Fave WW magazine?

[David Ragan]

Am currently into reviewing WW magazines, getting archives and going through them. looking for shop tips, wisdom, etc.

Am printing off the exceptional stuff and putting into a binder.

Am pleased to say that a lot of lightbulbs have gone off in my small mind.

Have FWW, Shop Notes, Woodsmith, and just finished American WW.

What others do you all think contain the most useful information archived, if one were to purchase the DVD?

[roger wiegand]

The AAW magazine American Woodturner has about the highest density of useful information of any of the magazines, but focussed, of course, on turning. I also really like American Lutherie, again a more specialized publication. FWW has certainly gotten discouraging, with recycling the same content over and over.

[Steve Kinnaird]

I like WOOD - http://www.woodmagazine.com/
Also Shop Notes and Woodsmith are combining as one magazine.

[Jonathan Chouinard]

I agree with Steve, I like WOOD the best. Fine woodworking is excellent as well, but most of the articles and projects are beyone my abilities. Most of the other magazines are mostly full of ads or have projects that don't appeal to me at all.

[Chris Padilla]

I let all of mine expire. No more mags for me. After a while they all say the same things over and over. Everything is online these days and it works for me. :)

[Dick Latshaw]

I let all of mine expire. No more mags for me. After a while they all say the same things over and over. Everything is online these days and it works for me. :)

+1 I can't seem to throw out the ones I have, dating back to the second issue of FWW. But they just sit. If I need info on a topic, I look it up on line.

[Robert Payne]

I have the archive DVD's for FWW, ShopNotes, Woodsmith, Wood (through 2011), full American Woodworker, most years of Popular Woodworking, Woodworkers Journal and Woodwork Magazine. Of these, the best advanced woodworking articles come from Fine Woodworking and Woodwork, but I really use many of the ideas from ShopNotes and Woodsmith. I also have several good CD's and DVD's on SketchUp and recommend the 2 disks by Joe Zeh and the two by Bob Lang. Our woodworking club (the Western NC Woodworkers Association) has the full set of Fine Woodworking magazine all the way back to #1.

[Kent A Bathurst]

None.

FWW was great - back in the day. I learned a lot from it - most importantly, I realized that the seemingly impossible stuff could be learned, and they challenged me to keep reaching.

Then - they went down-market, and I cancelled. The day the infamous Dowelled Drawer Construction made the cover - the freakin' cover of FWW - was the last one I held - and I did not even read that one, I was so aggravated.

Shoulda been titled "Drawers for First Time DIY" - and available on a free tear sheet at the BORG. You've got to target the right market for your product, no?

The only one out there today that would grab my attention is the new 360 place. Their price isn't high - I think their price is what you have to pay go get something of that quality - from guys that legitimately know their stuff. Otherwise, you follow the mass-market downward spiral of FWW, PWW............

Haven't gone there yet, but I have considered it. Actually - ought to do it simply as a vote of support.......

[Frederick Skelly]

I like WOOD - [URL]http://www.woodmagazine.com/

+2. But be warned: they have also started recycling.

[David Ragan]

None.

Then - they went down-market, and I cancelled. The day the infamous Dowelled Drawer Construction made the cover - the freakin' cover of FWW - was the last one I held - and I did not even read that one, I was so aggravated.

Shoulda been titled "Drawers for First Time DIY" - and available on a free tear sheet at the BORG. You've got to target the right market for your product, no?

The only one out there today that would grab my attention is the new 360 place. Their price isn't high - I think their price is what you have to pay go get something of that quality - from guys that legitimately know their stuff. Otherwise, you follow the mass-market downward spiral of FWW, PWW............



Hey Brother Bathurst, How did I miss your complaint letter to FWW when they put Norm Abrams on the cover with his BORG approach;)?

I looked @ 360 it is $10 per month. Most of the stuff was pretty cool. Haven't made a commitment yet.

[Mark Patoka]

I've been a WOOD subscriber for 20+ years and it's still my favorite and most of the items I build have been based on their plans, it's just been appropriate for my skill and style. Woodsmith and ShopNotes are also favorites for tips and techniques. I think all magazines end up recycling content at some point over their lifetime and for those of us that have been around a while, it's hard to show us something new, especially as our skills progress. It's also so easy now to just go online and find a tip or solution to anything so it makes it a challenge for the print media to stay fresh.

[Doug Ladendorf]

I'll second AAWs American Woodturner. Easily the most outstanding ww related mag I have seen. I did like Shop Notes but not following over to Woodsmith. I still like FWW. Of all the furniture/flatwork mags I think it's tops. I have to admit being disappointed as well in the...err...less traditional methods they have added.

[Prashun Patel]

FWW. the online subscription is great. Gives you digital access to the latest issue and a searchable index of all past articles. Awesome.

[Mike Ontko]

I've had a subscription to Wood and FWW (print and online) for about three years. Before that I was an avid subscriber and reader of Fine Homebuilding, which is semi related to WW.

[Quinn McCarthy]

Fine woodworking for over 20 years. They are the most expensive magazine so I don't know why they charge to use their website.

I get AAW magazine too

[Cody Colston]

FWW. the online subscription is great. Gives you digital access to the latest issue and a searchable index of all past articles. Awesome.

I agree. It's the only one I subscribe to any more. Heck, the Reader's Gallery is worth the subscription price.

[Dave Cullen]

+1 I can't seem to throw out the ones I have, dating back to the second issue of FWW. But they just sit. If I need info on a topic, I look it up on line.

Yeah, me too. I've been wanting to gain back some bookshelf space, so I looked at eBay to see what the old FWW issues might be worth. They sell for near nothing. So I've been going through them and clipping out the interesting stuff and making a notebook. Some of the stuff that Tage Frid did was really inspiring.

Can't seem to bring myself to subscribing to their online mag, just don't spend enough time with this hobby to make it worth while.

[Wayne Jolly]

I have gone through several over the years. Woodworkers Journal, Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, Wood . . .

What I have found is that material I am interested in goes in cycles. For example, Woodworkers Journal might have a few months where I like their projects, and then several months where I just scan the magazine and put it down uninterested in anything. It seems to happen with all of them for me. That is OK because the publishers have to address a wide variety of tastes, and sometimes I find something that might use a technique that I want to learn even though the project itself sux. Currently, I like the look of some of the projects in the new Woodsmith Guild Edition, but I don't like some of their construction techniques so I would have to modify everything. I also don't know if I like the inclusion of Shopnotes into Woodsmith either. I might give that one a thumb up.

The "how to" articles seem to appear in all of the magazines at some point. How many times have you picked up a magazine and on the cover is "How to sharpen a Scraper" or "How to Get a Flawless Finish", or something like that. Then you pick up one of the other magazines and it has the same topic? Then there are the tips. Several times I see the exact same tip in two or even three magazines.

I still haven't decided whether or not I like the online editions. I am leaning heavily towards not, because with some of them you don't get a downloadable copy. What do you do if you are in a place that has no internet service and you want to peruse one of your magazines, like maybe in your shop?

What I am saying I guess is that it's a crap shoot.

Wayne

[Dave Lehnert]

I think WOOD is a good all round magazine for the beginner to serious weekend woodworker.
Popular Woodworking is great if you want to learn about hand tool woodworking. That's my area of interest right now.

[Ole Anderson]

Another vote for Wood.

[Larry Anderson]

I've been getting Wood for many years and have almost every issue of Woodsmith. Like them both for their plans and detailed step by step instructions. Tips and techniques are nice but by the time I need the info I've forgotten where read it. I enjoy FWW at the library but it is mostly beyond my abilities.

[David Ragan]

I still haven't decided whether or not I like the online editions. I am leaning heavily towards not, because with some of them you don't get a downloadable copy. What do you do if you are in a place that has no internet service and you want to peruse one of your magazines, like maybe in your shop?

What I am saying I guess is that it's a crap shoot.

Wayne

My remark is geared toward your saying copies not downloadable.....

There is a trick with getting the ShopNotes and WoodSmith to print. If you're interested, I'll post the gymnastics. Strictly legit subscription;).

'Wood' looks great. Their archive is $150. Am mulling it over. Thumb drive.

[Pete Janke]

I currently have Wood and WoodSmith subscriptions. I have just started donating my old magazines to our local Senior Center.

[Wayne Jolly]

There is a trick with getting the ShopNotes and WoodSmith to print. If you're interested, I'll post the gymnastics. Strictly legit subscription;).


I'm sure there must be a way to print things off, but I was thinking more of when you might be in your shop where there is no Internet service, but there just might be a 42" (or larger) HD TV that was picked up REAL cheaply for the sole purpose of connecting to a computer. I'm not there yet, but I think I might be soon. Now that the 4K TVs are out and 8K is looming, the 1080p sets are getting to be cheaper than wood now.

That, and I think the publishers will most likely be heading in that direction in an attempt to prevent pirating. They will set up your personalized online library that must be viewed online, and only online. Nothing downloadable. I wouldn't be surprised if printing was also limited to the plans in your library, and I would not be at all surprised if they were to start charging for that.

So you won't be able to sit in your easy chair beside your campfire in the late evening enjoying your catch-of-the-day and your favorite cold beverage while firing up the ol' laptop and perusing your downloaded pdf copy. :(


Wayne