Latest Issue of Woodworking

[Matt Meiser]

Is it me, or is this one of the most disappointing issues of a magazine ever printed. Its got exactly 2 projects. One is a stool that is kind of neat but nothing spectacular. The other is a shaker bench that has exactly 5 pieces of wood nailed together that could easily be in my daughter's kids woodworking book. Theres an article about "rethinking" handplanes, and one on BLO and IIRC, that's about it.

[Jim Watts]

It sounds like you were at least able to read yours. I only received about 3/4 of mine ( minor publishing glitch, apparently):

[Don Selke]

Hi Matt:

I gave up on that magazine many,many months ago. In addition , I no longer get American Woodworker, Woodworkers Journal or Wood Magazine.
I think they are all suffering from the budget crisis.

[Walt Caza]

Spot-on Matt,
I really like the magazine, and there have been some strong issues,
but this current one is a dud for my taste.

I've started clockwatching when I open a fresh magazine, to try to get a sense of bang for a buck.
I blazed this one from cover to cover in no time flat.
And, I was none too entertained during the ride either.

I also found the projects weak.
Sure, they can't all be diamonds... but this one left me underwhelmed too.

For me, I find that I get railroaded into duds by subscribing.
If I had to make a purchase decision, standing at the newstand with this
issue of the magazine in hand, I could have easily resisted dragging it home.(where I am doomed to warehousing it forever)

Not a fan of sour grapes, but I have started letting some of my wood mag
subscriptions lapse. I am gonna go back to the days where I do not buy them all.
And you gotta convince me, one issue at a time, to part with my money. Even less attractive at the high cover rates.
So they better offer me some appealling content, to get my money.

I have some questions about who is running that show...
but I'll bite my tongue, discretion being the better part of valour.
better luck next mag,
Walt

[John Keeton]

+1 - very poor attempt on this one. I cancelled my FWW and for the amount of my refund bought WW and PWW. I have been fairly satisfied with PWW - not so much with WW, particularly this issue!

I think I am where Walt is. When these run out I am done. There is only so much time, and when I figure in the minutes (OK, hours!) that I am on SMC, and other research related computer time, my shop time begins to suffer.

I have also discovered that with my old age senility, I can pull a handful of old FWW issues from the shelf, and it is like I have never seen them before!

[Matt Stiegler]

IIRC Chris Schwarz's blog recently apologized for him being a crummy editor etc recently due to all the time he put into the new book he co-wrote with Joel Moskowitz. Maybe an acknowledgment that this issue isn't up to par.

[Matt Meiser]

I hear you on letting them lapse. I let FWW lapse because IMHO it is not worth $35/year. Cover price is up to $8 and no issue has been worth that. Maybe I'll start going to the library to read it but I'm no longer a paying reader. I think I renewed Wood after letting it lapse for a while because my daughter's Brownie troop had a magazine sale. I also ordered Woodshop News for something different to try. I still get Pop Woodworking and am basically satisfied.

Woodworking was great to start and seems to have been getting weaker but really hit the skids this time.

[Sam Hatfield]

I let Woodworking lapse several months ago at the time I thought it was just me. I am still happy with PW.

[Jim Rimmer]

+1 - very poor attempt on this one. I cancelled my FWW and for the amount of my refund bought WW and PWW. I have been fairly satisfied with PWW - not so much with WW, particularly this issue!

I think I am where Walt is. When these run out I am done. There is only so much time, and when I figure in the minutes (OK, hours!) that I am on SMC, and other research related computer time, my shop time begins to suffer.

I have also discovered that with my old age senility, I can pull a handful of old FWW issues from the shelf, and it is like I have never seen them before!

Don't mean to steal the thread, but, John, nice new avatar.

[george wilson]

Come on,guys! they said the Chinese stool was TRICKY! I let mine lapse too. Surprised that I am still getting them.

[Ron Bontz]

I picked up a copy of Woodworking today at a store while waiting to get new tires. Inside it says they no longer sell subscriptions. And as I recall they are only going to print once a year I think.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I think you might have picked up woodwork. This is a magazine that died, and is trying to rise from the dead. http://www.woodwork-magazine.com/

Woodworking magazine is associated with popular woodworking. http://popularwoodworking.com/wwmhomepage

I like it, and enjoyed this issue, though I agree others have been better. I hope it continues.

[John Keeton]

Don't mean to steal the thread, but, John, nice new avatar.

Jim, it was time folks saw another side of me - the front! With 13 grandkids, we have literally thousands of pics on our computer, and I think there are two of me, and now you have seen both!

[Richard Wagner]

I hear you on letting them lapse. I let FWW lapse because IMHO it is not worth $35/year. Cover price is up to $8 and no issue has been worth that. Maybe I'll start going to the library to read it but I'm no longer a paying reader. I think I renewed Wood after letting it lapse for a while because my daughter's Brownie troop had a magazine sale. I also ordered Woodshop News for something different to try. I still get Pop Woodworking and am basically satisfied.

Woodworking was great to start and seems to have been getting weaker but really hit the skids this time.

I do all of my editing at Barnes and Nobel. That way if I find a good issue I can purchase it and have it for later reference.

The only subscription I now have is Wood.

[Scott Vigder]

The only subscription I have left is to Woodsmith. It always has well-drawn plans for the projects. I just finished building the workbench on the cover of No. 173.

And it has no advertising!

Otherwise, I peruse the usual suspects at Barnes and Noble. It's been a few months since any of them caught my fancy.