So now that I saw a picture of a cabinet I like, how does one go about making that into an actual cabinet? All I've got is a photo - no diagrams, no instructions. Well, first off is the drawing:
On graph paper I first drew out the bathroom, in a couple of elevations (from the front, from the side). Then I rough-sketched the cabinet. Once tweaked enough so it looked about right, I drew out the final dimensions. But even final dimensions don't give you enough detail to take to the table saw. That's when story poles come in:
Story Poles are long sticks of wood that you draw each axis of the cabinet on. Once it's on the story pole, you no longer have to remember the length in inches -- you just use the markings on the story pole. I use a ruler when marking up the poles. So the long story pole there is the cabinet length. On it I've drawn the 3/4" plywood sides, the 3/4" plywood inner dividers, and the door and drawer-fronts. When it comes time to cut the wood, I pay no attention to inches -- I just use the story poles.
