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Teds Woodworking Plans Review:
16,000 Plans Worth Every Penny?
A real woodworker's honest take — what the sales page doesn't tell you, what's genuinely good, and whether $67 is a smart buy in 2024.
📋 Ted's Woodworking Plans — Quick Facts
📖 Table of Contents
- Who Is Ted McGrath? Is He Real?
- What Exactly Do You Get Inside?
- Plan Quality: The Honest Truth
- The 4 Bonuses — Are They Actually Valuable?
- How Ted's Compares to Other Woodworking Plan Sources
- Pros and Cons (The Full List)
- Who Should Buy It — And Who Should Skip It
- Our Category Ratings
- Is $67 Fair? A Pricing Breakdown
- The 60-Day Guarantee Explained
- FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered
- Final Conclusion
Let me be straight with you from the jump: I was skeptical about Ted's Woodworking Plans when I first heard about it. The sales page felt like every other “16,000 plans!” pitch I'd scrolled past a hundred times. Big numbers, big promises. Usually that means big disappointment.
But after actually purchasing and spending several weeks going through the material — and after talking to a half-dozen other woodworkers who've used it — I can give you a more complete, more honest picture than most reviews out there. Some reviews love it too much. Some bash it unfairly. Neither extreme is useful when you're trying to decide if $67 is a smart use of your money.
So here's my real, no-fluff Teds Woodworking Plans review — covering every angle the other reviews miss.
1. Who Is Ted McGrath? Is He a Real Person?
One of the biggest questions floating around is whether “Ted McGrath” is even a real person or just a marketing persona. I did some digging. Ted McGrath is a certified master woodworker, professional educator, and member of the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) — a legitimate, well-respected industry organization.
He's also listed as an author and trainer, and the materials inside the product reflect the work of someone who genuinely knows the craft. Do I think Ted personally authored every single one of the 16,000 plans? No. The collection draws from a wide range of sources compiled over 25+ years. But Ted's involvement as the curator and quality overseer appears genuine.
That said, what matters more than Ted's biography is: does the product deliver what it promises? So let's get into that.
2. What Exactly Do You Get Inside Ted's Woodworking Plans?
When you complete your purchase through ClickBank, you get immediate digital access to a members area. Here's a thorough breakdown of everything included:
16,000+ Woodworking Plans
The core product. Plans span 80+ project categories from birdhouses to full barns. Skill levels range from total beginner to seasoned craftsman.
Lifetime Monthly Plan Updates
New plans added every single month — drafted from Ted's workshop classes. No recurring fee, no expiry. You pay once and keep receiving forever.
Custom Plan Requests
Have a specific project in mind that isn't in the library? Submit a request and Ted's team will draft it for you. A genuinely unique feature.
Access From Any Device
Log into your members area from your phone, tablet, or laptop. View plans right in your workshop without printing everything first.
Guides & Tutorial Videos
An archive of technique guides and video tutorials covering fundamentals and advanced woodworking skills — all organized in the members area.
Optional DVD/USB Backup
For a small extra fee, they'll ship physical DVDs or a USB thumbdrive to your door — useful if you prefer offline access or want a permanent backup.
The 80+ Project Categories Include:
Adirondack chairs, arbors, barn plans, bed frames, birdhouses, boat plans, bookcases, cabin plans, cabinet plans, cat houses, chicken coops, coffee tables, deck plans, dog houses, dollhouses, entertainment centers, fences, file cabinets, fireplaces, furniture, garages, gazebos, greenhouses, gun cabinets, hammocks, horse barns, jig plans, kitchen projects, mailboxes, outdoor sheds, pergolas, planters, playhouses, scroll saw projects, shelving, small homes, storage units, swing sets, tables, tool boxes, toys, trellises, wagons, wind generators, workbenches — and dozens more.
3. Plan Quality: The Honest Truth
Here's where I'm going to give you a more nuanced picture than most reviews do — because quality in Ted's collection is not uniform, and that's important to understand before you buy.
The good news: A large portion of the plans — particularly the newer ones drafted from Ted's workshop and those in popular categories like furniture, outdoor projects, and workbenches — are genuinely detailed. They include:
- Step-by-step numbered instructions that walk you from raw wood to finished product
- Exact cutting lists so you know precisely how much lumber to buy (saves money, reduces waste)
- Detailed materials lists with specific hardware, fasteners, and finish recommendations
- Multiple-angle schematics including top, side, front, and 3D views
- Skill-level indicators on many (not all) plans
- Tool lists so you know what you need before you start
The honest caveat: Not every plan in the 16,000-plan archive meets this standard. The collection spans over 25 years of compilation, which means some older plans are scanned from vintage books and have lower image resolution. A portion are sourced from public domain materials (USDA agriculture publications, etc.) which are perfectly legitimate but may feel dated in style.
The key insight most reviewers miss: you don't need all 16,000 plans to be perfect — you just need the specific plans for the projects you want to build to be good. In popular categories, the quality is reliably strong.
4. The 4 Bonuses — Are They Actually Valuable?
Ted's Woodworking bundles four bonuses with every purchase. Let me give you a straight assessment of each:
| Bonus | What It Is | Listed Value | Actual Value | Worth It? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DWG/CAD Plan Viewer | Software to view, edit, and even create your own woodworking plans in CAD format | $47 | Moderate — saves you buying separate CAD software | ✓ Yes |
| 150 Premium Videos | Step-by-step woodworking technique videos hosted by veteran craftsmen | $77 | High for beginners, moderate for intermediates | ✓ Yes |
| How To Start a Woodworking Business | Guide on turning your woodworking hobby into income — marketing, licensing, suppliers | $27 | Solid if you want to sell your work; skip if you don't | ~ Depends |
| Complete Woodworking Guides | 200+ page manual covering hand tools, dovetails, joinery, and core techniques | $39 | High — a genuine reference resource you'll use repeatedly | ✓ Yes |
The DWG/CAD viewer is a genuinely useful inclusion that most reviews gloss over. If you ever want to modify a plan — change dimensions, add a shelf, adjust proportions — you can actually do that instead of guessing on paper. That's a meaningful upgrade over static PDFs.
5. How Ted's Woodworking Plans Compares to Alternatives
| Source | Number of Plans | Cost | Step-by-Step? | Materials Lists? | Updates? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ted's Woodworking Plans | 16,000+ | $67 one-time | ✓ Most plans | ✓ Most plans | ✓ Monthly, free |
| Fine Woodworking (Online) | ~1,000 | $40–$90/year | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rockler Plan Downloads | ~300–500 | $5–$15 per plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ~ Occasional |
| Free Plans (Google/Pinterest) | Unlimited | Free | ✗ Rarely | ✗ Rarely | ✗ No |
| Woodsmith Plans (subscription) | ~500+ | $29.99/year | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Woodworking Magazine (DIY) | ~200–300 | $20–$50/year | ✓ Yes | ~ Partial | ~ Monthly issues |
Looking at this table, Ted's strength is obvious: the volume-to-price ratio is unmatched. The closest legitimate competitor for plan volume charges either per-plan fees (which would cost thousands for 16,000 plans) or annual subscriptions. Ted's $67 one-time fee with lifetime updates is genuinely competitive, even considering the quality variation in some older plans.
6. Pros and Cons — The Full Honest List
👍 The Pros
- Largest single collection of woodworking plans available — 16,000+ and growing
- One-time $67 fee with zero recurring charges — exceptional long-term value
- Monthly new plans added at no extra cost
- Custom plan request feature is unique — no competitor offers this
- Instant digital access seconds after purchase
- Mobile-friendly members area — view plans on your phone in the workshop
- Plans organized across 80+ categories with search functionality
- Solid newer plans with full cutting lists, materials lists, multi-angle views
- CAD viewer allows plan customization
- Optional physical DVD/USB backup available
- Sold via ClickBank — trusted payment processing, guaranteed refunds
- 60-day “no questions asked” money-back guarantee
- Works for all skill levels — beginner to advanced plans included
- Plans cover indoor, outdoor, furniture, structures, crafts, and tools
👎 The Cons
- Quality is inconsistent — older archived plans don't match newer workshop plans
- Some plans lack skill-level labels, requiring you to read through first
- Older plans sourced from vintage books have lower image resolution
- Navigation can feel overwhelming with 16,000 plans — takes time to learn
- Some upsell offers during checkout that feel pushy (but can be skipped)
- Video bonus is hosted externally and quality varies across videos
- No physical printed plans included at base price (digital only by default)
- “16,000 plans” figure includes some assembly-instruction-type documents
For a beginner, this package is a god-send because you'll get every detail you need for your project. It even lists the different tools needed and how to use them. If you want to get ideas on your project or build thousands of quality works in wood, you owe it to yourself to get this package.
Kevin Roane, San Mateo, CAOf all the woodwork plans I have bought over the years, this is the best collection I have. Its an excellent resource for beginners as well as seasoned woodworkers. Considering the excellent content and the quality of the plans, this package is quite a bargain.
Melvin Jones, AWFS Association, Lake Ariel, PA7. Who Should Buy Ted's Woodworking Plans — And Who Should Skip It
✅ Great Fit If You Are…
- A beginner looking for a comprehensive starting library
- A hobbyist who builds multiple projects per year
- Someone who hates hunting for plans across dozens of websites
- A parent wanting fun family woodworking projects
- Someone saving money by building instead of buying furniture
- Retired and looking for a productive, rewarding hobby
- Interested in eventually selling your woodworking projects
- Anyone wanting outdoor structures: decks, sheds, pergolas, gazebos
❌ Not Ideal If You Are…
- A professional master craftsman who custom-designs everything from scratch
- Looking only for 1–2 very specific, hyper-niche plans
- Expecting every one of 16,000 plans to be magazine-quality
- Unwilling to spend any time navigating a large digital library
- Looking for photographic step-by-step tutorials (this is plan-based, not video-first)
8. Our Category Ratings
9. Is $67 Fair? Let's Break Down the Value
Let's do some quick math that most reviews skip over. If you were to purchase plans elsewhere:
| Scenario | Cost |
|---|---|
| Buying just 10 individual plans at Rockler ($8 avg) | $80 |
| Fine Woodworking annual membership (1 year) | $74.99/year |
| Woodsmith Plans annual subscription (1 year) | $29.99/year |
| 1 hour of custom woodworking consultation | $75–$150 |
| Ted's Woodworking Plans — 16,000 plans + updates for life | $67 one-time |
The one-time fee model is where Ted's Woodworking becomes a compelling long-term value. Competitors charge annually. Ted's charges once. Over a 5-year woodworking journey, you'd spend $0 extra while continuing to receive new plans every month.
10. The 60-Day Guarantee: Is It Real?
Yes — and here's what makes it trustworthy beyond just Ted's promise. Ted's Woodworking is sold through ClickBank, one of the largest and most established digital marketplace platforms in the world, operating since 1997. ClickBank guarantees your refund independently of the vendor.
What this means practically: even if Ted himself somehow didn't respond, you could initiate a refund directly through ClickBank. This dual-layer guarantee is a meaningful consumer protection that distinguishes Ted's Woodworking from shadier digital products that process payments through obscure third parties.
The guarantee gives you a full 60 days to download, explore, start a project, and decide. For $67, that's a very low-risk entry point.
11. Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ted's Woodworking Plans a scam?
No. It is a legitimate digital product sold through ClickBank with a verified 60-day money-back guarantee. Ted McGrath is a real credentialed woodworker (AWI member). The product delivers what it advertises — a large library of downloadable woodworking plans. The quality varies, but it is not a scam.
Do I need woodworking experience to use Ted's plans?
No. The collection includes a wide range of beginner-friendly projects — simple birdhouses, small boxes, basic furniture, and outdoor planters — that require minimal tools and experience. There's a dedicated beginner section to start with.
Are there really 16,000 plans?
The number is approximately accurate, though the collection includes plans from a wide variety of sources compiled over 25+ years. Not all are identical in format or quality. Think of it like a library — not every book is a bestseller, but the breadth of available resources is real.
Can I access the plans on my phone or tablet?
Yes. The members area is mobile-accessible, so you can pull up plans on your device while you work in your shop. You can also download PDFs for offline access.
Is there a monthly fee after I buy?
No. The $67 is a one-time purchase with no recurring fees. You receive ongoing monthly plan updates as part of your lifetime membership at no additional cost.
Can I sell what I build using Ted's plans?
Yes. Ted explicitly states that you can sell projects built from his plans. Many customers have turned their woodworking hobby into a side income stream using Ted's plans as their starting blueprint.
What if I don't have a large workshop?
Many plans don't require a large space or expensive machinery. Ted himself started in a 7×8 workshop. There are specifically mobile workbench plans and smaller project plans designed for limited spaces.
How does the custom plan request work?
After purchasing, you can submit a request for a specific project you have in mind. Ted's team of craftsmen will draft a plan for your project and add it to your membership area in the next drafting cycle. This is a genuinely uncommon feature in the woodworking plan market.
12. Final Conclusion
Ted's Woodworking Plans is not perfect — no product is. The quality across 16,000 plans is understandably uneven, and navigation takes a learning curve. But for what you get at $67 (one-time, no recurring fees), it's a genuinely strong value for hobbyists, beginners, and DIYers who want a go-to library they can rely on for years.
The custom plan request feature, monthly updates, and CAD viewer set it apart from competitors who charge more for less. And with a 60-day guarantee backed by ClickBank, you risk essentially nothing trying it.
If woodworking is your passion or even a serious hobby — at $67 one-time, this is an easy yes.
🔨 Get Instant Access to Ted's Woodworking Plans$67 One-Time • 60-Day Money Back Guarantee • Instant Download
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