Thoughts on Woodsmith Magazine?

[Ben Rivel]

Sorry to bump an old thread guys, but I didnt want to create a new one on the same topic. A year later anyone have anymore to add? And change in the magazine market that makes one better now? It does seem to me they all just repeat projects after a couple years and they all want to sell you projects on the side and the ones they do cover arent covered very thoroughly. Having a bit of trouble justifying giving one or two a try.

[Howard Acheson]

Woodsmith has no advertising. I have been a subscriber to Woodsmith for 25 or more years. They had a companion magazine called Shop Notes which focused on using shop tools and making things for use in the shop. But they discontinued this publication earlier this year. They now cover the subject matter in Woodsmith.

Woodsmith is an excellent magazine. Their furniture projects are excellent and usable by woodworkers novices to experts. As I said above, Woodsmith now includes shop techniques and projects for shop items.

All in all, I consider it the best woodworking magazine. When I was teaching woodworking, I highly recommend it to all my students.

BTW, Woodsmith is the sponsor of the WoodNet forum which I also highly recommend. (www.forums.woodnet.net). It's a very active forum with knowledgeable participants.

[Steve Jenkins]

When Woodsmith first came out Shop Notes was one page in Woodsmith then became a couple pages then it was a separate pub. Interesting

[Larry Anderson]

I too have subscribed for many years and have nearly every issue. My house is filled with Wordsmith projects. I like it for the clear instructions.

[George Bokros]

IMHO adding the types of articles that appeared in Shopnotes is detrimental to Woodsmith. It is taking pages away that would be better devoted to projects not jigs and homemade beltsanders. I used to subscribe to shop notes and did not renew because it was not the type of magazine I was interested in for my woodworking hobby. I will have to see how it progresses before I make any commitment to a renew and I have a ways to go on my current subscription. Woodsmiths project plans were always good, well detailed and easy to follow.

[Larry Frank]

I get Woodsmith but beginning to wonder as there are too many projects like build a belt sander. These take up many pages and not interesting to me. They seem to have started to have too many of these.

[Rick Potter]

The way I see it, if I get one solid, 'Wow, never thought of that!' tip or project out of a year of subscription, it was worth it. Honestly, sure, I have seen most of the content in one form or another, but I always enjoy my subscription to Woodsmith. Wood, not so much. Fine woodworking, I have the DVD, but the subscription always seems pricey to me.

[Frederick Skelly]

I like Woodsmith. I don't subscribe, but I pick it up from time to time.

Magazines vs the Internet? I think the answer depends on how much you like to read, and how you personally learn. I simply cannot sit through a video - been trying to make myself finish Steve Latta's string inlay vid for months. I'd rather have him write a book or magazine article, so I can have it open in front of me in the shop - test a little, then read a little, then test some more. (I don't have/want TV in the shop. No offense intended, just not my gig.) If I get stuck, I come here and ask a question or THEN go to u-tube. But text (hardcopy or electronic ) is always my first choice, personally.

YMMV
Fred

[Frederick Skelly]

The way I see it, if I get one solid, 'Wow, never thought of that!' tip or project out of a year of subscription, it was worth it.

Me too Rick.

[Myk Rian]

I don't get any mags now. Quit them all.
If I need a mag for some reason, I know where to get it online.