock;
• make test cut;
• check fit;
• adjust setup;
• repeat if necessary;
• machine project parts only after the setup is correct.

This is especially useful for:

• dadoes;
• rabbets;
• finger joints;
• router setups;
• mortises and tenons; and
• repeated cuts using stop blocks.

Dry-Fit Is Part of the Procedure

Include dry fitting in the plan.

Before glue-up:

• assemble the parts;
• check joint fit;
• verify squareness;
• confirm dimensions;
• prepare clamps; and
• rehearse the assembly sequence.

A POP should include the steps that prevent problems—not just the steps that remove wood.

The Plan Can Change

A Plan of Procedure is not a contract with your earlier self.

Wood moves.

Measurements vary.

A part may need to be remade.

You may discover a better sequence.

When the project changes, update the plan.

The value of planning is not that everything happens exactly as predicted.

The value is that you have thought through the project well enough to recognize what should happen next when something changes.

Communicate the Process

A good Plan of Procedure should be clear enough that another competent woodworker can understand the intended sequence.

Like a working drawing, it is a form of communication.

If someone else can understand:

• what you are building;
• which operations occur;
• what tools are needed; and
• how the steps relate to one another,

then you have probably planned the project well.

Check Yourself

1. What is the difference between a working drawing and a Plan of Procedure?
2. Why should processes be placed in a logical sequence?
3. Why is it useful to divide a project into subassemblies?
4. What is relative dimensioning?
5. When might the actual project be a better reference than the original drawing?
6. What are story sticks, templates, and spacers used for?
7. Why should test cuts appear in a Plan of Procedure?
8. Why is dry fitting part of the construction process?
9. Should a Plan of Procedure ever be changed after work begins?