Wood working Mags for newbies

[Al Willits]

I figure a good way to find out stuff and maybe pick up a few wood working plans would be to subscribe to a few magazines, seems I've found more than a few and need to thin the herd to something like maybe 4 or 5 mags, any sugestions?

Also are them 6 million plans on one CD really worth it???

Al who hopes someday to cut wood with out a plan....:)

[Mike Cutler]

Al.

I may take a lot of heat for stating this, but here goes.

Magazines seem to have about an 18 month life cycle, after 18 months the articles start to be recycled. They may have new titles, and new authors, but essentially they are a re hash. The subscription has run it's useful life in about 18 months

How many Tablesaw, router, bandsaw, jointer,planer "shootouts" can there be. The machines haven't changed enough in 50 years to warrant a dozen articles each year.

I bet there have been at least a dozen hand cut dovetail articles in the last 6 months.

Personally. I would go for books. Books by authors such as Krenov, and Frid. Articles by craftsman like Franz Klaus, and Sam Maloof.

Look for books on design elements, finish techniques, wood selection, and structural composition. Machine use and bulding techniques.

There are literally dozens of books available on just about any period, or style of furniture that you can name.

Magazines are fun. Lots of pictures, and ads for machines and jigs you may not use. Books are a better long term investment in my opinion.

Don't forget one tremendous, relatively free resource at your disposal... This forum. There are some phenomonally talented designers, craftsman and teachers on this forum. A lot to learn right here.

The 6 million plans on CD aren't worth it, if none of them appeal to you. Fun to browse though, and get ideas.

I'm not normally a plan guy. I start with a picture from a book, or a mag, a pencil, paper, crude drafting tools and just sort of go for it. I make a lot of mistakes along the way, but I learn from each of them.

My .02 fwiw.

[Paul Prescott]

As a relative newbie myself, i learn a lot from Wood, Popular Woodworking, and ShopNotes. To me they are the best, but I actually subscribe to over 7-8 mags.

[Dennis Peacock]

To me? Woodworking magazines have their place. Used to be pointed more towards How-To stuff, but now days its seems to be more towards advertisements for stuff to try and sell anyone who's even remotely interested in woodworking. IMHO, many ww mags are for those that are beginning in ww'ing. I classify Fine Woodworking to be the intermediate to upper skill level of magazine, but others have good points to learn as well.

As a side note, it does appear that they do cycle to the same type projects on a more frequent basis. I've written Wood Magazine about "deepening" their skill level for those that are beginner to intermediate in their skill levels. I was basically told that they are staying like they are and have no plans at getting deeper into the skill level building much further than that.....at least that's what I gathered from the reply I got back. I could be wrong and it wouldn't be the first time. :D

All this is just my opinion and my feelings about the content and articles in some of the magazines. But I do keep reading......sometimes even this fellow woodworker does find something new and inviting in them. ;)

[Bob Childress]

I enjoy looking through many of them from time to time but Shopnotes is the only keeper at my house and a few FWW plans. I agree with Mike that a few well-selected books would be a better investment.

But I do like to see the new stuff in the ads. More toys, more toys!:D

[tod evans]

al, start riding without training wheels then you`ll never need the crutch. find something you want to build that`s not to involved, master the techniques even if it takes more time and wood than it should, then choose your next item where you`ll use the techniques you learned plus another couple. the school of hard knocks teaches better than any other and you seldom forget the lessons....02 tod

[Al Willits]

Thanks guys, all good suggestions.
I agree on the recycling with magazines, seems most have a tendency to do that, no matter what subject, I quit subscribing to Stereo and gun mags for that reason.

I have most of the major tools I can afford so shootouts are nice to read, but not important to me as I can't or won't change the equipt I have..heck..I haven't even used some of it yet, much less upgrade it..:D

I like the "Tips/jigs or how to" sections, as learning by exprience may be nice, but I could go years not knowing about what's out there.
Never knew about Miller plugs (?) or pocket holes till I took a short class.
Heck, it took two weeks to figure out my wire feed welder wasn't gonna work on plywood, so I need all the help I can get...:)

What plans do for me is show a way to assemble something and what type of joinery to use, I really think learning the basics before boldly cutting where no man has cut before...well at least me makes some sense.

Forum for information?
My god, you bet, I have you guys to thank/blame for half the wood working tools in my garage, and the ton of anwsers I've gotten from this forum has made life much easier, many thanks to ya all!!

Once again, thanks all.

Al

[JayStPeter]

I started as a newbie around '99. I subscribed to pretty much all the mags for a few years. Now, I've thinned the subscriptions to Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, and Wood. I think when my Wood subscription lapses I'll add Woodwork.

I think Wood is a great magazine for starting out. The projects have joinery that is easy and pretty well thought out. Their tool comparisons are also quite good (no chance you have everything you "need" ;) ). PWW is one I got rid of and came back to. It has gotten to be a real good mix of power tool and hand tool stuff.

Also consider books. The Taunton books are good. Some of them are collections of FWW articles on a particular subject. I have a shelf full of them now that I reference during the design phase of projects.

Jay

[skip coyne]

check out your public library , ours has a good selection of magizines . I go down a couple of times a month grab a handfull of magizines and read them .

same with books , ours also has a good selection of woodworking books plus they do a inter library loan that if you request a book they dont have they will get it from any library in the state that has it

If you have a barnes and noble nearby , they encourge you to read . we where there the other night I grab a handfull of woodworking mags and books , a starbucks and look for a comfrotabe chair .

Frugal mans way to woodworking knowledge

[Robert Mickley]

My two personal favorites have turned out to be wood and shopsmith. Some of fine woodworkings articles seem to talk down to you and I just don't care for that.

[Al Willits]

Thanks all, looks like I have several sources for information now.
I will probably add a couple of the suggested mags to my subscription list, least wises till they start repeating them selfs, then narrow it down to maybe a couple..

Al

[Art Davis]

Al,

Just to add one more vote. I am a newbie, too, not much further along than you. I've subscribed to about seven or eight mags for five or six years, now (mostly reading instead of doing, another problem!). The very, very best for me has been Shopnotes, followed perhaps by Wood. I think the articles on tips, hints, jigs, etc, are worth the subscription prices. The tool "shootouts," as has been said are of very limited value. Particularly because they often "puff" the stuff, rather than doing critical reviews.

Art

[Art Mulder]

I figure a good way to find out stuff and maybe pick up a few wood working plans would be to subscribe to a few magazines, seems I've found more than a few and need to thin the herd to something like maybe 4 or 5 mags, any sugestions?


Al, you live in a pretty large city. My advice would be to take an evening at the local public library - the main/central branch - and browse the magazines there. That'll give you a change to see which ones interest you.

At different times I look for different things. Sometimes I enjoy browsing the ads. Someties I like a tool review, othertimes a technique article. Depends on where I'm at, what I'm doing.

to the people who find magazines too much the "same old, same old". I would both agree, and disagree. On the one hand, there's nothing new under the sun. A bookcase is a bookcase is a bookcase. but on the other hand, we're all different, and it can be interesting to see different approaches and styles that people bring to the "same old" project.

Right now I just subscribe to Fine Woodworking, and Canadian Home Workshop.

[Marlow Wilson]

I just ordered this: Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools. Should arrive in a couple of days and I'd be happy to let you know how it is. I grew up using my dads serious weekend shop and was spoiled by the ease with which things can be done with big expensive tools. Now I'm on my own I'm having to relearn how to work wood in my humble home which itslef is much smaller than the old-mans work shop. From what I read (review wise) this book is about as good as they get.

I'll keep you up to date,

Marlow

[Al Willits]

I just ordered this: Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools. Should arrive in a couple of days and I'd be happy to let you know how it is. I grew up using my dads serious weekend shop and was spoiled by the ease with which things can be done with big expensive tools. Now I'm on my own I'm having to relearn how to work wood in my humble home which itslef is much smaller than the old-mans work shop. From what I read (review wise) this book is about as good as they get.

I'll keep you up to date,

Marlow


Would appreciate the review, thanks.

Al

[Eddie Watkins]

Al,
you might look into your local votechs for woodwrking classes. THey will help you design and build a project and get familiar with a lot of basics. You will also get towork with a lot of good tools that you may or may not need to buy. I subscibe to Wood and use some of thier plans. THe tool comparisons are just okay. THe advertisements are also helpful in locating or buying some unusual hardware, tool, etc. that you may not be able to find locally. Usually they will include a website.

Eddie

[Al Willits]

Eddie, just took one of the adult ed classes and it did help, another class is coming up this fall and I'll take that one too.
Learned a lot about joinery at the class, and have taken a finishing class at Woodcraft also.

I just wanna be an expert furniture builder by next month and thought the mags would help......:D

Al ok, ok, make that 2 months then....:D