In the spirit of Eames, Aalto and anyone else with a special thing for engineered wood, Storey Publishing and I are creating a book of do-it-yourself building projects using plywood (and other sheet goods).
I’m Philip Schmidt. As the author/editor of the book, I’m in charge of finding fresh, innovative and supercool project designs from creative people like you.
For those of you who don’t know me, you can visit my website to see that I’m legit, in a manner of speaking:
www.philipschmidt.net
Here is Storey’s website (they’re very legit):
www.storey.com
About the Book
The book will contain 101 clever, custom, modern home furnishings and accessories that you can build on a budget using basic hand and power tools. Many are easy to disassemble for storage or to take with you when you move (great for renters and those on the lam). All are made with standard materials available at lumberyards, home centers and online suppliers.
Projects We’re Looking For*
Pretty much anything in and around the home:
Furniture
Storage and display pieces
Kids’ stuff
Outdoor furniture and accessories
Home office
Decoration/Artwork
Pet accessories
Surprise us (we’re already looking at one idea for a plywood Christmas tree)
*A Few Notes About Projects
It’s ok to use any hardware, fasteners or other non-plywood prefab doodads necessary to complete the project, as long as the materials are readily available and not custom-fabricated or downright pricey.
In terms of skill level and equipment, our target readers are regular folks working in their garages. So each project must be doable with ordinary hand tools or portable power tools. We still want to see pieces made with CNC routers and the like; we’ll just have to discuss adapting them for the home woodworker.
Unfortunately, we can’t Bend It Like Breuer. Bending plywood is a bit too complex for this book, so please save your bent ply pieces for (I hope) a later edition.
What We Will Need From You
1. Original project design.
Ok to reinterpret traditional forms. Submit as many designs as you like.
2. Written step-by-step instructions for completing the project.
3. Measured drawing of project parts.
Ok if rough, but must be accurate.
4. Photograph of finished project.
What You Get
1. Fame:
A byline in the published book, with your name under your project’s title. We’ll also include a brief bio of each contributor in the back of the book—a great place to plug your website or business, or maybe just to say something nice about your mom.
2. Money:
We’ll pay for each design selected for the book—enough to cover the basic materials for most projects. (Note: Payments are made after the book releases, which is scheduled for spring 2012.)
3. Your project:
We just need a photo of the finished product, so the real thing is yours to keep. In other words, we’ll pay you to design and build something nice for yourself.
4. Free book:
Each contributor gets a free copy of the finished book (also sent after the book releases).
So, Whatdya Say?
If you’re interested, send me an email at plywoodbook@gmail.com.
Please include:
1. Brief description of the project(s) you have in mind.
2. Photo or sketch of the finished product (JPEGs or PDFs are best).
3. Basic construction steps for completing the project. If your design is chosen, you can refine the instructions for your final submission.
For those of you in the business of designing and building stuff, we will accept projects that are already in production, provided you own the rights to the designs. All contributors will retain their current rights to their projects and will authorize a one-time use of the design for the book.
If your project is selected, you’ll receive more information on submission requirements, the final deadline and other details, so you can get to work on your final submission.
NOTE: Projects will be considered as they come in, so it’s a good idea to send yours sooner rather than later.
Thank you.
Philip Schmidt
p.s. Please feel free to pass this message along (or blog about it) to anyone who might be interested (particularly your most talented friends and acquaintances who would kill for the free publicity).
