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Thread: Either I am loosing interest or - -

  1. #1
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    Either I am loosing interest or - -

    -I have seen everything.
    I subscribe to woodworking magazines and I use to read them and keep them on the coffee table for awhile to revisit them.
    I just received a new issue if one and it took about 20 minutes to look through it and put it down. I may file 13 it.

    Am I the only one to experience this?

  2. #2
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    That is pretty much why I no longer subscribe to any paper wood magazines.
    Lee Schierer
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  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    -I have seen everything.
    I subscribe to woodworking magazines and I use to read them and keep them on the coffee table for awhile to revisit them.
    I just received a new issue if one and it took about 20 minutes to look through it and put it down. I may file 13 it.

    Am I the only one to experience this?
    They can help you to keep up with what is trending in the mainstream, as opposed to weird fads on the intewebs. If you're into that sort of reality check thing.

  4. #4
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    You are correct. However, I remember when they had writers that produced articles that were instructional and entertaining.

  5. #5
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    Lowell, you posted basically the same thread two weeks ago.

    In both threads you’re right though.

  6. #6
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    I forgot about the old thread.

    Old dogs tend to forget.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    I forgot about the old thread.

    Old dogs tend to forget.
    For me it was forgetting to renew magazine subscriptions… As in forgetting on purpose and for the same reasons.

    Maybe the reason an old dog can't be taught new tricks is because when one is an old dog, so are all the tricks.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
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    I hope to get one good idea, tip, ad, or review, per month out of each magazine. If a mag consistenly doesn't, then time to give it up.

  9. #9
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    I let all my subs expire. I subscribed to Wood, Woodsmith, The Rockler machine and the Woodcraft mag. The Rockler Woodcraft mag were so,so. Woodsmith was good until Shop Notes died. Sonc I stopped them all except Wood so I stopped it to.

    To much repeat articles.
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

  10. #10
    Used to get Shop Notes, WoodSmith, Wood, Popular Woodworking, Workbench, and FWW. Slowly dwindled down to Wood, and WoodSmith. I actively submitted tips to several, often having three or four published each year. Even had the "Top Tip" in Wood once. Been sitting on a couple ideas for several years now, but just can't get motivated to send them in. Even skipped the Woodworking Show this year. Last summer probably made last trip to IWF. I've been going since 2000. Today worked on brakes on van, and in bleeding brakes, got brake fluid on concrete apron in front of shop. Went to DC bin to get some sawdust to absorb it, and when I opened bin, the top layer was chips from boring window holes in Toys for Tot's cars. This means DC hasn't been run since last November. Right now I have two outside projects waiting on me, a door for a cabinet that I built in 2008, and a farm house table for son using reclaimed pine from a building built over 100 years ago. Just can't seem to get motivated to get started on either project. Try to watch WoodSmith on TV, but most of the shows here, are reruns that I have seen at least twice before. When either of the two magazines I still get come in, first read the tips section. Read tips in both FWW, and FHB while standing in line at cash register in Lowes. Did buy a single issue of FWW last year to save an article about making housed stringers. I guess I could say "The thrill is gone."

  11. #11
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    I bagged the subscriptions years ago...even the "best of the best" started to become redundant.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Maybe the reason an old dog can't be taught new tricks is because when one is an old dog, so are all the tricks.
    A wise and quotable insight Jim. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

    Lowell, I know just what you mean. It took me a whole 10 mins to go through a new issue of a woodworking magazine last night. Not sure why I bothered to renew.
    Last edited by Frederick Skelly; 06-02-2019 at 5:45 AM.
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  13. #13
    For someone wanting to learn, video is the best way to go IMO.

    That said, for me it’s not about paper or not, it’s about content. I started getting Woodsmith almost 30 years ago. I can’t remember when the last time I read a relevant article. Much if it seems either esoteric or geared towards tinkerers.

    Shopnotes the same way. A bit too anal for me.

    Persona

    Personally I’ve learned 99% of what I know from Fine Woodworking project videos and YouTube. There are many excellent craftsman out there.

  14. #14
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    I'm not sure there's enough new in the traditional woodworking world to supply content for a monthly or bi-monthly magazine. Content does tend to get recycled every few years so for someone new the recycled content is new to them. For somebody who's been active for a number of years there's a feeling of deja vu.

  15. #15
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    My favorite part of most woodworking magazines is the methods of work or tips and ideas. So many magazines of late have these geared toward the power tool user.

    Many or the articles in FWW use power tools, but some of the ideas can be translated into hand tool work.

    One of my last purchases of Popular Woodworking had a blurb on the cover about cutting perfect dovetails. There wasn't an article inside the magazine with any more than the very basics of cutting dovetails.

    A lot of sizzle and no steak. There are better uses for my money.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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