Fine Woodworking Magazine quality question.

[Glennbear]

Like Doug my magazine collection (many different titles) goes back decades and is a great resource but I definitely add my name to the ranks of the sorely disappointed with this issue. :wsmile:

 

[McRabbet]

I think the only way to get their attention to get FWW back to where it belongs is for each of us to write them a letter -- or at least to post a complaint on the Fine Woodworking.com site here. Identify yourself as a member of this website and reference this thread (I'm going to correct the title, although it fits in some ways 'cause the magazine's broke!)

 

[WoodWrangler]

I'm with you Rob ... I will write my letter.

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Note:

They have a link to this thread... (shhh... yes they do...) :rotflm:

 

[Terry]

I agree with you all on this issue. I have been along suscriber to this magazine as well as there online site and I did just what Joe said, emailm them and explain the problem. If they are going to call this FWW OK, but this issue was something that would be inline with other woodworking magazines I suscribe too. If this does not improve I will cancel my online suscription in March and not resuscribe in two years when my FWW magazine runs out. I hope they get serious about addressing this. Thanks for bringing up this issue as we need to identify things like this because if I am going to pay a high price I expect that quality I paid for.
Terry:nah::wsad:

 

[Ozzie-x]

Scolding sent, I also complained about having to pay an extra subscription for the website if you already have the magazine subscription, which I refuse to do. Just seems like they are trying to milk their customers for all they can get. Plus I'm constantly bombarded with their offers for books and this-that & the other. I think their focus has shifted to the dollar instead of woodworking. The mercenary trend, plus the decline in their content has really lessened my opion of the publication.

 

[rhett]

I would agree with the fact that FWW has been for quite a while slipping into mediocracy. I would like to point out though, that the majority of woodworkers posting on this subject are far from beginners and am guessing at it would take quite alot to impress or educate them, at this point in their journey, that is woodworking. Please remember that we all were "new" at one point and very thirsty for knowledge. If there is not new blood introduced to an already dying craft, it will indead die. This is in no way support for selling a so called premium mag and filling it with subpar information, demonstrations, and examples of work. With all the information readily available on forums such as this and other ww sites, a subscription to a magazine is wastfull of money and paper IMHO.

I just take my free catalogs into "the reading room".:gar-Bi

 

[Douglas Robinson]

Rhett:

I understand your point, but one more point: There are plenty of mags for beginners, e.g., Wood, American Woodworker, Popular Woodworking, Woodsmith, etc. I still get Woodsmith BTW.

FWW has been one of the highest level mags for a long time. It provides inspiration and revelation. I go back to old issues and see new things all the time. Things that I thought were beyond me or held no interest for me now fascinate me. The loss of that is significant if this latest trend continues.

I dont not need 7-10 different mags that are all the same. :no:

Doug

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Scolding sent, I also complained about having to pay an extra subscription for the website if you already have the magazine subscription, which I refuse to do. Just seems like they are trying to milk their customers for all they can get. Plus I'm constantly bombarded with their offers for books and this-that & the other. I think their focus has shifted to the dollar instead of woodworking. The mercenary trend, plus the decline in their content has really lessened my opion of the publication.

When the website became available, I looked at it... I liked it... I STILL like it...

If they had NOT reduced the price from $35 (about that) to $15 / year for people that ALSO subscribe to the magazine, I would NOT have subscribed to the On-line site. I thought it was worth the $15... I don't use it as much as I should... I go in spurts... I intend to use it more.

It would be nice if it were FREE to magazine subscribers... it seems to me that One has enabled the other, which has been paid for ONCE already!

 

[Travis Porter]

I don't have issue with beginner articles, none whatsoever in Fine Woodworking. I am totally agreeable that they should have a mix. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Thing is, the intermediate and advanced are getting much more scarce in my opinion.

BTW, I consider myself beginner to intermediate.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

I suspect Tauton (the publisher) is out for more money. I must be on their email list because I signed up for their webzine* and now get flooded with FWW offers for all kinds of CD's/DVD's, etc., etc. seems like I get something almost every day!

I subscribed to one year of their webzine- though I thought it should be free. It was just so, so and I let the subscription expire.

* Awhile back FWW solicited submissions on basement shops for an article. I thought, hmmm, maybe they would like to see my second story shop with a different set of problems, for a possible follow-up article. So I sent them some info and pics. They responded, "Wow, great shop" but said it did not fit their plans at this time. However, they asked if I would send more pics and text, so they could post it online as part of a new blog in their Webzine- but they would not pay me for it!!!!!! How cheap, considering what the mags pay for little tips or even articles!!! I thought what the hey, maybe something I sent would interest them enough that they would want me to do an article. So I sent them what they wanted. They posted my "Over the Top, Shop on Top" as they titled it, but I had to beg them to extend my subscription so I could view pics of my own shop. Even so, I think they only extended the subscription 6 months! I could buy a lot of subscriptions with what mags pay for tips and even more for an article like that!!!!

Bottom line- it appears to be management and profit driven- where before, I think it was truly, dedicated to promoting "Fine" woodworking.

 

[JimD]

I currently have subscriptions to FWW and Wood. I like the tool reviews more than the average article in either one. I think FWW tends to do a better job but Wood's reviews are useful. I like the plans in Woodsmith better and subscribed for years but now just buy plans from them on-line at PlansNow. You do not have access to everything in the magazines, however. Wood's plans for small items are sometimes interesting but most of their bigger pieces seem a bit crude to me. I've built a thing or two from FWW articles but mostly I seem to buy for the reasons cited - inspiration and information. Many individual FWW magazines disappoint me but then one will come with something that seems worthwhile. I feel the same about Wood - maybe more so actually but it is also cheaper.

I'll probably renew Wood again when it comes up because of a review of orbital sanders they did, for instance. My Rigid failed and the repair shop kept it 7 weeks and didn't fix it so I bought a Milwaukee. I wouldn't have considered that brand for a sander but it is a very nice unit at a good price. I use Resisthane partially because of a favorable FWW review. I also use wipe on poly more because of a FWW review. As long as they occasionally provide useful information and a few minutes enjoyable diversion they will probably get my money. I keep the back issues and use information from them as much as decades later. If I ever need my prior addresses, all I have to do is go through my old Woodsmith copies.

I also buy American Woodworker's router issue each year off the newstand. I copied a lift idea from one a few years ago in my router table and still enjoy it throughly.

My bottom line is I do not find any of them consistently good or bad. For the money, however, FWW needs to do more than just have prettier paper and pictures.

Jim

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

I'll probably renew Wood again when it comes up because of a review of orbital sanders they did
Jim

Speaking of ROS reviews- FWW was the fourth this year! WWJ did one in Aug and PWW and Wood did reviews in Oct! None of them even mentioned pneumatic ROS.

 

[dancam]

I agree w/most of the previous comments and I am dissatisfied with FWW. In the past they were a quality pub but their price is high...OK if quality/content is commensurate w/price.

It came time for renewal recently and I queried "magazinepricesearch.com" and came up with a significantly lower price for the three yr subscription. I called Tauton Press and explained that I wanted to renew but that I had this price point from a secondary provider...would they match or at least come down from the standard price. The answer was NO...they would not budge even a little. When asked how can the secondary provider offer such a low price they said they sell wholesale bulk to these guys and they in turn can resell at a discount. They then asked if there was anything else they could do for me. I politely said No, you done quite enough for me already.

Sorry for the rant...just can't stand arrogance.

Dan C.

 

[Travis Porter]

Speaking of ROS reviews- FWW was the fourth this year! WWJ did one in Aug and PWW and Wood did reviews in Oct! None of them even mentioned pneumatic ROS.

And none of them ranked the same one best overall or best value. All of them had very differing perspectives in my opinion.

 

[mshel]

I have been a subscriber to both the mag and the online stuff for 3 or 4 years now and like the rest of you, I feel the content is going down hill quickly. Is it me or does this seem to be a clique of good ole boys working together to tout their wares, ie do you ever see anybody's work besides their core of "staff" ? To me there are many, many talented woodworkers out there who could do more justice to the mag, site than those who currently are pushed on the membership. And excuse me but "the woodwhisperer" is not what I consider at a level to teach me anything. Sorry, just my opinion and I reserve it just for me.:gar-La; (turning rant off)

Mike

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

And none of them ranked the same one best overall or best value. All of them had very differing perspectives in my opinion.

My last exchange with FWW on ROS:

Mark,

I'm not sure I agree with the apples to oranges reference, it is more like BMW to Kia- same function, day and night difference in quality, ease of use, and performance. In my letter, I acknowledged the compressor issue, but still think you should have made some mention of a-p sanders, not ignore them completely. That is especially true in view of your target audience as I suspect many serious and professional WWers have at least one a-p sander. In a similar letter to Glen Huey at PWW on his failure to mention a-p sanders, I noted, while he did not mention nor review them, he indeed uses them- he is pictured using an a-p sander in his "Illustrated Guide to Building Period Furniture" as well as in the accompanying DVD!!!

Regards,

Alan

Mark Schofield wrote:
Dear Mr. Schaffter:
Thank you for your letter regarding the advantages of an air-powered
sander over an electric one. All your points are true. I have used an
a-p sander and they are indeed lighter and also stop far quicker due to
the lack of a heavy motor. However, I don't feel that we needed to
include them in the test as it would have been a case of comparing
apples to oranges. In addition, relatively few readers have a large
enough compressor to drive an air sander. While a small compressor is
all you need for a nailer, and you can spray most things with a mid-size
compressor, you need a full size compressor to get the most from a
sander and this needs to be taken into account when pricing them. I've forwarded your letter to the editor in case he decides to publish
it in the next issue.
Kind regards,
Mark Schofield,
Managing editor, FWW

 

[Travis Porter]

I have been a subscriber to both the mag and the online stuff for 3 or 4 years now and like the rest of you, I feel the content is going down hill quickly. Is it me or does this seem to be a clique of good ole boys working together to tout their wares, ie do you ever see anybody's work besides their core of "staff" ? To me there are many, many talented woodworkers out there who could do more justice to the mag, site than those who currently are pushed on the membership. And excuse me but "the woodwhisperer" is not what I consider at a level to teach me anything. Sorry, just my opinion and I reserve it just for me.:gar-La; (turning rant off)

Mike

You mean Matthew Teague, Chris Gochnour, and Gary Rogowski to name a few? Jeff Jewitt seems to be less and less frequent, Mike Dunbar and Mario Rodriquez seem to have moved over to Popular Woodworking.

I agree, they have a select few that they seem to publish. Strangely enough, the only regular in the tools and shops IIRC was Marc Schofield the managing editor doing his piece on carbide.

Woodwhisperer doesn't teach me much if anything, but I think his videos are ok.

 

[JOAT]

I quite surbscibing to most of my woodworking magazines years ago, including FineWoodworking. Partly it was because I like to make my own plans more, partly because they usually cover things I am not interested in, and parly because they've gotten boring to me. I do thumb thru a few when I'm near a magazine rack, and occassionally buy a copy, but haven't bought one in probably at least 6 months.

I do still subscribe to one woodworking magazine. WoodenBoat. I've always been interested in boasts, I have no interest in actually owning most of the boats in there, let alone making one,; I don't even always read all the articles, especially the one on the really large sailboats. But the woodwork of some of them is absolutely awesome. There's usually at least 1 tool article that carries oer to "regular" woodworking. And there's ads for exotic wood in the back, if all that isn't enough. I consider it mostly a "dream" magazine, even tho they do have pieces on how to make even small dinghys and rowboats - one of which I may actually build one day. There's always a piece on the properties of various species of wood too - I never knew that sasaffras is a good boat wood If you've never looked at it I'd suggest going to your local bookstore and thumb thru a copy. I should be getting my next issue very soon. That's almost like an early Christmas present.

 

[SSuther]

While reading this thread, I was thinking about the old issues I have, too. Mine go back to the black and white issues, and I often go back to the old ones. It strikes me that things I thought were beyond me back then look a lot more do-able now. If I had to drop the subscription, I'd still have plenty of good reading available from the old mags. I agree the the last couple of years' efforts by FWW have been much less exciting and inspiring than they used to be, and I don't think it is just my changing perspective.