Various woodworking magazines

[durango dude]

Over the past couple of months, I've been picking up a variety of woodworking magazines at the grocery store, trying to figure out which one is best - at least for me.

Criteria:

- appealing to a variety of levels, including my own (I've done a few projects, but only a tad bit beyond beginner)

- doesn't require lots of new tools (I know there's still some basic tools that I still need - but I don't want to be buying something new every month)

- I'd like to read about a project and walk away thinking, "I think I can do that...."

To date:
Woodcraft An awful lot of real estate in this magazine is dedicated to pitching product. To their credit, I have the Craftsman's Tool Tote and the Table lamp on my bucket list.

Fine Woodworking I was intimidated by it, at first. I'm not remotely close do doing "fine woodworking." After all, it wasn't long ago that I was getting my wood from crates and pallets found at loading docks. That said, I really liked what I read. A lot of the magazine is about technique, rather than tools. I learned something from each of the two editions that I picked up. You end up with accessible and informative articles, written about projects that (yes) I can do.

ShopNotes Somewhere between handy man and woodworker. Handy three-hole punch, so you can keep it for posterity's sake. Some handy information about jigs that I might make in the future. Focus is not very commercial - there's source acknowledgements at the end - and no ads in the main magazine.

Woodsmith Shop From the same publisher (August Home) as Shopnotes. Like its sibling, you won't see ads - but you will see source acknowledgements in the end. Fair enough!

I actually felt overwhelmed by the detail in the magazine plans.

Wood I picked up an edition that must have been something like "the best of Wood" Most of the projects that I've built to date came out of this magazine. To be clear Wood does pitch product. I bought a Kreg Pocket Hole jig because they had a project plan the required it (at least they didn't require something way more expensive - like a Festool Domino Joiner).

I like the wood web site, too.

That's all I've sampled, thus far. I think Wood and Fine Woodworking are my favorites at the moment.

Feel free to add your thoughts!

[jdon]

I'm at about the same level of proficiency, and like Woodworker's Journal- a nice mix of techniques, doable projects and reviews- seems targeted to about same ability level as Wood. A bit ad-heavy, but not as much as Woodcraft, and it doesn't seem as blatantly promotional.

[chopnhack]

I'm with you dude, I feel myself to be an amateur w.w as well. Wood mag and shop notes are my current two mags. I have read in the past FWW, Journal of Light Construction, Fine Homebuilding and Woodworking Magazine - which is now PWW. I would like to add back FWW and PWW at some point in time.

[greenacres2]

I'm guessing my skill level to be slightly above beginner as well.

I started a subscription to Woodworkers Journal last year after LOML bought me a copy. Something in every issue so far.

Shop Notes seemed like a natural, and is truly more focused on "shop" stuff--and i've progressed enough to have learned that often the real time investmnet is in set-up and jigs, while the actual work on projects doesn't take as long as the prep and finish work.

For Christmas my son and his fiance bought me a subscription to Wood magazine. Like WWJ--heavy on the ads, but with something usable in each issue. In fact, I need to get to work on the magnetic marble chase that was in the first issue i received--for the fiance's 3 year old daughter. Seems like a fitting gift to return a project from her gift.

In a few years, i'll probably stop all but Shop Notes as i am already nearing the point of not being able to do everything i want to do!! If i was a wise man, i'd have just spent $100 or so to get a CD with every issue of Shop Notes to date!!

earl

[LCHIEN]

I like Shop Notes and Woodsmith, they're complementary (in subject matter) and each comes 6 per year, alternating months. So if you subscribe to both you'll get one per month. Shop notes is for jigs and techniques, Woodsmith is more project oriented but they also teach you techniques to make some of those projects where necessary. I like the lack of ads. Feels more collectable that way.

Wood is OK, too.

[atgcpaul]

I used to have subs to Wood, PWW, Workbench, Shopnotes, WWers Journal, and Family Handyman. I let them all fade and had just Wood and FWW for a time, but Wood got too repetitive and now it's just FWW. I think I've followed the plans just two times throughout all these years (Wood crib and WWers Journal tool chest) with most projects now just starting from a rough sketch.

I will flip through one of those other mags if I'm at Lowes or HD to pique my interest but I always go back to FWW because I find it more inspriring.

I was thinking of renewing my Family Handyman sub. Always had good fix out things for around the house with some WWing thrown in.

[phrog]

I like FWW and Woodsmith but have a subscription to Wood (via Bargain Alerts from a few months back). Wood has a few compilation books of best articles in back issues - these are useful too. I find that I often refer to back issues of FWW and Woodsmith.

[gerti]

Woodworkers Journal is on my black list, they send crap (books, DVD) that they expect you to pay for or send back (neither is going to happen).

I like most of the others, though due to lack of time for WW I usually only have a subscription for Wood Magazine. I tend to let it lapse for a few months when it expires until they send me the 3 years for $28 offer.

Can't see myself paying for Woodcraft, catalogs should be free...

[toolguy1000]

shopntes, woodsmith, wood, TFH, WW journal, american WW and TOH. when i find a reduced price fo fine WW, i want to add that to the list. i miss workbench. that was a nice little periodical, until the format got changed.

[capncarl]

Woodworking mags are about like used car lots and insurance salesmen, they have to sell back and forth to each other because they all offer the same thing. I get so tired of the woodworking books having table saw, sander, drill press or whatever comparisons, on my dime. After you back up and look at it though, how many ways can you build a coffee table or yard furniture, and how every mag thinks it has to feature a new spin on a shop bench. The reality is they run out of material to print really quick. My biggest gripe is all the ads, and they still have the gall to charge for the magazine. Most are little more than a catalog that should be free. I found someones old collection of Shopnotes at a yard sale, probably 20 years worth, that about covers everything that would want to build in my lifetime. The other mags are just Dr.s office waiting room clutter.
capncarl

[phrog]

how many ways can you build a coffee table or yard furniture, and how every mag thinks it has to feature a new spin on a shop bench. The reality is they run out of material to print really quick.
capncarl

That philosophy hasn't stopped the proliferation of reality tv shows or the filming of new episodes.

[capncarl]

phrog, you are right, but I think that every new show following the same subject matter becomes watched less and carries less appeal. The copy cat shows make some money but not the same as the original first run. Who watches some of this mess? Hair Wars? now give me a break, who could possibly care about a grown man growing a beard.
capncarl

[greenacres2]

The other mags are just Dr.s office waiting room clutter.
capncarl

The 2 docs i see on a (somewhat) regular basis are pretty good at keeping appointment times, but if i feel i need reading material--i take my own. The last thing i want to touch is anything in a doctor's office or ER waiting room. Almost everybody that goes there is sick!! I carry my own pen too, 'cuz i don't want to sign anything with theirs!!

earl

[dbhost]

For what it's worth my impression so far has been...

#1. Shop Notes. I tend to agree it is a bit above handyman, but far below fine furniture building. I like the mag (enough to buy the magazine collection on DVD), and find many of my shop projects, or at least ideas I mod into my shop projects come from there.

#2. Wood Magazine. A decent enough magazine, a bit hard sell on the advertisers stuff, but then again, they show you how to do whatever without the latest Festool doohickey. I like this magazine, and a LOT of my projects come out of here. Even ones I haven't done yet. This magazine always leaves me feeling that I can do that with my current shop.

#3. Woodsmith. Again, a good mag, no hard sell, reasonably easy to follow plans, but fewer projects to glean ideas from...

#4. Fine Woodworking. Not only intimindating, but honestly, far from my style. Very much in the same way that I find Norm Abrams style too "New England" biased for my tastes, the same can be said of Fine Woodworking. I would love to see projects and plans for intentionally antiquing / distressing a project.