Until last week, I had never read Woodworking Magazine. It first hit the press when I was already in Malaysia, and I never ran across it during my time in the States in 2006-7.
But when my Shortcut on cutting curves without a bandsaw got accepted for the Spring 2009 issue, I got a free one-year subscription. I got my first issue – along with Winter 2008 – the other day.
Wow.
I had read woodworking magazines before, but as a neanderthal was always put off by the powertoolcenteredness of the articles. The team of editors over at WM (not just Chris Schwarz!) have clearly decided to give the hand tools enthusiasts a bit more to work with, while still letting the majority of you know how to tackle the project with power tools as well.
Literally every single article (of the two issues I have seen) are either directly relevant or at least informative to me. Recently I went through all the woodworking magazines I had, and found myself saving one or two articles out of each – throwing the rest away. Not with WM!
I’d be curious to know how you blended or power tool woodworkers feel about WM. I admit that my enthusiasm for it stems mostly from the fact that I’m a neanderthal apprentice hungry for instruction, tips, techniques, etc. from any source I can find. And I’ve been plenty frustrated in the past by magazines and books that don’t even seem to know people like me exist.
9 comments
Comments feed for this article
May 26, 2009 at 11:01 pm
raymond mcinnis
i agree with your take on “woodworking magazine”. to help inform my research for my website, i subscribe to numerous woodworking magazines
today’s woodworking mags seem to be speaking to an entirely different crowd of woodworkers than those with which i am familiar.
i yearn for writing like what ernie conover did for the jointer in the 1985 issues of FW, or better, even, herman hjorth in the late ’40s in the now defunct mag, “the home craftsman”, on the newly domesticated radial arm saw.
today’s mags are too slick, too facile, and show a mode of woodworking unreal in the sense of its almost total lack of what is ubiquitous about woodworking: sawdust! chips! shavings!
my take is personal, i know, but based on over 40 years of woodworking, as an amateur.
May 26, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Mike Lingenfelter
Woodworking Magazine is one of my favorites. It’s the one magazine where I enjoy ready every article. I buy their hardbound volumes when they are released, so I can easily go back to them over time.
I’m a hybrid woodworking. I still use power tools, but I do as much as I can with hand tools. There are some power tools that just make your life easier and there are some things that hand tools just excel at.
Chris Schwarz wrote an article and produced a DVD awhile back called Course, Medium and Fine. He divided power and hand tools into these 3 categories. The way I work, my power tools are primary used for Course work, but they can fall into the Medium on occasion. I can’t think of a single power tool that will ever fall into the Fine category. Fine work will always be the realm of hand tools.
Mike
May 27, 2009 at 1:19 am
The Village Carpenter
Woodworking Magazine quickly became my favorite when I started subscribing. It covers everything I’ve always wanted from a ww magazine, including the simplicity in design and the lack of ads.
May 27, 2009 at 4:00 am
Bill Satko
Don’t forgot the sister magazine Popular Woodworking. This magazine also managed by Chris Schwarz has provided more hand tool content than in the past. A good example is their latest issue with contributions by Roy Underhill and Peter Fallensbee. I consider it one of the best they have produced. I subscribe to FWW, Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine, but it is the latter two, that month after month provide the best content. I think it is safe to say that the editorial staff at Popular Woodworking/Woodworking Magazine is currently the best out there.
May 27, 2009 at 3:22 pm
daryl lister
Commented about this on LJ,s but incase you missed it, it,s a great mag wish I could find it more here, so well written and easy to follow did you know Bob Lang is on LJ,s as well?!
May 30, 2009 at 7:59 pm
geemoney
My only complaint about the magazine, every time it comes out, is that I want more
. Between the magazine and the blogs, it’s like crack coming out of those offices.
June 17, 2009 at 7:01 am
ROBERT LINDH
GOOD MAG>BUT AM SADDENED BY THE LOSS OF MY FAVORITE>>>>>>>>WOODWORK,a magazine for all woodworkers,published by ROSS PUBLISHING for years on the west coast…………..sold 1 new issue from the new publisher and bam!!!!now out of print…….what a shame…………..your comments.
October 6, 2009 at 1:32 am
michael williams
ditto on “Woodwork, A Magazine for All Woodworkers”… I miss the depth, substance, and relevance of every single issue. I had been wondering what happened to it. I had attempted to renew in summer of ’08 and my check was returned with the news that Ross was going to cease publication of it but that it was going to be picked up as a quarterly by New Track Media with “a commitment to continue the magazine in the spirit as you have come to know it.” (John Lavine’s farewell “Hello, Good-bye” letter, Woodwork #114, pg. 4). Then the single issue from NTM, then…nada. Not exactly a commitment as I understand the term. Has it truly ceased to exist? If so, what a loss. “Woodworking” is certainly a fine effort, and I look forward to every new one, but the absence of W,AMFAW has left a tremendous hole in the fabric of thoughtful discourse and rich texture of contemporary woodworking and historical furniture research, not to mention the ongoing window into other cultures’ woodworking traditions and practices. Alas, Where have all the flowers gone indeed… michael williams-Tijeras, NM
June 17, 2009 at 10:05 am
Eric
Hey Robert, I have heard of Woodwork magazine but have never even seen it, much less read it. But I heard the same things as what you said about it. Too bad it didn’t last!