Before attempting to construct a project of your own design, you should prepare a job plan. A job plan generally includes the following items:

1. A working drawing of the project. This is a carefully sketched freehand drawing.
2. A bill of materials.
3. A list of tools and equipment needed.
4. A list of the steps of procedure, in proper order, for making the project.
5. Approval before making the project (if required).

When you prepare a plan for a project which you are planning to carry out, you use the same procedure that is used in the metal industry. In the industry, every product to be made must be planned out in a working drawing form. Working drawings must be made for each part of each product. The proper material must be selected for each part, and the cost must be analyzed. Tools, machinery and equipment must be provided. The procedure must be carefully analyzed for most economical production. Your job plan, therefore, involves some of the kinds of things which are performed by manufacturing engineers, industrial technicians and skilled workers.

A job plan is, therefore, a comprehensive list of materials needed for a project, step-by-step procedure for making the project, the details of the worker's personal data, tools, and equipment needed for the project.

A bill of materials is the comprehensive list of all the materials that you will need to complete a project. This list includes bolts, screws, nuts, and washers that have uniform sizes and shapes. It may be useful to refer to a catalogue to get the sizes and types.

The bill of materials should be made up as follows:

1. The parts (identifies by number or letters).
2. The number of pieces needed for each.
3. The size of the material.
4. The shape and kind of material.
5. The unit cost of the material.
6. The total cost of the object.

Things to remember when preparing the bill of materials

1. The stock i.e. the raw (rough) materials you need to buy for the project.
2. Decide the shape of the stock you need and buy same.
3. The size given on the bill of materials, i.e. the size of the rough metal you will buy, including the waste to be cut off.
4. The size given on the working drawing, i.e. the finished size.
5. Sizes of materials (stock) are given as follows:
a. Flat piece of metal: thickness x width x length
b. Square piece of metal: thickness x width x length
c. Round piece of metal: diameter x length
d. Hexagonal piece of metal: distance across flat sides x length



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