Popular Woodworking

[Bill Lyman]

Wood Magazine comes up with some interesting articles and ideas.

[Bob Lang]

I used to be a subscriber. I cancelled a few years back when I was trying to cutback on clutter. I generally enjoyed the magazine and ranked it just behind FWW which is my favorite and the only subscription I kept. I was in BAM the other day and decided to peruse the magazines and picked up the latest issue of Popular Woodworking. My goodness, there was nothing to it! It felt like a free pamphlet not a magazine to pay $7 for! What happened to it? Are things that bad there? I can't help to think the problems will get worse if this issue is representative of what they're putting out now.

When I joined the staff of Pop Wood in 2004 the company had recently been sold by the founding family owners to a group of investment bankers. Those owners realized that they new nothing about woodworking or the audience and let the staff do what we wanted, as long as we were making money. That didn't last as the company was sold to private equity investors who restructured and brought in a new CEO. The idea was to flip the company, but the economic crash of 2008 put the kibosh on that idea, brought another CEO and several rounds of restructuring. The upper levels of management were pretty good at juggling the books to make the company attractive to would-be buyers but with no clue how to run a business for the long haul. But that didn't stop them from micro-managing and trying to turn the company into a marketing company.

I knew it was time to go when the CEO proudly proclaimed in a company meeting that "books were now commodities". When I left in 2014, I was considered a troublemaker because I put forth crazy ideas like the focus should be on creating quality products that the audience would value for a long time. The only way to survive in that atmosphere is to tell the folks above you what they want to hear and bully the people below you into following orders from above.

The publishing industry faced some real challenges as the internet grew. Online and digital content made printed publications less relevant and less of a value to the audience, and the industry as a whole has made the wrong moves at the wrong time, producing products with even less relevance and less value to the audience. One of the big problems is that knowledge of and experience in the subject is of little or no value to anyone in a decision making capacity in the publishing world, it's all about redoing what sold before without understanding why it sold.

What started out as enthusiasts writing for other enthusiasts has been reduced to formulas, churning of old content and a poor imitation of what used to be. I would expect the shrinkage to continue until one day there isn't anything left.

[Admiral]

Although in another industry, I've seen firsthand what private equity ownership and management can do to a business.  They are short term players, who must exit the investment in 4 to 5 years, so they make fundamental changes in the hope it clicks and increases value. Often such changes have the opposite effect. I don't know if this is the case with PW, only time will tell, and I wish the staff well.

[Steve N]

For those looking to learn being their reason to look at magazines I can attest there is a lot of good sound woodworking information found on this link page


Read Watch DO I like that Bob, best of luck Sir.

[Handplanesandmore]

Wood Magazine comes up with some interesting articles and ideas.

I no longer subscribe to WOOD, but find its shop tips the best among all magazines. I get the newsstand copies once in a while.

Wood had a few guest writers who were nothing but blog writers. One magazine's woodworking show also featured speakers who were really enthusiastic bloggers. These people are good candidates for presenting at local woodworking clubs, but I would not pay to see them or read their writings. It shows some in the woodworking industry are running out of ideas or efforts to produce serious contents for their audience.

The last few FW issues have been a disappointment to me; if that continues, I will cancel my subscription.

Simon

[bandsaw]

I am not a beginner and it seems that at least 50% of magazine content is aimed at beginners as I suppose they are trying to find new readers. There is a vast amount of woodworking knowledge online in youtube and online woodworking schools. I can connect with a thousand woodworkers online and ask questions. The magazines are obsolete. I would like to find a publication, online, not print suits me, that shows finished woodwork - all kinds of projects, all kinds of wood, all kinds of finishes. Not plans, no cutlists, just great photos showing the completed project, it's construction, and a few basic dimensions. Looking for inspiration that I can change to suit me and then I could post back for others. That's what needs to be shared.

[Steve N]

If you haven't already sign up at Pinterest, Houzz, and don't discount doing a run by through Google images. All are free, easily searched, and if they are unsafe in any way, I have to say I've not been affected in numerous trips to all 3. Also don't rule out adding the words "museum of" or "Society of" on a search in front of any type of anything. Someone has cataloged something about everything
Such as "Museum of Shaker Furniture" Or "Society of Shaker Furniture" If there is one thing online, it's plenty of picchurs of everything. Sometimes you wanna yell out, Don't look Ethyl!!!!!!


I'm signed in, if you are not you may not see much, but here I searched Pinterest for "Shaker Furniture"


Here I used Houszz and again searched "Shaker Furniture" As you can see Pinterest took a much more literal look of Shaker, while Houszz is more a planning type utility, and sometimes people throw out literral terms, in a way the should also add ish, like, and other adjectives to the pot.

Here I went to Google, and again typed in Shaker Furniture, then picked Images


Enjoy......

[bandsaw]

Yes, there are many pictures on the internet - I also find pictures of interest on ebay. It would be usefull to have a registry of furniture for woodworkers with the pieces catagorized and with pictures showing construction details - can I please see the back, bottom, and inside. Also a description of woods used and finishes. What fun to search "standing desk" and view a few hundred variations, then build my version and post it. I like the legs on that one, look at this edge treatment, and that hidden drawer - mine will be different. This would expand furniture designs greatly for me at least. And be a lot of fun!

---