Search ‘Pain’ – Digital Libraries and Plan Store
I received my ‘Look Inside the Next Issue of Fine Woodworking’ email a few days ago. In it is an article on Christian Becksvoort’s Shaker Side Chest. It’s in issue 311. I like the looks of this and may try my hand at it. While I can probably (maybe/maybe not) build it from the article, on the second page it says that “Digital plans for this side chest are free for Unlimited members or can be purchased at FineWoodworking.com/PlanStore.”
I am an Unlimited member. I’ve searched. I cannot come up with anything on this cabinet either in the Digital Library or the Plan Store. Generally speaking, I find searching for something in the Digital Libraries or the Plan Store to be frustrating especially in the Plan Store as the names of some of the plans are different than what’s in the publication. Am I doing something wrong?
Additionally, what is the criteria for plans being free to unlimited members as opposed to having to purchase them from the Plan Store?
Thanks,
bndsley
Replies
The only thing I can answer for certain is that it usually takes a little while after an issue first appears that the plans will show up.
The FWW search engine leaves something to be desired.
Same with this lousy forum platform.
So, I'm looking for a plan referenced in a 2008 article by Kevin Rodel (Build a Prairie settle). Can't find it. Can't even fine the link given in the article as I'm redirected to the Tauton Store - which does not have this plan. Anyone know of a phone number to ask someone?
The plans for that project are no longer in production. They might wind up in the library eventually, but no promises. The article is 16 years old and I'm not sure what the status is.
Check Lee Valley—they have lots of plans.
Some years ago I purchased these plans and built the piece. I probably have it somewhere in the shop and if I can find it I'll post a reply again to your message and we'll figure out how to get the plans to you.
I purchased the plans and built the settle some years ago. Found the thing in my shop this morning. Happy to send it to you if you want. Got to figure out a way communicate directly to coordinate the details
Hello 1sri and bndsley,
If you both send me a message through the contact form on my website (click on my profile to see the web address) I'll send an email to put you in touch. Include your name, email, and "Plans from FW forum" to make sure it reaches me. I've done this many times for Forum users.
-Myko
What information do you expect to get out of the plans that is not shown in the article?
Just curious - no ill will intended
From what I've seen of other digital plans I would be getting more detail. Just a preference. No harm asking.
Thanks
The issue went up last Wednesday. Sadly, getting the plans in the plan library often doesn't happen on the earliest-possible-in-home date like it's supposed to. We dropped the ball.
We'll get it up and post here when it's up.
*edit - Agreed on the plan store search. That's one reason why we're moving away from it.
First I've heard of moving away from the 'plan store' search. Are you moving away from the Plan Store / Taunton altogether or doing something with the search? Either way, it's got to be better than what it is now.
Too soon to know at this point. But they're figuring it all out. The plan library for members will be unaffected.
So, while I have your attention, there is one part of my question that hasn't been answered. What are the criteria for plans being free to unlimited members as opposed to having to purchase them from the Plan Store? Should unlimited members have to purchase plans?
Everything digital in the plan store should be available in the plan library. The only reason I can think of that it wouldn't be is if we don't have files anymore or something fell off a list somewhere.
They haven't been figuring anything out for years. It's simply incompetence, poor management, or lack of hiring the right people, or getting strangled by corporate higher ups. The search engine has been a mess for years. FWW deperately needs do do something about their digital interface.
The forum platform stinks and can be changed easily. I can't help but conclude there are shortsighted people running things that apparently can't see a decent forum interface is also a portal for membership.
I have received FWW magazine since the 80's. Then I was a digital subscriber and I tell people the membership fee is worth just for the project videos. I mean watching Phil Lowe and Steve Latta work - what's that worth?
But I would receive emails weekly asking me to subscribe...........
Hi, I had the same problem and I figured it out. Login as a member, go to digital plans library ( https://www.finewoodworking.com/digital-plans-library ), scroll all the way down to Casework category, and you'll find it there as Shaker Nightstand.
Thanks, I really appreciate that.
Maybe Ben will see this as it addresses another issue. Why change the name of an item in the digital plans library from what it was originally? While I'm at it why not just put a link to it in the digital publication?
Again, I don't want to take away from your assistance.
Thanks,
bndsley
I'm not sure I follow about the name change. If you're talking about changing the name from what is in the magazine there are a million different reasons, the main two being that article titles are chosen artistically and are rarely suitable for anything outside of the article layout, and the second being search engine optimization. We need people to be able to find the thing. Without SEO, we're out of business, plane and simple. That is precisely the reason I change 95% of the titles for any online presentation. But the name of the plan itself (I don't think) ever changes between the plan store and the plan library.
The link the digital publication. Ya. We try to, and we use to, but I think you're underestimating the number of pieces for us to juggle when an issue comes out. The plans are honestly, and unfortunately, the last piece of the puzzle we can get to and time is better spent elsewhere. Also, links to and from plans have been the bane of my existence for my time here... there is always more to update and hunt down. Eventually they're all going to change again! Woooohoooo!!!
All I'm trying to say is the article is titled 'Shaker Side Chest'. Becksvoort refers to it as a 'side chest' in the article not as a 'nightstand'. On the second page of the article there's a small square box like in most articles that says, 'Digital plans for this 'side chest' are available....'.
In the digital library the plans are 'Shaker Nightstand'. If I wanted to purchase or download the plans, how would I know what to search for with or without SEO?
I'm sure you have other things to do as do I but I'm just saying ...
Thanks,
bndsley
You can filter that page by style or author. There are myriad of ways of finding it in the plan store. But the essence is I want people to find it who are looking to build any nightstand. What Chris (or the Shakers) call it is not what the laymen calls it and we're always hoping people find our plans in a myriad of ways. I want the person googling "nightstand plans" to have a better chance of finding it. To be honest, you're the first person who has brought up the name changes. For every person it bothers it likely brings 100 in the door... well... that's the idea at least.
The google trends results on nightstands vs. side table vs. all of the other variations is intensely interesting... totally different conversation.
“[Deleted]”
I'm not excusing any online vendor or publisher for difficult to use search engines or just overall difficult sites to use. However, I almost never have a problem finding a number of old articles or videos that address the technique or type of piece I'm researching. The vast amount of reference information and the ease of access to this information are the main reasons I am an Unlimited subscriber.
I find the FWW site better than many others for searching and not as good as some others I've been on. Almost always though, when searching for a particular topic, type of furniture, or just general information, I get what I expected; usually much more than I can digest and the vast majority of my results are relevant to my search. All search engines yield some some irrelevant results, so just ignore those.
The only thing that FWW and its new publisher need to remember is that removing access to any current content available through Unlimited will force even us long-time Unlimited subscribers to reconsider whether it's worth the money or not. I have subscribed to FWW Unlimited since it's beginning and have never been sorry to date. Almost always it's either my first stop on the internet when I need information or I end up going there to supplement other searches.
I've been a woodworker for 45+ years. While I'm not the best, I've developed a lot of skills and have all the tools necessary to create almost anything I wish at this point. So, for me, having a resource like FWW Unlimited where I have access to 45+ years of information on techniques and designs is invaluable when I am challenged by a piece or method I've never encountered before.
Just a reminder, no website is perfect. All searches yield some irrelevant results. The key to a site's value is that the results you get allow you to improve or learn something that gives you the necessary help you need. FWW has been doing that for "awhile".
Oh, by the way . . . I'm not sure what's wrong with this Forum. All Forums have flaws; most notably that some of those who post are just not nice to the others. I would say, however, that the FWW Forum has been monitored a bit more than most and, therefore, there is less "attitude" from posters. I appreciate that, but will say that mostly I just ignore those who find it difficult to be civil and those who don't understand that all of us woodworkers started somewhere and didn't create masterpieces when we started. I, for example, began by making countertop breadboxes and spice racks to sell at arts and crafts shows in the 1970's. Today, I wouldn't be proud of those small items, but I was that time. Over the time since then, I've graduated to mission style tables, a natural edge/mission style legs table, a simple wall shelving unit, night stand tables, and other much more sophisticated pieces, as well as becoming a woodturner of bowls, hollow forms, and various other pieces. However, regardless of my improvement in skills, I have never forgotten those first pieces and the difficulties I had in even making them in the beginning. No one should forget their beginning woodworking period when providing information to others just starting out or trying to increase their skills.
For the record... there has never ever been mention of removing any access of content available through the Unlimited membership. I'm not sure where that came up at all. Not even a whisper... so I'd just like to get that out there.
This forum gives members an opportunity to vent frustrations with FWW. I never perceived it as an opportunity to attack the administrator.
Newer members might find it interesting that posts don’t fall linearly downward. Each time someone posts a comment you must search the entire thread to find out where it is. However, most people enjoy that feature I think.
I believe posts are displayed oldest first, newest at the bottom. At least mine screen is. To get to the newest just go down to the bottom.
It doesn't make sense to attack the administrator; provide suggestions for improvements, sure...
Generally speaking you are correct about the posting's chronology. However if someone, like I just did, replies to a post it's posted underneath the original post and is no longer in chronological order on the thread.
I assume you replied to my post rather than the thread as I did just now to your post. It’s standard in other forums to keep direct responses under the post responded to while posts replying to the overall thread remain chronological. Sawmill Creek, Festool FOG and AA for Woodturning all operate that way.