Best Woodworking Mags?

[ByronBlack]

I want to subscribe to a couple of mags, what are in your opinion the best available internationally?

At the moment, my personal choices are: F&C and Fine Woodworking

I don't rate the british ones that much, and good woodworking for me is hit or miss, sometimes good, othertimes not.

Any others I should consider?

Your favourites?

 

[tim]

I subscribe to F&C, Fine Woodworking and Popular Woodworking.

I also get Fine Homebuilding - but thats more because I just find it interesting and they tend to put more built in/ trim carpentry stuff in it than in FWW.

I think they all have their good and bad points but there is enough in each to make me keep going back to them and also keeping them as references.

I used to subscribe to Good Woodworking but found in general that with the exception of maybe one article a month, there wasn't much to keep my interest. That said, it has a large readership so they must be doing something right.

One of the advantages of subscribing to FWW and FHB is that you get discounted access to their website databases which are exceptional.


Cheers

Tim

 

[gidon]

BB
I subscribe to Popular Woodworking and FWW. And as Tim says for a few pounds on top of the FWW sub you get access to FWW articles going way back which is very handy!
I used to prefer PWW but I'm not enjoying it so much recently. FWW is still a good read though.
If you like workshop projects Shopnotes is superb - but I can't justify a sub to that at the mo ...
Unfortunately I wouldn't consider subscribing to any of the UK mags. I occasionally buy F&CM but find the content very variable and it's a little too pleased with itself for my liking!
Cheers
Gidon

 

[dickm]

I don't subscribe to any mags now, for the simple reason that there are already too many in the house! What do others do to stop themselves keeping old mags "in case they have something useful in them that I need in the future"?
Over many years subscribing to Woodworker, and collecting old bound volumes, one thing that does strike me is how the quality of each mag changes over time. In the late 1960s, WW was pretty awful, then it really got its act together in the 80s then fell apart again recently. Does this happen with the others too?

 

[Shultzy]

Dick, I had the same problem with old mags as you do. I have started to go through them and kept any pages that interest me. I then sort them into sections on tips, projects, furniture, toys, etc and file them in plastic wallets under the appropriate headings.

 

[lurker]

About once a month I go to a stall on the local market and buy up whatever he has (got 5 on Saturday, still unread) - cost 75p each and are about 2- 3 months old.

On an annual visit to USA I buy the compliations plus whatever mags are going.

Like Shultzy, I'm sad enough to file the interesting stuff in a folder for later reference - am currently building a garden seat from an article in a 1978 mag!!

 

[radicalwood]

I really like Wood magazine, it only come out 7 times a year but has good projects and articles. its always too long between mags for me.

Cheers Neil

 

[Shultzy]

Lurker, I'm not sad, just organised . In truth, swimbo said "if you don't sort those mags out , I will"

 

[Losos]

Schultzy - My SWMBO said that to me as well. :roll:

My solutionwas to start a spreadsheet on the 'puter and enter anything I had seen which was a possible useful or interesting article.

That saves me time ('cos I don't have to read the whole thing immediately) makes it easy to find articles (Which I never could before) and allows for comparisons between similar projects.

But it does require a certain amount of discipline for example when a copy of your fav. mag. drops 'thru the letter box you need to get on the computer right away or the moment is lost and the mag. will disappear into a pile in the corner of the shop.

At present I take FWW and GWW but after the latters editorial departure I am wondering if the style will change, time will tell I guess.

 

[engineer one]

for me there are three,
FWW, American Woodworker, and Better Homes and Gardens WOOD,
but then about every two issues or so Popular Woodworking, also american comes along with an issue that makes it worth buying the other issues because they always have at least one good article.

actually the latest pop woodworking has a useful article by adam cherubini
about preparing stock by hand. Very good, worth a look, might convince you to take the sub out.
:twisted:
paul :wink:

 

[lurker]

With the £ $ rate being what it is, I thought I'd bring this back to the top.

Are the merican ones shipped here as hard copy?
One I looked at (can't remember which) seemed to be digital download

Assume no one has had problems with placing orders for these mags.

I know this is damn idle of me but anyone got links to the gooduns

 

[engineer one]

most of the mags are shipped as hard copies, but occassionally a mag is badly produced, particularly the most lately introduced mag.

although not to many what it was Fine Woodworking is still considered to be
the best, however close behind imho is Popular Woodworking, whilst for me both american woodworker, and Wood are worth a look see.

i'm no good with the links, but fww is at taunton who also do fine housebuilding.


paul :wink:

 

[Lord Nibbo]

This month I bought my first ever Furniture & Cabinet Making Very impresseed with it's detailed subject cover. Not so much about tools either more on pieces of quality furniture. Good free plans too.

 

[wizer]

yes I prefer F&C Nowadays

 

[Good Surname or what ?]

I buy F&C every month and GWW occasionally.

I cancelled my FWW subscription and signed up to the web version instead. Now I get access to hundreds of back issues online and download PDF's of the things that interest me. I also avoid all the adverts for tablesaurs (with acknowlegement to Alf) etc 8)

 

[woodbloke]

F&C for me. It's not perfect but on balance it has the sort of stuff in it that I'm interested in. Lately there have been too many high-endy machine tests that became very monotonous but that seems to have reduced of recently, some great furniture most months with lots of droolworthy pics of stuff from serious makers to inspire. Excellent recent series about basics in the 'Apprentice' articles from John Bullar - Rob

 

[Nat]

Hi everyone,

I'm just getting interested in woodworking as a hobby at home and have just found your interesting and informative forum. I too would like to buy some magazines but I'm confused. F&C? FWW? Sorry to appear dim but can someone please tell me the full names and where can I buy them?

Nat

 

[Smudger]

Hi everyone,

I'm just getting interested in woodworking as a hobby at home and have just found your interesting and informative forum. I too would like to buy some magazines but I'm confused. F&C? FWW? Sorry to appear dim but can someone please tell me the full names and where can I buy them?

Nat

I'm assuming that FWW is Fine Woodworking, which is a US magazine, so at the present pound/dollar rate a subscription is pretty good value. I've just got my 2nd issue and it is very interesting and useful.

F&C - no idea, I'm afraid.

 

[Steve Maskery]

FWW = Fine Woodworking (US)
PopWood = Popular Woodworking (US)
PW = Popwood OR Practical Woodworking (UK) - confusing!
WW = Woodworker (UK)
F&C = Furniture & Cabinetmaking (UK)
GW = GWW = Good Woodworking (UK)

Few and fewer high street retailers stock them, as they get a bettter return on investment using the floor space for other stuff (because none of us is reading as many mags as we did 10 years ago) so the best way is to subscribe. The US ones are cheap at the mo because the dollar is so weak.

HTH
Steve, who has just sold two jigs to a non-woodworker in California!

 

[ByronBlack]

F&C = Furniture and Cabinet Maker