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The most recent one I got, sure was different.
That being said, I liked the Limbert hutch / standing-desk design. And I liked the gallery of reader projects.
Even hand-tool-heavy magazines don't much correspond to how I do things. E.g., my bench gets the heck smacked out of it all the time, plenty of metal work there along with wood work, and I don't see building myself a handsome bench any time soon. We'll see how they do!
Chris
Chris
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(11-07-2018, 03:40 PM)Skip J. Wrote: Yes - I let mine run out awhile back, about when Megan left. I have "Hands Employed Aright" coming from LAP for Christmas - and can't wait to read it. If it turns out to be worth it's price, I'll buy more of them... it's been a very long time since I bought a new WW'ing book. Ten years or more.....
For what it's worth, the reason I am interested in the LAP book is because when it came out, they published the 1st chapter so I could get a sense of if I liked it before I bought it. Who else does that for their customers in todays world???? And yes, I liked it.....
Between Chris and Megan's new publishing ventures, we may all still be their customers for a long time to come... kinda like doing business with LV and LN...
Hey Skip,
That book is really worth the money...very inspirational. I visited the home of Jonathan Fisher in Maine when Lie Nielsen had their open house this last summer and it made the book come alive for me...saw the house & tools he built...the workshop and all the historical evidence of his reign. He was a marvelous fellow that, I bet, you'll love knowing. The underlying theme of this guys life, spending his time is evidenced in all his work. Makes this subject of 'reading' rags have a much more potent impact...for me.
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(11-05-2018, 09:07 PM)Mike Brady Wrote: My copy came overwrapped with a cover that warned me that this was my second-to-last issue. That timing will be just about right for my impending move to another state.....I probably won't bother with a change of address for Popular Woodworking magazine.
I would love to move out of IL as well.
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(11-10-2018, 03:36 PM)DonSlaughter Wrote: Hey Skip,
That book is really worth the money...very inspirational. I visited the home of Jonathan Fisher in Maine when Lie Nielsen had their open house this last summer and it made the book come alive for me...saw the house & tools he built...the workshop and all the historical evidence of his reign. He was a marvelous fellow that, I bet, you'll love knowing. The underlying theme of this guys life, spending his time is evidenced in all his work. Makes this subject of 'reading' rags have a much more potent impact...for me.
Hi Don;
Yes - exactly, when I read the promo stuff written about it, I decided to jump back in and give books a try again. I think you have put it in words... I hope that I can be inspired to stop my working-all-the-time process for just a little while at Christmas, maybe a week between Christmas and new years - like I have done most of my life, certainly these later years At this age I glad to have the work and to be able to stay busy, watching all these old guys around me falling beside the trail. But I get mentally tired a lot easier and I hope to get going again for the new year.
If I think it is worth the cost, I'll buy more LAP books in the future... they have some less expensive books too... don't need too many coffee table books lying around....
If the original Woodworking came back with the original crew, I would subscribe again, barring that, my magazine days are probably over.
Skip
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11-12-2018, 05:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-13-2018, 09:45 PM by Handplanesandmore.)
Finally I got a chance to flip through the latest issue (at my local club)...my first impression: it was just as good (or as bad depending on one's long-held opinion) as the past few issues. The big change was that they dropped the shop tips (almost the only thing I ever made use of in my previous subscription or reading), presumably as a move to save costs.
The front cover project is of no interest to me as I never need to use my hand tools away from my shop, nor is its design elegant by any standard.
One last comment: There is an article on failure by a furniture maker. I went to the author's website and saw no more than half a dozen pieces produced by him (and most of them not really fine furniture pieces at all). If I were looking for advice or inspiration from a furniture maker, I would seek out from those who really build things for a living, not from someone whose depth of building experience is even much less than mine. You need to have a portfolio full of tables, chairs, cabinets, and benches to show you are a serious builder to talk about failure. When guys like Michael Fortune or Chuck Bender or Chris Becksvoort talk about failure, I listen. But then these days, everyone can call themselves a furniture designer, maker, master, craftsman, writer, etc. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised...
So, yes. They need to get anything they can lay their hands on, including ads, to fill the pages. I have no complaints, as I am not a subscriber (not directly, though my dues help pay all the magazine subscriptions).
Simon
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Just got mine. Sooo disppointed. No more renewal for me...been subscribed for 10+years!
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11-14-2018, 09:00 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-14-2018, 12:06 PM by Handplanesandmore.)
If it is a consolation, I am a long time subscriber of FW (I have the whole collection from issue 1) and I am cutting my ties when the current sub. expires. All magazines have gone downhill because they are mostly recycling the oldies. I am surprised something can still be written and publshed on woodturning or scrollsawing.
Simon
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I think publications of this nature need to continually evolve. My oldest memory of PopWood was a squirrely young Schwarz building cheap benches in the mid-90s. He still builds work benches--not so cheap. We just see a passionate maturing individual on the media. The magazine focused onto handwork over the years and, apparently, is now moving to tailed tools with saws trying to cut hotdogs, and AARP-type ads.
The double digit Fine Woodworking issues looked like a club publication in book form. Since then, FW developed a formula, professional writers, and a philosophy that nothing is free. That format has worked well for them for years. They market to a certain level of customer and PW (the media group) markets to a different clientele.
Ps. Sorry for the text formatting. Having a little trouble with quotes.....
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11-14-2018, 12:03 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-14-2018, 12:04 PM by Handplanesandmore.)
Professional writers aside, FW features the best photography. No one is near on that count. Sharp and large photography on thick paper is pleasing to the eye. It is a success formula that I am surprised no one is keen to follow.
PW is dumb to drop the shop tricks column in my view. Wood, WWj, WS and FW offer great shop wisdom via their shop tricks pages. Woodcraft's is a joke, as it is either publishing tips that have been around for years, or showing tips that elong to one of its editors (also previously published).
Simon
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Am I missing something, or is it not even possible any more to see what the current issue of PopWW is? I went to their web site to see who the furniture maker is that Simon mentioned above, and I can't find the magazine anywhere. There is a subscribe option, but nothing to indicate what is in the current issue or even what is on the cover.
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