Woodworking Magazine Blues

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I used to subscribe all the popular woodworking magazines, American Woodworker, Wood, Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, Workbench and Woodworkers Journal. Slowly I've let them all lapse, even Fine Woodworking. I've visited Barnes and Noble six or seven times in the last three months to browse the latest issues and have yet to find anything that interests me enough to buy. I don't see anything new, just recycled ideas and tools reviews shuffled from one magazine title to the next. The most interesting parts of the magazine for me is the reader tips section and the short articles in the first few pages of each magazine, but I can't justify $6 or more for a few pages each month. Has anyone else had these thoughts are is it just my end of summer malaise?

[Betsy Yocum]

Dennis - it's not just you. They are all the same. It's like how to videos on paper - not enough information and, like you said, it's all the same stuff - just different packaging. At least you did not mention checking out the new Woodworking for Women magazine - you would have gotten ill altogether!!! At least the more sucessful magazines usually test run their projects - WWFW doesn't and it shows.

On the flip side though - there are some new books on the market that seem to fill the bad mag niche for me - so I do have something to read.

Betsy

[Rich Konopka]

Mission Mission Mission Mission Miision Misssion Arts & Crafts Mission Mission Shaker Mission Mission Glue Test Mission Mission Bogus Retest of Glue Tool Buyer Guide Mission Mission Mission Mission Miision Misssion Arts & Crafts Mission Mission Shaker Mission Mission Glue Test Mission Mission Bogus Retest of Glue Tool Buyer Guide

Nah I'm not sick of them.

[Jack Hogoboom]

Dennis,

i am at the opposite end of the spectrum. i can't get enough magazines. I must subscribe to 12-15 of them. It's so bad that I just started to get Woodturning from the UK. Not only that, but I've gone on Ebay and bought back issues to the point where I have complete collections of 7-8 magazines. My wife thinks I'm nuts!! If I find a new magazine, I pretty much subscribe right away. The only ones I haven't enjoyed are Weekend Woodcrafts, Just Woodworking (which went into the tank pretty quickly) and American Router.

I find that, as a relatively inexperienced woodworker, the techniques described are really valuable. Also, I love the projects!! When I'm looking to build something, it really helps to have access to plans of so many different variations. The best part is that the tips and projects don't seem to get obsolete. By contrast, I would never keep old computer magazines since everything changes pretty quickly.

If anyone is looking for an old article, I'm the guy.

Jack

[Jack Diemer]

I am more like the other Jack except, I only subscribe to Shopnotes and Wood Magazine. However, I have bought close to 500 magazines on ebay and off the Woodworking forums at about an average of $1 a piece. Since Woodworking doesn't change much, I have decided to save spend my money on 5 old issues instead of one new issue. As for the latest news on tools and stuff, that what I go to these forums for.

[Joe Scarfo]

Dennis,

i am at the opposite end of the spectrum. i can't get enough magazines. I must subscribe to 12-15 of them. It's so bad that I just started to get Woodturning from the UK. Not only that, but I've gone on Ebay and bought back issues to the point where I have complete collections of 7-8 magazines. My wife thinks I'm nuts!! If I find a new magazine, I pretty much subscribe right away. The only ones I haven't enjoyed are Weekend Woodcrafts, Just Woodworking (which went into the tank pretty quickly) and American Router.

I find that, as a relatively inexperienced woodworker, the techniques described are really valuable. Also, I love the projects!! When I'm looking to build something, it really helps to have access to plans of so many different variations. The best part is that the tips and projects don't seem to get obsolete. By contrast, I would never keep old computer magazines since everything changes pretty quickly.

If anyone is looking for an old article, I'm the guy.

Jack

Jack,

I remember when I subscribed to anything I saw for pretty much the same reasons you do. It's been a number of years now and I've let all my subscriptions lapse.

Anymore, I scratch out the ideas for a pjct on paper and simply start cutting. I enjoy the completed project much more. Before you know it, you'll be doing the same thing. For me, it started with slightly modifying pjcts from the mags and grew from there.

Good luck w/ the hobby.

Joe in Tampa.

[Jim Taylor]

Funny, I am about to let my FWW and FHB subscriptions lapse... I was thinking that a periodic check at Barnes and Noble, and the FWW website, will let me know if I am missing anything interesting...

I like both mags, but it seems like I go through them in about an hour, and the cost just isn't doing it for me... I like the ebay idea.... maybe I will start looking for used books/mags.

Jim

[Dick Parr]

Dennis I have done the same and let all mine lapse. I get more from this forum then I would from the magazines in the last 5-6 years.

[Betsy Yocum]

I think it comes down to where you are in your woodworking skills - a beginner - novice - to intermediate probably would get something out of subscribing to a few of the magazines. However, the more advanced you are the less they offer.

I'm also with Rich on the Mission, Mission, Mission, - I'm tired of it already!!! But with that said - I'd take Mission over this "distressed" garbage coming out. I don't know about you but if I want something to look like an antique - I'll go antique shopping.

Betsy

[Gredo Goldenstein]

I have also been off the woodworking magazine buying track lately. I still do read each issue of Fine Woodworking and the LOML gave me a subscription to Popular Woodworking last Christmas.

I LOVE mission style furniture. But just how many magazines have run, how many articles about this style?

I have been reading more books lately. Taunton Press publishes some nice titles.

Reading on the Creek gives the most info of all!

[Betsy Yocum]

When they start having "great" articles about the little things that make a project work - and not just focus on the big picture - then I might like them better. Especially things that are such a mystery to people getting started - like - say - barrel hinges - for one - Every one that I can think of that even mentions hinges (other than mortise hinges which are easy to explain) just say "install as per instructions" - or something like that. Well- as we all know a lot of these things come in tiny bags without instructions - so - you have to guess at it - or find someone to teach you. That to me is not a complete article. I know there is a limit to what can be put into articles - only so much copy space - but there has to be a way to make them better.

[Steve Clardy]

Cabinetmaker magazine and Woodshop news.
All the others [probably had all of them at one time or another] got so boring to me I let them go. Wasn't anything in them for me anymore.
The two I take now are more business related which fits the bill for me.

Steve

[Carole Valentine]

I've only been into woodworking for a year, but already I find that the mags are mainly just rehashes of stuff I have already read. I am also sick of tool reviews. I was particularly disappointed in Wood this month...seemed to take only 15 minutes to read it. Think I will see if I can find back issues of ShopNotes on Ebay.

[Scott Parks]

Having more than enough spare time.... And being a tightwad.... I go to Barnes & Noble once a month, Buy a Starbucks, and in an hour, I can read all the interesting points of about 8 mags... However, I did buy the last Pop Woodworking with the Euro style workbench. I'm drooling over that bench, and someday, it will be mine!!!!

[Tom LaRussa]

Having more than enough spare time.... And being a tightwad.... I go to Barnes & Noble once a month, Buy a Starbucks, and in an hour, I can read all the interesting points of about 8 mags...

HAH! You call that being a tightwad?

I take my own coffee to B&N...