Current crafting system is not bad, but i suggest it to make more realistic and balanced. Crafters shouldn't need to know how to use weapons, repair/science skill would be enough and patterns, schematics, books.
Schematics system is based on buyable patterns, papers, little books and other that privdes you informations about crafing. Repair skill is your mechanical knowledge about guns, when Science is base for more mathematical skills like gunpowders, scopes, batteries etc, so crafting flamer shouldn't be challenge for skilled auto mechanic but making a scope for sniper rifle should show his lack of physics skills.
Other reason to change crafting system is:
"hey, i wanna make a drugs and stimpacks, let's make a char able to pvp and craft. Hmm, sg burster looks fine, it do not require much sg skills%, so ill put rest points in doc and first aid. Oh shit, 9 IN need, ok, I'll make just an alt."
Big Guns
Flamer
-40 repair
-free for tagged repair
Improved Flamer - improving dmg will not make it more usable, it's still weapon for exping. I suggest to fix range to 7 hexes
-60 repair
-HQ Alloys x2, HQ Metal Parts x1
-400 caps pattern
Rocket Launcher
-60 repair
-40 science
-150 caps pattern
M60
-100 repair
-50 science
-1000 caps pattern
-wood, metal parts x2, HQ metal parts x3, junk x3, alloys x2, HQ alloys x2,
Minigun
-140 repair
-60 science
-3000 caps pattern
Avenger Minigun
-140 repair
-80 science
-5000 caps pattern
Energy Guns
Laser Pistol
-40 science
-40 repair
-free for tagged repair
Magneto-Laser Pistol
-60 science
-40 repair
-150 caps for pattern
Laser Rifle
-60 science
-50 repair
-500 caps for pattern
Laser Rifle (ext mag)
-90 science
-50 repair
-2500 caps for pattern
Plasma Pistol
-80 science
-60 repair
-1000 caps for pattern
Plasma Pistol (ext mag)
-100 science
-60 repair
-2500 caps for pattern
Plasma Rifle
-120 science
-60 repair
-3000 caps for pattern
Turbo Plasma Rifle
-130 science
-70 repair
-4500 caps fot pattern
Small Guns
too long, ill take a look later
Armors
Tesla Armor
-120 science
-120 repair
-HQ Metal Parts x2, HQ Alloys x1, Electronic Parts x5
Leather Jacket
-free for tagged repair
Leather Combat Armor
-40 repair
same goes for other armors, a little repair skill, up to 180% for brotherhood armor.
Doctor/Medical
major change is take first aid out of requiments
Healing Powder
-free for tagged doctor
Stimpack
-40 science
-40 doctor
Super Stimpack
-60 science
-80 doctor
Rad Away&RadX
-80 science
-80 doctor
Buffout&Mentats&Jet
-100 science
-80 doctor
Psycho
-100 science
-100 doctor
As u see, no cap for levels of profession and no SPECIAL requiments. Patterns can be replaced with learning schemats from npc.