What's a good woodworking magazine for beginner / intermediate woodworker?

[Greg L. Brown]

Hi all,
What's a good woodworking magazine to get a subscription too? I want something geared towards novices / hobbyists? I had a one year subscription to "Popular Woodworking" but wasn't that impressed. Although, I didn't have anything to compare it to. Fine Woodworking seemed really good, but it was over my head.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Greg

[Rusty Elam]

I would think Wood would be your best bet. ( did you like how I got 3 woods in there)

[Denny Rice]

I agree Wood is a very good magazine. I also think "ShopNotes" is a very good woodworking magazine for the novice woodworker. I think I liked shopnotes when I was started because the magazine tackles things like setting up a shop, taking care of woodworking tools and machines, things that are hard to find in other magazines. It tackles more than just woodworking projects.

[Tom Veatch]

Another vote for ShopNotes along with its sister publication "Woodsmith". If I could subscribe to only two magazines, those would be the two.

[Gary Breckenridge]

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck without WOOD ?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

ShopNotes has been my staple fare for the last 2 years - the length of time I've been @ this now.

They cover the basics via getting your feet wet by setting up the shop, fixtures & jigs.

[Joe Chritz]

Third or fourth for shopnotes. Wood has lots of good projects as well and usually detailed plans.

Advanced projects are good. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and all that.

I would say that WOOD, would be a good magazine but if I did would a woodchuck still be able to chuck WOOD as a magazine if you took all the WOOD available or could he use wood from a tree? (slightly run on but I got 8!) :D

Joe

[ROY DICK]

Wood and Shop Notes.

Roy

[Rick Bengel]

Shopnotes and Woodsmith are my mainstays. I've had subscriptions to others, but always fall back on these two. Very detailed project plans, with clear instructions. Great for a novice all the way to expert!

[Rusty Elam]

I like Shopnotes too, but how many times can you get it in one sentence?

[Steve Griffin]

I like Sawmillcreek.org.

Don't need no paper magazine full of advertising delivered by horse and buggy!

I do like to spend the money saved on mags on the occasional book purchase:

"The complete book of wood joinery"
"The bandsaw handbook"
"Spray finishing"
"The fine art of cabinetry"
A number of James Kernov books
"Kitchen Idea Book"

Just to name a few off the top of my head..

-Steve

[Dave Verstraete]

As a novice, I like Shopnotes and Woodsmith. I have also built numerous projects from the WOOD magazine and some of the easier projects from FWW.

When I walked in the shop, I noted that the Shopnotes magazine was lying on the floor with the rest of the shop's notes. 3 TIMES

[Todd Crawford]

While I don't subscribe to Shopnotes I just ordered a free sample issue of Shopnotes that I hope will arrive before I complete my shop, note that I do not read a lot outside of the internet but I do keep a lot of shop notes on stuff that I build and maybe one day I will send it all in to Shopnotes.

Okay, I know that is a run-on unlike any other that I have ever written, but i got it in there 5 times...

[Jim Becker]

I would also recommend WOOD Magazine for the needs you state. It's a good, all around magazine with very approachable projects and good how-to articles. And when your needs and skills change, you always have the option to move to something like Fine Woodworking which typically explores techniques and projects that require higher level skills, although in all honestly, that's mitigated a little due to "market pressure" over time.

[Stephen Edwards]

I've always enjoyed Popular Woodworking because it has a range of projects for people of all skill levels. Also seems to have honest tool reviews and useful technique tips for many applications.

My Two Cents Worth

[glenn bradley]

Shopnotes and Woodsmith were the most useful to me when starting out. Lots of easy projects and loads of tips on setting up shop.

[Prashun Patel]

+1 on Wood. The plans and tips can repeat after a while, but all the projects are doable for someone like you (and me).

An online subscription to Fine Woodworking is also (IMHO) worth its weight in gold. Lots of awesome pdfs for download + a million gallery ideas + great videos.

-1 on Shopnotes. I got a subscription for one year. The plans are a little too involved for beginners and it's really geared to making furniture for your shop. If that's not yr goal, then skip this one for now.

[Art Davis]

Shopnotes = No. 1

Wood is good. (Not alliterative, but it rhymes!)

I used to think Fine Woodworking was too advanced, but I now subscribe because they now carry lots of articles for beginners like me.

An example: This month's has a very nice article on how to put the bur on a card scraper.

Art

[David Keller NC]

Greg - When I started woodworking, I was as green as hickory stick cut off the tree that morning, but I still read my Grandfather's sub of Fine Woodworking every month. I wasn't capable of anything in the mag, but I look back on it as a critical experience - it showed me what was possible.

Also, Fine WoodWorking is not the same magazine that it was in the past - they've re-focused their content to include less Fine Woodwork and more Intermediate Woodwork, so I think if you had a subscription you'd find quite a bit in the magazine that you're capable of, and will build your skills.

[Rod Sheridan]

I recommend an online subscription to Fine Woodworking and/or a subscription to the magazine.

The magazine will help you to perfect existing skills or learn new skills.

I find other magazines have lower level projects and standards, which don't motivate you much.

Regards, Rod.

[Chris Friesen]

I like some of the stuff in Popular Woodworking. I *really* like Woodworking, which is published by the same people but has zero advertising and focuses on tools, techniques, and intermediate-level but generally very nice shaker/american style projects.

[Russ Sears]

Hey, the guy wants to branch out a bit; stop barking at him!
Meaningless I know but I can't resist a bad pun :D

[Shawn Honeychurch]

+1 Shopnotes

[John Callahan]

Wood is ok but imho it declined after Rodale sold them off. Woodsmith and Shopnotes would be my top two picks ....... I'd get both as I think they compliment each other. Solid ,useful material- no fluff and in the beginning, perhaps more useful than Fine Woodworking.

[Jason White]

WOOD magazine. The projects in that one are very down-to-earth and geared toward beginners and intermediate woodworkers. I like all the other woodworking magazines, too. But I find the actual projects in WOOD to be the most appealing.

Jason

[Ray Newman]

Since I’m a charter subscriber to ShopNotes & Woodsmith, they have my recommendation. Their plans & projects are very well done & I think there have been only 1 or 2 corrections to their plans over the years. Step by step approach to project construction w/ good illustrations & directions.
I also subscribe to Popular Woodworking.

For a good many years, I did subscribe to Fine Wood Working, but let it drop a few years ago. I now buy it from the newsstand if it has something of interest. I don’t think it is the same magazine as it was 15-20 years ago.

As for the rest, I just look @ their contents when @ the newsstands. I’m beginning to see repetition -- just how many articles can be written on sharpening & related jigs, building a box joint jig or tenon jig, Stickley & Arts & Crafts furniture design/furniture, etc.??

[Greg L. Brown]

They all seem pretty good, so I don't think I can go wrong with any of the big ones (Wood, PW, Shopnotes, FWW, etc).

Thanks again,
Greg

[Ken Frohnert]

WoodSmith is my #1, I recently subscribed to Shopnotes because I liked WoodSmith so much. I would put Wood in 3rd.

[Phil Warnement]

I used to subscribe to all the magazines that were mentioned above. I am down to one as we speak(read.....whateva).

My wife and I now take one night every two weeks and go to a bookstore. We buy a coffee and read a magazine, book or anything that is at hand. I read the wood magazines and only buy the ones that I want. The store actually condones this. If you don't believe it ask a clerk, I did.

I don't know how many magazines I buy in a year, but it comes close to the cost of a few subscriptions. If I find one article I want to save, I buy the magazine. Everyone makes a profit.

Give it a try. You will find the magazines you want to subscribe to on a regular basis.

[Chip Lindley]

Woodsmith's project drawings are unequaled for clarity and detail!! Detail matters, leaving virtually nothing to the imagination of a new woodworker. Wood mag. IMO has less clarity, but some nice projects for new woodworkers also!

[Ray Schafer]

I have found, and you may want to double check this, that for the cost of two magazines, I can get a subscription. I found that I was often buy a magazine here and a magazine there. In the end, I decided that it was cheaper to get subscriptions to 3 magazines and not buy any individual magazines. They all cover the same stuff anyway.

I recommend Wood, Popular Woodworking and American Wood___ (don't remember the name right now). Fine Woodworking is great, but I just go to the library for that one.

I have since gotten mad, because they all keep sending me renewals even though my subscription is not expiring. It is the trick to get you to keep sending them money. They make you think that if you don't renew, your subscription will lapse. I think that I am signed up for 5 years at this point! So I am not renewing any magazines.

[Jim Heffner]

Let's see...(1) Shopnotes....(2) Woodsmith......(3) Wood...these three
are the one's I would suggest and recommend to anyone just starting out.
They all have good info, projects/ shop fixtures and jigs that will keep you busy for a while and keep your interest up all the while.

Another source of good info is your second hand book stores. They sell all types of books at greatly reduced prices, and you will find a lot of good
hardbound books there for little or nothing compared to new book prices.

I have bought several sets of these books they range anywhere from a few books in the set to 20 volumes. The best thing is, most sets usually
$20.00 or less for a whole set. They provide lots of good projects
and lots of reading for little money, also check Goodwill, or other thrift stores....found a lot of books there less than $2.00 each!

[Jim Finn]

Shopnotes!

[Mike Cutler]

Greg

What specifically are you looking for? Is it plans, projects, techniques, How to articles? Some magazines are more suited than others for varying topics

I personally don't have any magazine subscriptions. They all seem the same the same to me. I've actually found better tutorials on the net for free.

There is a wealth of info/stuff available on this site. Use the Google Search function, and ask as many questions as you'd like. No one here seems to be camera shy, or unwilling to help. Spend your $$$ on wood and tools.;)

For the record though, I like Fine WoodWorking the most, but I would join the online website for the video tutorials. Nice stuff on their site.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Ok, I'll swim against the current. Why should a beginner level woodworker need a lower level of content? What can you learn from someone operating on the same level as you are already? Lonnie Bird's secretery has influenced my style and skill more then any other single event. I have not built his secretary, yet, and at the time I came across it, I lacked the skill to do it. What it did do though, is provide that eureka moment.

Everyone has a different muse I suppose, but don't limit yourself to things on your level. Aim for better!

As for mags, I have no idea. Fine Woodworking used to be great, but the dumbing down has me so disgruntled that unless someone buys it for me as a gift, I don't subscribe. I think Sawmill Creek has taken its place for me. There are people here who those glossy mags wish they could snag as writters, and experts on most anything you'd ever want to know. Oh, and you get to choose the content!