ShopNotes

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Didn't know where to put this so I threw it in here. Is ShopNotes a worthy publication? Worthy of $24 for 6 issues specificaly?

[psal2]

Jeff,

I get them, like them a lot too. Look around and see if you can buy some of the older ones off someone first. I just did a 12 issue renewal for $34, after the first year subscription.

I use to get these years ago (early 90's) and my wife threw them away when I stopped doing WW. I regret that now.

[Tamarack]

I like them, got tired of buying them all at retail in the store and subscribed.

Paul in Idaho

[RodKirby]

I have all of them...

...from issue #1 Always great content - no ads.

I go thru them all about every 6 months - always find something "new" as I change methods/tools.

[LarryG]

Try before you buy?

I'll take a slightly opposing view. I've been perusing each issue of ShopNotes on the newsstands for a couple years now, and my reaction to each issue is always the same. At first glance I go, "Wow, this is good stuff! I think I'll buy this issue!" But a week later, when I take a second look, I almost always throttle back to, "Eh ... I dunno. One or two good ideas in here, but nothing that's worth six bucks." IINM I've eventually decided that only two issues of ShopNotes and one of Woodsmith were actually worth their cover prices to me.

So I always recommend that anyone considering subscribing to ANY magazine do the same. Look at three or four consecutive issues on the stands, coldly and objectively analyze whether they are REALLY what you're looking for; and if you find yourself buying enough issues that subscribing to that title becomes worthwhile, go ahead and do it. If not, keep looking.

[DaveW]

I've eventually decided that only two issues of ShopNotes and one of Woodsmith were actually worth their cover prices to me.

True enough, but the subscription drops the issue price down and you're not paying cover prices. So if you like some of the articles, but not all, you _may_ be paying a fair "portion" of the cover price

(Not trying to flame or anything - I think you had a great suggestion in looking at the news-stand for a while before deciding).

[JimD]

It is not my favorite publication, I like Wood and FWW better, but I used to get WoodSmith which is either a related or a predecessor publication. I have several years (maybe 5) of back issues and I still go through them for plans. My bedroom set, for instance, is their cherry mission style set except I used red oak. I am making my daughter a dresser that was in mahogany in the old issue I have but I am using birch plywood and maple and will probably stain it. I have also purchased their plans (plans now) in the form of pdf files for about $5. I find their plans good although I am a bit frustrated with the current project in the quantity of dado-square tongue joints and will probably switch some of it to biscuits (the maple I am using is not real straight or flat and the dados are hard to keep a constant depth).

I also like Wood for plans. I made 4 of the figured maple with wenge (I substituted walnut) jewelry boxes at Christmas time.

Jim

[final_t]

Cheapest source

eBay, of all places. Average cost per issue: about $1.25, except for issue #1 of course.

For what it's worth, imho, you can pretty much subscribe on and off for any of these magazines (Shopnotes, Woodsmith, PW, FWW, Wood, etc) - sign up for the deep discounted 2 years or so, lapse for a year or three, and pick it back up. Surprise, you haven't missed anything!

FWW is really becoming a money-grubber in that they want subscribers to pay an additional $80 a year to access their web site content, over and above the print items. I doubt it's worth that.

[bigstick509]

I find that I can get two or three tips out of every issue. Well worth the subscription price.

[Pappy]

I get ShopNotes, Woodsmith, Wood, and Family Handyman. That is my order of preference. Just subscribed to Workbench, so the jury is still out on where it will place.

[plarval]

I don't know how familiar you are with P2P sharing, but there is a torrent file to download PDFs of issues 1-85. It's a gigantic file (over 1 gb), and it's no longer seeded (which means it can't be downloaded right now). I didn't download them, and don't really encourage it, but I just thought I would point out that I came across it. Just a little FYI.

[ddamoore]

I like ShopNotes also. It is not full of ads cluttering up the magazine and I like being able to go to their website for the cutting diagrams and online extras.

About three or four years ago, I found a steal on a complete set on e-bay and have been keeping it current ever since.

Dennis

[RodKirby]

eBay, of all places. Average cost per issue: about $1.25, except for issue #1 of course.

Sounds like I should ebay my issue #1

[Never2old2start]

Being rather new to WW I appreciate your comments. Presently, I don't subscribe to any publications but have looked into signing up for one. My future son-in-law got me the 'The Best Of Fine Woodwrking Basic Skills & Techniques' as a Christmas gift which contains a lot of information for a beginner like myself. I keep it in the, ahem, den and have learned a lot from from this one issue. Maybe down the road I'll end up getting others.

~ Paul ~

[jnesmith]

FWW is really becoming a money-grubber in that they want subscribers to pay an additional $80 a year to access their web site content, over and above the print items. I doubt it's worth that.

It's still my favorite.

Actually, the online content was $59 for mag subscribers, but they recently lowered it to $14.95. They are in the process of crediting those like me who paid the initial higher price.

WRT Shopnotes: I used to subscribe. I found that it would take me about 10 minutes to read the portions of each issue that interested me. Also, I don't mind ads, since I am always interested in reading about new products, and WW tools in general.