November/December FWW

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I was curious if anyone else has the same take on the new FWW mag. Was there anything of value in it for you? If so, what?

I love the statement that a "doweled carcase is better for dry fitting". I guess that the isssue that proclaims "Fine drawers without dovetails", on the cover should be expected to forget about the tried and true techniques of actual fine woodworking.

Eddie Austin of Hamlin, West Virginia built one heck of a secretary though. He made the rest of the mag look pretty miserable in my opinion. Sure would like a closer look at that piece, and less saw horses, ply wood handling tips, and vacuum veneering stories that completely blow off the single biggest source of all things DIY vacuum press, what about Joe? Good grief.

[Bill Arnold]

I flipped through it briefly when it arrived a earlier today. I've become increasingly disenchanted with the publication and probably won't renew it when my subscription runs out in a little over a year.

As to dovetails being the "only" way to build drawers, I disagree. There are many options and I think the craftsman should have the option to choose what he/she feels best suits a particular piece. I've used dovetails, lock rabbets and plain old butt joints depending on the application -- all can work just fine.

I agree about build your own vacuum press. I did it, so anyone should be able to do the same. Joe helped me a lot along the way and I still order a few things from him occasionally.

[Jim Koepke]

Steve,
I kind of know how you feel, but in a different way.

Though there are a few power tools in my shop, my preference is using hand tools. FWW does not cater as much to the hand tool user as it does to the power tool user. It may have a lot to do with who is paying the bills, read advertisers.

Also, about the only reason for me to use plywood is as a drawer bottom.

Many woodworkers today use primarily power tools and build with manufactured wood.

There is not a whole lot of content that applies to my way of working in FWW, but there is a lot of inspiration and a lot of the set ups and techniques can be translated into hand tool work.

One example that I am glad was not missed was about making shaped dovetails and other joints. That one article gave me a whole different idea about joinery. One of my current projects is a hanging laundry room cabinet for my wife. On the visible side my plan is to use at least one heart shaped dovetail.

My November/December issue has not yet arrived, so it can not be commented on directly.

Recently bought a copy of another wood working magazine and was disappointed by a factual error in the review article on a new Stanley plane, which was the reason for purchasing the magazine. The magazine left me with a feeling that there was an overall scarcity of articles.

jim

[Roy Wall]

I think I'm on the way out too...... I've had 9 years straight with FWW and the end is in Feb 10.

I really enjoyed WOODWORK magazine but it fizzled out last year much to my sha-grin.......leaving me out of nearly a year's worth of subscription $$$$$....

[Wayne Sparkman]

Though there are a few power tools in my shop, my preference is using hand tools. FWW does not cater as much to the hand tool user as it does to the power tool user.

That prompts me to ask, Is there a magazine just for the neanderthals among us?

[Dale Osowski]

That prompts me to ask, Is there a magazine just for the neanderthals among us?

Sad to say, I don't think there is. I tend to visit blogs of others like myself who are primarily hand tool users. This helps fill the void.

[Matt Meiser]

Can't say. The issue before was my last. At $8 on the newsstand, I probably won't buy many copies either. They want a premium price for average content.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I have every issue from the first one. I suppose that is the only reason I renew the subscription. I rarely find something useful to read but I often find something enjoyable. It is still a good inspiration to a new woodworker. Unfortunately, in order to make a profit, FWW like most other publications must advertise. That somehow takes the emphasis off of creativity and skill building and puts it heavily on equipment ownership.
fmr

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I flipped through it briefly when it arrived a earlier today. I've become increasingly disenchanted with the publication and probably won't renew it when my subscription runs out in a little over a year.

As to dovetails being the "only" way to build drawers, I disagree. There are many options and I think the craftsman should have the option to choose what he/she feels best suits a particular piece. I've used dovetails, lock rabbets and plain old butt joints depending on the application -- all can work just fine.

I agree about build your own vacuum press. I did it, so anyone should be able to do the same. Joe helped me a lot along the way and I still order a few things from him occasionally.

Sure Bill, I agree that usable drawers can be built without dovetails. Heck, all of the drawers in my farm shop are just nailed together. That being said, I'm personally going to use anything but dovetails on anything that I think might out live me.

[Wayne Sparkman]

Neanderthal: The Magazine for Hand Tool Enthusiasts.

I think I'll run out and copyright the title right now.

We'll sign up Clark & Williams as the first advertisers.

Anyone up for a subscription?

[Bob Noles]

I think Popular Woodworking fills some of the void for the handtool user :D

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Neanderthal: The Magazine for Hand Tool Enthusiasts.

I think I'll run out and copyright the title right now.

We'll sign up Clark & Williams as the first advertisers.

Anyone up for a subscription?

Count me in!

[ROY DICK]

I will not renew.

Roy

[Kevin Lucas]

Hmm I may have to get that one.

Eddie Austin of Hamlin, West Virginia built one heck of a secretary though. He made the rest of the mag look pretty miserable in my opinion. Sure would like a closer look at that piece, and less saw horses, ply wood handling tips, and vacuum veneering stories that completely blow off the single biggest source of all things DIY vacuum press, what about Joe? Good grief.

I don't know them but that's my home town. Someone made good )

[Richard Jones]

Steve,

I just got mine today and haven't read it all yet, but that caught my eye on the cover in a negative way. The same article might be OK for Popular Woodworking, but for FWW, no. Don't get me wrong, that drawer is probably plenty strong for it's intended use, but someone has to keep their sights set above the utility-style drawer article. When the tips (and I ain't saying they're all good) are better than most of the articles, someone needs to listen up.

I also liked the piece from the gentleman from WV. What's wrong with an article/series about THAT? Not sure who they're listening to, but I don't think it's the readers. FINE Woodworking, guys, come on, the concept isn't all that difficult, is it?

My subscription is a gift, and I'm afraid if I don't tell the giver that I still like it, I'd get nothing in it's place..........:)

Rich (disappointed, but hopeful & optimistic) in VA

[Chris Rosenberger]

That prompts me to ask, Is there a magazine just for the neanderthals among us?

Woodworking Magazine covers handtool work.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wwmhomepage/

I have been a subscriber to Fine Woodworking magazine since 1975. It has changed a lot since it started, but so has woodworking & woodworkers. The magazine has had to change with the times. Some months there are articles that interest me, some months there are none. It is that way with all magazines I get.

[Ted Calver]

Of course I'll renew. It's small money for a lot of enjoyment....even if every issue is not targeted to my specific skills. I can always find something of value, even if it only involves stirring the cobwebs and making me think in another direction.

[Robert Chapman]

I've subscibed for many years and I can honestly say that I have learned at least one useful thing from every issue and for some issues more that one useful thing. Can't say that about the other woodworking mags that I have seen. I'll stay with FWW.

[Benoit Bissonnette]

We can think about this in another way. If less people buy and read FWW, they will be less profitable and won't be able to afford more extensive articles or labour intensive projects. If the mag is eventually less enjoyable to read because of the above reason, then less people will buy it and so on. I'm just wondering who's the real winner at the end...

I subscribe to 3 ww mags (FWW, WOOD, PW) and like Ted said, I think it's very small money for the enjoyment. One thing for sure, those mags won't stand a chance to improve if you don't renew your subscriptions...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'm in the process of building a stand for my new mortiser and really didn't want to dove tail the drawer. I got my FWW to day and I'll use a partial idea from that article.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

For the record, I'm not trying to instigate an uprising against FWW. I used to like that magazine, but I wish they would get back to content that I like. I want to see more of that secretary I mentioned earlier for example, not more super basic woodworking stuff. I do not like Krenov work, but at least they are trying to get a little more in depth there.

The complete miss of Joe for that vacuum story reeks of bias to their advertisers as well.

[Bob Hallowell]

I'm in the process of building a stand for my new mortiser and really didn't want to dove tail the drawer. I got my FWW to day and I'll use a partial idea from that article.

Ken,
how are you going to make the stand on your lathe? I didn't think you were aloud to do flat work anymore.:)

Bob

[Richard Jones]

And for the record, I too would renew my subscription, even if it wasn't a gift. :)

One thing to think about: Years ago, when I first started out in woodworking, FWW was light years ahead of anything I could do. Now, partly because of the mag, I can do a FEW things that are/were in the mag. We, as a general group, are maybe a bit ahead of where we were when we first started reading FWW, so our expectations are a bit higher.

Does that make sense?

It's hard to please everyone, I know, especially a subscriber base. Again, I believe those non-DT drawers are fine, but I would I put them on a "fine" drawer? Why not? A small drawer on an end table will never get stressed enough to warrant a DT so the joinery is adequate. Are DT's the hallmark that we judge pieces by? I know it's one of the first things that I look for and at.

On the other hand, my mother has a nice 5-drawer walnut dresser that on old cabinetmaker did back in the 50's. Beautiful design, beautiful wood, gorgeous finish, and it's held up through two kids. Drawers are rabbeted and nailed with 6d common nails. He may not have even known how to make a DT. Everything looks to be as tight as when built. Would I consider that drawer fine? Probably not as an individual component. But in viewing the piece as a whole, it does rate high in my book.

So, I may have to back up here and rethink a bit. I do see where this would have a place and I wouldn't crack on an otherwise nice piece just because "society" tells me that DT's are the only way to go.

Perhaps a title change to " A Different Way to Approach Drawer Joinery", or something like that, would have been more appropriate. We saw "So Why Use DT's At All?" and got our hackles up............ At least I think I did.

Rich (really long-winded this AM, and yes, something of a drawer snob) in VA

[Al Weber]

Woodworking published by the same group as Popular Woodworking is much more hand tool oriented and has no advertising so it is closest to a neandrathals needs. There seems to be some carry over between the two but I get both. I personally think that Popular Woodworking has become today's FWW. Taunton publishing has gotten greedy I think. Even the FWW website has become something of snob. There is more volume to the forums that substance.

[lowell holmes]

The issue had a lot of content about James Krenov. Krenov used doweled joints in his cabinets and cases. From that perspective, the article fit in.

Krenov and Maloof both used techniques that were unique. They both are missed.

I thought Jim Budlong did a nice job with his article. I would be happy if I could do the level of work he displays in the article.

I wasn't taken with the drawers either, but then I don't care much for box joints but I surely wouldn't discard Greene and Greene influence because of it.

Some of my favorite woodworkers peviously featured in the publication are Hack, Dunbar, Becksvoort, Rogowski, Lowe, Bird, . . .

I suspect they might use dowels if there was a reason to use them. I personally never use dowels.

I thought the reader's gallery was remarkable.

I subscribe to FWW, Popular Woodworking, and Woodworking magazines. I used to get Woowork while it was being published.

[Danny Hamsley]

I have been debating whether to renew or not. I have enjoyed reading all these comments. I'll probably renew since just one or two new things that you learn or or that takes you in a different direction is worth the price of the subscription.

[george wilson]

I am not renewing my FWW. Going to Popular Woodworking.

I haven't been happy with the content of FWW for some time. Also,I am featured on their website, showing how we made planes in Williamsburg,and so are two of my old journeymen,Marcus and Ed. Yet,they expect me to pay to access the site. I don't think that is really fair. They are making money using these type videos. They also have plans for sawhorses I designed and made on the site IIRC.

[sean m. titmas]

I get both FWW and PW magazines. On the outside they seem to be filled with lots of in depth articles and side coloums with helpful tips but the more i dig and the more i read the more i find that there is on average only 2 items from each magazine that i take away with me as something new. The rest of the magazines tends to serve as a reminder as to what i already know but can always be refreshed with. Aside from that i always try to find something else from the magazines and use it to inspire me to study, learn or experience more about it.

Both magazines are guilty of what i call "appealing to the lowest common denominator". Do we as professional woodworkers really need plans to build a project? I for one find it to be a waste of space because if i were to build something i saw in the magazine it would not be an exact duplicate but rather i would personalize it to my own tastes and i would also draw up my own plans. However the readers of these magazines represent a wide array of skills and abilities and therefore need different types of materiel to read in their periodicals.

But lets not loose sight that these magazines need to continue to improve and evolve just as its readers do. the only way for a magazine to grow in the same direction as its readers do is for the readers to share their thoughts and feelings with the editor. communication, as in any successful relationship, is important for both parties and canceling your subscription is taking the selfish way out.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have been a subscriber since the mid-80's. In that time I have seen everything woodworking related that you can imagine. From how a commercial woodworking operates to making a useful set of sawhorses. I personally don't know anyone who works in a commercial shop, and each one of us could use something like a sawhorse as a shop helper. We all have devices in our shops that function just like a sawhorse. What I am getting at is no magazine can be all things to all people all the time. Since woodworking runs the gamut from pros to amateurs, pine to rosewood, dovetails to butt joints, I feel that Fine Woodworking has given a lot to all. I may not be able to make a Queen Anne secretary like Gene Landon, but FWW gives us all the inspiration to try. Look at the magazine for what it is; a source for woodworkers of all stripes. Use what you can out of the publication and just leave the rest for someone else to read.
Now-I feel better. Off to the shop to re-read the latest issue and make some sawdust.

[Michael Schwartz]

I currently do not subscribe to FWW magizine but have enjoyed reading it over the years, and I read it online through the Finewoodworking.com subscription.

In defense of the article with dowels, that is a typical form of joinery found in many Krenov style cabinets. This was explained to me by a Krenov student whom I studied with a few years ago. As a part of his demonstration he made the same jig featured in the article, except with bushings for the bit. If your looking to us any dowel joints this jig is a very simple and cheap method without buying any commercially made systems.

I don't want to start any arguments however about dowels in furniture construction. I do agree with the concerns of the longevity of dowel joints so I stay away from them in my work. The compromise I have found for my work is when a dowel joint is the best option I use threaded rod and epoxy.

Furthermore if you notice the door rails and styles, and stand in the article of question are joined with mortise and tenon joints. This is an application where dowels would of course be questionable, and if they did shrink causing the glue lines to fail in the long run would cause major problems. If the article were intended to be basic for amateurs or to sell dowel systems I think they would have used them here as well.

Again with the article on drawers without dovetails once again there is no one definitive way to join wood. I have constructed drawers with hand-cut dovetails and it is a joint that takes quite a bit of work to master. I think this article is much better than featuring yet another commercially made dovetail jig or something.

I don't know why the vacuum press article is getting mentioned, probably because they have covered them before but again if you want to do serious veneer work a vacuum press is quite a luxury.


However I do have some criticisms of the issue

I do think the articles on sawhorses, and carrying plywood were of inappropriate context, and wasted space. I dont care for either topic very much, and both are such basic knowledge. Maybe next month we will get an article on how to change the light-bulbs in your shop. Both of these articles seem to be filler content to say the least.

[Jim Koepke]

My copy arrived yesterday. There are still a few tricks in the articles that will be added to my repertoire.

My favorite is usually the "Methods of Work" section. This copy was fairly week in that regard. The article on the cabinet had a few items of interest such as using a disk at the intersection of a hidden miter joint.

The article on how the circle screen was made and a few other things will likely keep me renewing my subscription at least one more time.

jim

[Rod Sheridan]

Another long term FWW subscriber here.

I was going to write that the content has been reduced in scope and quality, that when I first subscribed the articles covered the obscure and the arcane methods of wood working.

Now all they have is articles about using and sharpening cabinet scrapers, cutting dovetails by hand etc.

Oh wait, to someone new to the hobby they are obscure and arcane methods of wood working.

I think we know more now than when we started, so view the magazine as being a little less fine, and a little more average.

I have to admit however that I wish it was a little more elite, and taught more hand tool use and finishing.

I don't need another article on why you need a planer and a jointer.

Regards, Rod.

[Robert Chapman]

Just got my Dec. issue today and after a quick review I think it's one of the most useful issues I've seen in a long time. The piece on saw blades was a good refresher. The article on edge-jointing and glue-up told me how to spring a joint - new info for me. The Finish While You Build article taught me a couple of new tricks. The Grilled to perfection piece at the end was fascinating in it's complexity.

Guess it's whatever appeals to you at the level you are at.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I don't know why the vacuum press article is getting mentioned, probably because they have covered them before but again if you want to do serious veneer work a vacuum press is quite a luxury.




Michael, I brought up the vacuum press article because I think it's ridiculous that one of the biggest players in amatuer woodshop vacuum systems was not even remotely mentioned. Joe from Joe Woodworker.com, and VeneerSupplies.com is the biggest and best source for info and parts for all things DIY vacuum press. Why was he left out? Sorry, I don't know Joe's last name.

[Rob Fisher]

I personally like FWW but I have only been a subscriber for a little over a year. I have yet to get to any hand cut dovetails, although I will eventually. Until then the the doweled drawer would be perfect for me. And I would absolutely consider it to be a fine piece of furniture. But then I like seeing the exposed plywood edge of very modern looking furniture. Many would not consider that fine. I would. Difference of opinion.

There are many aspects of this issue that I liked. And although I do not currently have the skills to build a Krenov style cabinet or to do the grill work shown on the back, I still found those articles very interesting.

Rob

[James Carmichael]

LOML got me a couple of subscriptions for xmas last year including FWW and asked if I wanted to renew. I said yes to FWW. I got interested in woodworking back in 2003 and had bought a couple of copies off of newstands that looked interesting, so I don't know much about what it's been like in the past.

I don't understand what the dissatisfaction being expressed here is about. Has the publication gone downhill? Do you only consider hand tool methods worthy? Are dovetails the only method of draw joinery that qualify as "Fine Woodworking"?

If it's the latter, then there's no need for a periodical, because once someone has published "Dovetailed Drawers", the topic has been covered. I guess you could write some "Pins or Tails first" or "Through vs Half-Blind" articles.

Traditional print media is hurting all over, and FWW is probably following the trend of less content and higher subscriber cost due to lower advertising revenues. It's probably even worse, since their demographic is not very broad to begin with.

I, for one, am fairly sad, I miss my local Sunday paper. I geek for a living and don't want read the news on my sofa with a cup of coffee, not on a computer.

[Wayne Sparkman]

The latest issue of FWW affords a great opportunity for comparison, with its article on the sawhorses.

Take a look back at issue #24 (Sept/Oct. 1980): 78-79, to compare that article with this new one (#208): 56-59.

One curiosity: the new article specifies 11/16's thick stock throughout, where the earlier article had 15/16's stock for the framing. Another example of downsizing I guess.

A useful modification on that basic design, by the way, is to make the top stretcher rail out of 1 inch thick stock and drill holes along the length in order to use Irwin (Record) cramp heads.

[lowell holmes]

I first saw the horses in Krenov's book "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking, copyrighted in 1977. I did not see issue 24 of FWW.
The current article is by a student of the college. Her horses use 13/16 and 11/16 stock.
I might very well use 1" and 7/8" stock. I like your idea of holes to accommodate the pipe clamps.

[phil harold]

My copy arrived yesterday. There are still a few tricks in the articles that will be added to my repertoire.
jim

+1
There is always something to learn in each magazine

An old carpenter used to ask me every day on the way home from work what I had learned that day
One day I told him, "nothing new"
His response was, "the you were not paying attention"

Such a true statement that can be applied to FFW
If you decide that the magaizne is not worthy because they use dowels to join wood, that's your problem...

[jerry nazard]

After 25 years, I have not renewed. Sure, there is always something to be learned from each issue: but, not enough to keep me as a customer.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I do think the articles on sawhorses, and carrying plywood were of inappropriate context, and wasted space. I dont care for either topic very much, and both are such basic knowledge. Both of these articles seem to be filler content to say the least.

Yep. I agree with an earlier post that what was once obscure and arcane is now in my common lexicon, but still.....with all respect to Mr Krenov and his wedged-tenon sawhorses..............yeesh.

FWW July/Aug 1998 had an article on dowels for plywood drawers, so now it is dowels on higher-end drawers. I have a friend that I helped/instructed in layout of his garage work area. All he has is a CMS, craftsman circular saw, craftsman router. I sent him the '98 article so he could see how to make the drawers I had outlined for him under the workbench. That article is right in his wheelhouse (also sent accuride link at Rockler).

I think that FWW is (a) trying to position the mag to reach a wider audience, (b) finding creative ways to recycle topics for content.

Likely to let mag subscription expire, but keep on-line for access to reference/search.

[Paul Girouard]

I was curious if anyone else has the same take on the new FWW mag. Was there anything of value in it for you? If so, what?



Yes loads of stuff the scarper acticle by Mr. Conover comes to mind , some neat ideas just in the photos of work done.

I agree with the guy who said some thing about a Old Carpenter who said " Did you learn any thing today? If not you where not paying attention".

I wish they had made a go of the Furniture magazine, "Fine Furniture" or some such they tried some years ago , lasted about 11 issues. It was very interesting to me , but not enough folks must have liked it as the dropped it within a year or so , like I said about 11 issues or so. I still have that whole series, good stuff is seldom cheap , whether it's wood work or a mag. about wood working, I'll be keeping my subscription current.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I don't understand the upset about doweling a drawer, or case. Both are very strong joints, and do exactly what they are intended to do. Very few chairs have ever been built, that didn't use dowels. Does this make them less than "fine woodworking?" Most here would probably "burn me at the stake" for building drawers using pocket screws. But I pay my bills using the income from building them that way. In commercial cabinets, almost all drawers are doweled, along with the boxes. 5 mm dowels, 32 mm OC, drilled by a line boring machine. Case can be shipped flat, and assembled on site. But they are usually assembled using a case clamp in the shop. All magazines have both good and bad issues. The main thing that determines this is, "did it turn me on?" Did they do things the way I think is correct, and the way I do them. As for Joe's web site, very few cabinet / furniture makers have the time to build their own system, no matter how cheap. When you are in the shop and don't have to worry about paying your bills using income from shop, then things are different. FWW has always commanded a premium price, as they are the premium magazine. It's like buying oats-if you want fresh clean oats, then you are going to have to pay, but if you don't mind if the oats have already been through the horse, then these are cheaper.

[Brad Wood]

I think pretty much all hobby based magazines struggle with keeping long time subscribers interested. The fact that they have managed to keep some folks for the life of the magazine is impressive.
I'm sure hobby magazines anticipate losing some customers each year, just as they anticipate gaining new ones (like me for this year)

I think some of you are being too hard on the publishers. Its got to be incredibly hard to maintain valuable content over the years. If they were to continue to strive towards not repeating content, their articles, geared towards those that have been reading all along, would be so esoteric that they would never get new subscribers

[Joe Jensen]

I got the mag last week and thought it had more for me than usual, which means something versus the usual nothing. I liked the article on finishing as you build, some good tips for me.

Having said that, ZI have assumed that I've outgrown the WW mags. 30 years ago I subsribed to them all. Gradually I dropped all but FWW. I've been doing this for 30 years and I usually don't get much out of a mag. I do get inspiration from some of the pieces in FWW. The others are just way to basic to be of much interest. I never use plans, and I never copy somoene elses design, to the beginner mags are zero for me.

I'll still take FWW, nice production value, nice work featured, and sometimes something new even after 30 years.