Fine Woodworking Magazine quality question.

[Douglas Robinson]

I am a long time subscriber to this magazine. I have really enjoyed the Tools & Shops edition that started about 5 years ago. I re-read them more times than any other issues.

However, I received this years edition on Teusday and to say I am disappointed is an understatement. :no: The "ultimate outfeed table," "How to epoxy paint your floor," "5 Hand tool supports," and "Basement shop" issues. These are topics I have seen in numerous mags and there was nothing really new in these articles. In the past there was a shop featured that had unique aspects to its layout and/or construction.

What happened? I have to see if the editorship has changed. But this was a BIG let down.

Doug

 

[DaveO]

I too thought that issue was rather simplistic and unappealing. Maybe they are trying to dumb it down for the folks that say that FWW is way over their head :dontknow:

"Finw Woodwroking"
Maybe they changed the name of the magazine to that effect too :gar-La;:gar-La;:gar-La;:gar-La;


Sorry I couldn't resist :wtongue:


Dave

 

[Douglas Robinson]

Dave:

That explains a lot! I was reading the wrong magazine!:rotflm:

Doug

 

[WoodWrangler]

Douglas ... I am glad you posted this. I had the EXACT same reaction when I got that in the mail. VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY (get the point) disappointed. In fact, the outfeed table was crappy and when I saw the "how to epoxy your floor" I thought I was reading (the horrible) Workbench magazine.

FWW messed it up big time IMHO. In fact, I want my money back! haha

 

[junquecol]

You win some, you lose some, some are rained out, and the refs take the rest. This issue was truely a wash out. Spent at least fifteen minutes from cover to cover. Maybe it's that we already know it all:gar-Bi. Every time I'm ready to kiss a mag. good bye, they come out with an issue that appeals to me though. How do they know? But FWW has paid me a lot more for tips than I have paid for subscriptions. They have a jig of mine that they have been sitting on for over nine months now.

 

[PeteQuad]

I thought I was reading (the horrible) Workbench magazine

LOL I was just over my father's house for an extended stay and read some of his Workbench magazines, and when I got through this FWW issue I though the same thing. It's a shame, I was all excited about this "special" issue too when I first saw it in the mail.

 

[jeff...]

LOL I was just over my father's house for an extended stay and read some of his Workbench magazines, and when I got through this FWW issue I though the same thing. It's a shame, I was all excited about this "special" issue too when I first saw it in the mail.

It was a big let down... Sorry but I threw it away

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Now that you mention it, I agree!

The latest issue DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH "FINEWOOWORKING"!

Way below their normal issue content quality!!

I hope this is not a sign that they're in trouble...

Maybe "A letter (email) to the Editor" is in order?

edit:
I found this on Finewoodworking.com:

Editorial Departments
To contribute an article, give a tip, or ask a question, please contact our editorial departments at the address at top or:
Fine Woodworking Editorial: 800-309-8955; fw@taunton.com

/edit

 

[Bas]

FWW needs to go back to what its name says. Fine wood working. Don't get me wrong, I like how-to tips, shop projects, tool reviews etc., but it would be nice if each magazine tried to focus its efforts, rather than trying to look like one another. FWW I want hand cut dovetails and expensive woods. Popular Woodworking I want construction-grade work benches. Wood Magazine I want good, solid furniture projects I can tackle but still stretch my abilities. Etc.

 

[Shamrock]

Yep, I agree, went straight to the circular filing system for me!


:BangHead::BangHead::BangHead:clamps-clamps-why do I never have enough clamps

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Yup! I think this is a general trend I've seen with FWW- trying to appeal to a broader audience.

However, how many of you are finding many of the mags seem to be doing that? I think part of the problem is that, we, if not better woodworkers and craftsmen, are all becoming more knowledgeable. I used to watch Norm religiously and for a few years taped every show. I went back and looked at a few recently and found myself making comments like, "Why did he do it that way? There is a better way, etc. etc. I think/hope, my (perceived) skills are now beyond the level of Norm's early years' projects. Except for the kitchen cabinet season, Norm has evolved too, making more complicated and finer pieces.

So while FWW (and other mags are dumbing down), we are all moving forward, so we really notice this happening. Also, almost all of the WW mags today are based on contributed articles. Somebody has to build a fine 17th Century High Boy, photograph it, write a story about it, and submit it to the mags so you can see it!!!! For quality stuff, it is much more efficient to build something if you don't have to stop and take pics along the way (setting up lights, placing the camera, aranging shots, etc. etc.) and if you are a true craftsman, there is much more money in building and selling a piece item, than selling an article about building the piece.

 

[Bas]

I'm not sure the magazines are really "dumbing down". I do think they are looking more and more alike.

Take issue 199 from last August. The article about different types of drawers, spalting wood, tackling serpentine drawers, to make that's FWW. But adding lights to a cabinet or what kind of small clamps to get...not so much. And it's fine to have a less-than-fancy topic now and then, but it's easy to cross the line.

For me, most of the stuff in FWW is way beyond my abilities. But that's not why I subscribe. I want to see what's possible, and where I want to develop. Take the harpsichord project in the How-To forum here. I will never (well, 99.9% sure) build a harpsichord. But learning about the construction is fascinating.

The number of woodworkers is growing, and naturally their skill follows a bell curve. Magazines will aim for the big middle to drive sales. I'm sure the magazines will realign themselves over the next couple of years to absorb the new demographics.

 

[maomoonshiner]

I've tried to use magazines for the exact reason Bas does, but thumbing through an excess of product reviews (placement?), dumb ads, and questionable selection in the 'premiere' ww'ing rags, I've turned my head completely. Tell me if I'm wrong, but all I ever read is Woodworking Magazine. That's an amazing read...and I actually like that it comes out only semi-regularly: I have time to really consider everything in the magazine, and even have a go at projects they have laid out. All the others (to my knowledge) are disposable -- good for a month at the most, and then obsolete (i.e. crap).


Rant over


Morgan

 

[Joe Lyddon]

FWW needs to go back to what its name says. Fine wood working. Don't get me wrong, I like how-to tips, shop projects, tool reviews etc., but it would be nice if each magazine tried to focus its efforts, rather than trying to look like one another. FWW I want hand cut dovetails and expensive woods. Popular Woodworking I want construction-grade work benches. Wood Magazine I want good, solid furniture projects I can tackle but still stretch my abilities. Etc.

I think Popular Woodworking is making very good headway... Off Line as well as ON-Line...

Right now, I'd rate them MUCH HIGHER than Wood Mag. Seems like Wood is sliding down in quality & content latlely.

IMHO... of course...

 

[Travis Porter]

I thought the tools and shop issue was the PITS! They could have focused on a basement shop and covered the nuances, but no shops to speak of. Covered carbide and epoxy paint. A true disappointment.

Then this past issue was different types of drawers. Wow! I don't have issues with compex stuff and simple stuff, but the tools and shops was a total let down across the board (pun intended).

As to Alan's comments about Norm and why he does it this way or that way, I feel the same way a lot of the time, but I think the tools and shops was way below where it has been in the past. TRULY disappointing to not have a single shop featured in it.....

I do remember reading recently that the median age of woodworkers is increaasing and young blood is fewer and farther between so maybe they are trying to get interest from a broader audience??

 

[Douglas Robinson]

I believe that the Tools and Shops Issue has been around sincw 2002. I wnet through each issue from 2002 to the present and this was the WORST!!!:thumbs_do:thumbs_do:thumbs_do

The Editor in Chief in 2002-and 2003 was Timothy Schreiner and the Managing Editor was Mattheaw Teague.

In 2004 and 2005 the Editor was Anatole Burkin, in 2004 the Managing Editor was Mattheaw Teague and in 2005 the ME was Asa Christiana.

Since 2006 (the last three years) Editor has been Asa Christiana and ME has been Mark Schonfield.

This does not explain as I thought it might the precipitous drop in quality of this issue. I really look forward to this issue every year and I feel as if someone stole my holiday treat!

The regular yearly issues are ok. I do like the back page and inside article on how they do that, in the regular issues.

Doug

 

[Joe Lyddon]

I thought the tools and shop issue was the PITS! They could have focused on a basement shop and covered the nuances, but no shops to speak of. Covered carbide and epoxy paint. A true disappointment.

Then this past issue was different types of drawers. Wow! I don't have issues with compex stuff and simple stuff, but the tools and shops was a total let down across the board (pun intended).

As to Alan's comments about Norm and why he does it this way or that way, I feel the same way a lot of the time, but I think the tools and shops was way below where it has been in the past. TRULY disappointing to not have a single shop featured in it.....

I do remember reading recently that the median age of woodworkers is increaasing and young blood is fewer and farther between so maybe they are trying to get interest from a broader audience??

The Older people are paying their bills... (and they have forgotten that part)

It looks like they're willing to lose some Older people in order to TRY to get younger people! IMHO, a very poor decision; would be better to keep the Older group happy as well as attracting the younger crowd.

... I guess we can always just cancel our subscriptions & buy only what we WANT, or get them from the Library! :gar-Bi

 

[kaysa]

As someone who has written an article for FWW, I have to agree. My spalting article was really, really dumbed down for the magazine. I had thought that by publishing in FWW rather than say, WOOD (which I loathe) that more details would be kept in the article.

Not that I didn't appreciate the chance to write about spalting in a trade journal, but I think the article could have been so much more than it was. It was originally slated to be a main article, and not in their 'closer look' section (which is apparently reserved for 'scientific' stuff), but the editor decided it was too technical. Pssh.:tinysmile_cry_t:

Edit:
I want to add here that Mark Schoefield was fantastic to work with, and I think they have a great staff over there. The issue might be more along the lines of what others have mentioned - that the readership is changing and that they ARE a business. They're going to publish what sells. Just because I'm a stuffy academic purist who loves details doesn't mean everyone does.

I surfed around online after my issue came out, and saw people writing about my article, saying it didn't give much information, and that they went to some Forest Service articles to get more specifics. That was frustrating, but at the same time I did get just tons of letters from people saying how much they enjoyed the article. And I still think FWW is one of the better, if not the best wood magazine out there, even if some of the articles are getting more basic.

 

[Travis Porter]

As someone who has written an article for FWW, I have to agree. My spalting article was really, really dumbed down for the magazine. I had thought that by publishing in FWW rather than say, WOOD (which I loathe) that more details would be kept in the article.

Not that I didn't appreciate the chance to write about spalting in a trade journal, but I think the article could have been so much more than it was. It was originally slated to be a main article, and not in their 'closer look' section (which is apparently reserved for 'scientific' stuff), but the editor decided it was too technical. Pssh.:tinysmile_cry_t:

AH HA!!!!!!! I think we have it. I think this confirms that they are dumbing down the stuff trying to get a younger audience. I am with Joe, they are risking losing their existing audience that is currently paying the bills.

 

[Douglas Robinson]

Older woodworkers are also more likely to continue woodworking than younger ones. Many take it up for awhile and then move to other things. We are their core readership, WRITE TO US!

If it continues in this fashion I will not renew my subscription when it expires. That it saying something as I have EVERY issue from #1 to the present.

Doug