TedsWoodworking: An Independent Look at the 16,000-Plan Collection

What Is Included in the Current TedsWoodworking Offer?

The official order section lists the following as part of the $67 package. We have grouped them so you can see what is core content and what is a service or an add-on.

The plan library

The main component is access to the full collection of more than 16,000 TedsWoodworking plans. Each is described as having step-by-step details, drawings, plans, and cutting and materials lists. The vendor states that most plans are beginner level, with the rest intermediate and some expert level.

Lifetime members-area access

Plans are delivered through an online members area. The vendor says it has a search bar, category filters, and Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced difficulty levels. You download the plans you want and can print them for the shop. Access is described as lifetime, with no expiry date.

Monthly plan additions

The sales page says the workshop team adds roughly 5–8 new projects each month. These go into the members area tagged and categorized, at no extra cost for buyers of the one-time offer.

Custom plan request

Buyers can submit a request inside the members area for a project not already in the library. The vendor says its team will draft, build, test, and deliver the plan. Turnaround times are not guaranteed on the sales page. One published testimonial mentions about two weeks.

Guides, videos, and bonuses

The package includes an archive of woodworking guides and video tutorials, plus four named bonuses covered in the bonuses section below.

Optional: physical copies

This is the one item that costs extra. The vendor offers the plans and bonuses on DVDs or a USB drive, shipped to you "for a small additional fee." The amount is not stated on the sales page, so check it at checkout if you prefer physical media. The base purchase is a digital download.

Main Features of TedsWoodworking Plans

Step-by-step instructions

Ordered instructions matter most at the transition points: when you move from cutting parts to assembly, or from dry-fitting to glue-up. The vendor's main criticism of other plans is that they skip these steps. A plan that spells out assembly order helps you avoid gluing something you later need to reach.

Drawings and schematics

Detailed drawings show how parts relate in three dimensions, which written steps alone rarely convey. They are especially useful for checking a joint or hardware location before you commit to a cut.

Cutting and materials lists

A materials list tells you what to buy. A cutting list tells you how to break that stock down into parts. Together they let you price a project before you start and reduce extra trips to the lumber yard.

Searchable organization

With a library this size, findability is a real feature. Keyword search plus category and difficulty filters is what makes 16,000 plans usable rather than overwhelming.

What determines whether a plan helps you

Even a carefully drawn plan depends on things outside it: how clearly it is written, your skill with the required joints, whether you own the tools it assumes, and the quality and actual dimensions of your lumber. Store-bought boards often differ from their nominal size, and a plan that assumes one when you have the other will not line up. The official page tells a story about exactly this problem. Reading a plan fully before buying materials is the best way to catch such mismatches.

Woodworking Plans for Beginners and Experienced Builders

Beginners are the audience the sales page speaks to most directly, and the vendor says most plans are beginner level. Detailed instructions and a difficulty filter can make the first projects less intimidating. Still, a beginner needs basic tools, a safe place to work, and the understanding that a first project may look homemade. One of the published testimonials says exactly that: "It's not perfect but it's standing."

Hobbyists who have built a few things and want new ideas may get the most day-to-day use, because a large catalog is mainly a source of next projects.

Experienced woodworkers may treat the plans as a starting point to adapt rather than follow line by line. The included CAD viewer bonus is aimed at modifying plans to fit a specific space.

People planning a specific build, such as a chicken coop, a shed, or a garage storage wall, may value the custom request option if the library lacks an exact match.

Not every plan suits every beginner. A tiny house or a dresser with drawers needs more skill and tools than a planter box. Use the difficulty filter honestly.

Practical Advice for Planning a Woodworking Project

Whatever plans you use, these habits decide whether a project goes smoothly.

Match the project to your skill

Choose something one step beyond what you have done, not five. Each new joint type is a new skill to practice on scrap first.

Check measurements before cutting

Compare the drawing dimensions against the cutting list, and both against the real thickness of your boards. A 3/4" board is often slightly less. Mark parts with labels so they don't get mixed up.

Build your shopping list from the materials list

Add 10–15% extra lumber to cover defects and mistakes, and pick boards that are straight and free of large knots where parts are visible or load-bearing.

Confirm your tools

List every tool the plan assumes. If a step calls for a router or a dado blade you lack, look for an alternative method or choose a different project.

Read assembly steps all the way through

Dry-fit the whole project before glue. That is when you find out whether clamps reach and parts go together in the order written.

Work safely

Wear eye and hearing protection, control dust, keep blade guards in place, and follow your tool manufacturers' instructions. Plans describe the work. They do not replace safe practice.

Plan the finish

Decide on stain, paint, or oil early. Outdoor projects need exterior-rated finishes, and kitchen items need food-safe ones. Test the finish on an offcut.