How do you keep track of your projects?

[l@rz818]

I've been blacksmithing for a while now and I've started building up a decent portfolio of projects. I recently had a friend ask me to recreate an older piece, and I realized I had zero notes on the exact dimensions or steps I took. It was a huge pain to get it right again.

It got me thinking, does anyone here have a project journal or a solid tracking system they'd recommend? I'd love to find a way to log all the details, like the description, key steps, materials, tools used, and any problems I ran into. Having a place for notes and references would be a huge plus.

How do you all keep track of your work? I'd love to hear what works for you and what information you make sure to include. Any advice or recommendations would be awesome. Thanks!

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I have a note pad with dimensions and rough drawn pictures of what the end result is supposed to be. I work backward from there. Sometimes seeing the drawn pic lets me look at the project and possibly make any changes. I usually think about a project for a day or two so I can get the picture in my mind of the steps and tools I need to complete the project.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Gaspar_Gambler]

I use a combo of paper and phone: jot the project basics in a notebook and snap pics of key steps with date stamps. There's also a journal built just for forges that logs heat-treat cycles, materials, issues... all in one. Super handy.