Shop Notes Magazine

[Russ Sears]

I received a solicitation for Shop Notes Magazine. Is it any good? Worth $28 for 12 issues over 2 years?
Any other magazine suggestions?

[Mike Heidrick]

I like to read it and have made a few items for the shop from Shop Notes.

I also get Fine Wood Working and subscribe to FWW online. I look foreward to that each month.

I have been reading Wood Magazine and it may be my next subscripotion.

I find magazine subscriptions make great in-law gifts around the holidays.

[Anthony Whitesell]

It's a little pricey. It is all woodworking articles, projects, jigs, and how-to's. There are no ads which is what drives the price up. The pictures and most of the articles are also very clear. I would say all the jigs and items in the last issue with the exception of the last two pages were very straightforward to follow.

[Scott Long]

I think that the price is great, $28 for @ years. I like the magazine, I take some of there ideas and modify it to work in my shop. It is the secon best woodworking investment that I make every year (first being the creek of course)

[Gary Warren]

I subscribe to every kind of WW magazine there is and Shop Notes is always the one I look forward to getting in the mail. I like its simplicity and yet detailed versions of the projects they describe. You will not regret it unless you are looking for stuff that comes out of Architectural Digest! Good for the basic hobby type woodworker.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I would concur about ShopNotes. It is one of my favorite journals. The projects range from simple to more complex than you probably would ever do (converting a table saw to a drum sander, creating a router-based jointer, etc). Their jigs and suggestions are also very useful, and well illustrated/photographed.

Doc

[Prashun Patel]

My wife just got me a subscription for Xmas. Love it!

I also like Workbench

[Tom Veatch]

Shop Notes and its sibling, Woodsmith, are the two subscriptions that I'd keep if I could only have two.

[Travis Gauger]

Shope Notes.
Woodsmith.
Fine Wood Working.
American Wood Worker.
Wood Magazine.
Workbench.
Family Handyman.

This is what I currently subscribe to. All of them are good in their own way. My personal favorite is woodsmith, no adds like shopnotes, all furniture and higher end projects. I don't build bird houses, so don't show me how to build one.

[Jim Barstow]

On a scale of 1-10:

woodsmith 10
shopnotes 8
fine woodworking 8
wood magazine 6
fine homebuilding 6
popular woodworking, woodworker's journal, etc 4

I've dropped subscriptions for everything below 5

[Greg Peterson]

I use to pick up an issue every now and then and found useful projects and ideas. The publisher, August Home Publishing, runs an Internet forum that is moderated with a very obvious bias. A very narrow, limited opinion is allowed and any rebuttal is frowned up.:( August Home Publishings continued support of their forum is no less than tacit approval of the behavior of some of their members towards others. I do not purchase any of their products nor do I participate in their good ol' boy club.

Fine Woodworking is the gold standard, IMO. Pricey, but when you're that good you can justify the price.

[Shawn Honeychurch]

Very worth it.

Great articles and how-to's, plus very clear instructions.
:D

[Kyle Kraft]

I have been a subscriber for several years and some issues are mediocre and some have so many Post It flags in it that it looks like fringe on a pillow. I don't forsee cancelling my subscription any time in the near future.

[Mike Monroe]

I subscribed for many years, but after a while I realized I didn't need to anymore. I let my subscription lapse a year or so ago. It seemed to me that over time the articles repeated and some of the jigs/tools were just not anything I would build. Having said that, I have built a number of projects from Shopnotes in the past. If an issue comes out with an interesting project, I'll purchase it. Same for FWW. The only wood mags I currently subscribe to are Woodsmith and Wood. And the only reason I subscribe to Wood is because my nephew was selling subscriptions through his elementary school.

[Ben Cadotte]

I like it enough I bought over 80 issues used from that auction place. The original purchaser took really good care of them. Some of the issues were not even opend out of the plastic yet. Also had 2/3 of them in the binders you can get. Got them for about $2 an issue. Thought it was a very good deal. Especially after I had a chance to look them over. After about 6 months he sent me an email asking if I wanted some more he found in his shop. I said yes and he sent those. Again very good shape. And a great price. So in all I think I have over 120 of them. Give or take. Also have some Woodsmith and a bunch of others that were part of the original purchase.

[Doug Arndt]

I also like Workbench

I too like shopnotes, but Workbench didn't make the last renewal cut, the last issue didn't even make it to the magazine stack, went straight to 'recycle'. And i don't recycle magazines (just ask my wife)
Seems it's become a generic homeowner product. I used to like it, have past issues in the "stack", but no more.

[Charles Wiggins]

Shop Notes is all about the shop itself, so it is great IF you are looking for ways to improve your shop and techniques. It includes tool tests, jigs, fixtures, shop furniture, shop built tools, etc. You won't find any standard WW projects such as beds, tables, and chairs.

[Dick Sylvan]

I think the value of each of these magazines varies for each individual depending on your experience, the types of things you like to build, and the stage of development your shop has reached. For example, if you have a well established/laid out shop with all the major hand and power tools, then Shop Notes is unlikely to be of interest as your shop is already built. If you primarily like making toys for Christmas presents then I say FWW is not likely your cup of tea. So buy all of them for a month or two and then subscribe to those you like.

[Russ Sears]

Sounds like Shop Notes is perfect for me at the moment. My response card is in the mail :)

[matt dumney]

I have a subscription and like it. I've heard though that after a few years they can repeat similar ideas with different twists.

[Gary Keedwell]

I like Shop Notes and think the woodworking community is well served with their publication.:)
Gary




New Englander for Global Warming

[Rick Gifford]

Yup I like ShopNotes. FineWoodWorking is probably my favorite, a real good magazine.

I also get the Woodcraft magazine and like it too.

Same with WOOD magazine.

I wish they'd all come every week!

[glenn bradley]

Shop Notes was one of my favorites. I am just now letting it run out and only because I have a few years worth and they will keep me busy for awhile. I would recommend it to folks in their first couple years in this hobby without hesitation.

The sister publication Woodsmith I still get and enjoy as well. They have an heirloom project in almost every issue and I'd loke to collect a few more. Even if I started now it would take me too long to do everything I would like to out of the two mags.

P.s. Fine Woodworking Online is a great investment. I got my annual cost out of it in my first few visits.

[glenn bradley]

I too like shopnotes, but Workbench didn't make the last renewal cut, the last issue didn't even make it to the magazine stack, went straight to 'recycle'. And i don't recycle magazines (just ask my wife)
Seems it's become a generic homeowner product. I used to like it, have past issues in the "stack", but no more.

I'll chime in on dropping Workbench. I let it go a couple years ago. It just got too hardcore Home-Owner-DIY for what I was looking for.

Now, if you are looking for home improvement stuff, patio furniture, bathroom rebuilds, etc. Workbench is really well put together and the plans are pretty thorough.

[Rich Schneider]

I am a subscriber to Shopnotes and like every publication they hit on some good stuff that is of interest to me often enough to justify keeping the subscription...there are some things they do that I'm sure some people like, but which I find a little out of the realm of reasonableness such as making a piece of shop equipment like a drum sander out of baltic birch plywood....heck why don't I just make my next tablesaw out of birch plywood too...hmmmm

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
I pick up an occasional copy of Shop Notes every now and then.
Lot's of good jigs for a beginner such as myself.
$28.00 is a fair price considering you'll probably save that amount - and more - on at least one jig you make rather than buy.

[Brian Effinger]

You've got my vote for Shop Notes too, as well as Woodsmith. Really enjoy them, and I don't like paying for adds so it works out well. I tried one issue of Workbench and hated it though. Maybe because I'm an architect, I found it too...I don't know, childish or maybe simplistic is a better word. It also took 3 tries to get them to cancel it after the free preview issue. They just kept sending me payment notices & I kept writing "cancel" on them. To me that was poor customer service on their part.

[CW McClellan]

I have #1-the date --A1 Mag.:)
I take also Wood Mag. --A1:)
Wish could take 1 or 2 more but have dropped some which have been mentioned above for the same reasons :eek:
Shop Notes and Wood are worth the money :D:)

[Denny Rice]

Ditto........Love it.