A Very Short Magazine Review: Woodworking For Women

[Charlie Self]

UA100 responds:

Unfortunately, the answers are almost as broad as are the questions in this one. "Quite simply, a jig is anything used to make repetitive parts. Typically a jig guides a router bit through a specific, repeatable cutting action, allowing you to make identical pieces." Jigs may or may not make reproduction of identical parts possible. They do make repetitive identical cuts possible, but there is no need for the cuts to form "parts." A good example for my point is a dado jig for a router. Hell, even a rabbeting bit is a jig all on its own. It forms ledges on parts, not parts. THe rabbeting ledge on a jointer might be considered a jig, as well.

Typically, a jig can be used with almost any tool, not just a router. Anyone with a jig for their tabllesaw, raise your hand. For your dirll press? For your shaper? For your bandsaw?

The original question should have been reduced in scope, giving it some focus, and then an answer would have been possible, and easier to make clear.

Charlie Self "In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office." Ambrose Bierce

[Conan The Librarian]

Damn, you gals are good.

Along those same lines: Wear Playtex gloves to protect your hands when applying a finish to your projects.

Charlene Vance

[Upscale]

I've always considered a jig to be just a home made tool designed to let you accomplish a task easier than it would normally be.

[Charlie Self]

Upscale notes:

That's true for most, but not all. Dovetail jigs are but one example, as are a wide variety of others.

Jigs are designed to make repetitive tasks easier and more accurate, or, as in the case of crosscut sleds, to make individual actions easier and more accurate--and, often, safer.

Charlie Self "In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office." Ambrose Bierce

[Mutt]

Having read some of the more "he-man" type comments in this thread, e.g., akin to the woman's place is to get cold drinks for the man in the shop (which I somewhat graciously presume are tongue in cheek), I don't think gender has anything to do with the development, or lack thereof, nor execution of any of the skills used in working with wood. Its all a function of how much energy you want to put into learning and developing those skills. Yeah, maybe women as a class have smaller hands, and drills and the like designed for smaller hands would benefit estrogen-based woodworkers and not matter that much to the testosterone-based ones, but IMHO that's about it.

I also dispute any suggestion that individuals are gender-disabled from thinking about wwing in a way that men do; hell, my own brother can't sharpen a stick, much less make a Townsend Secretary or grandfather clock - he just doesn't get the time/space/material/mechanical/technique melding into a finished project concept, and never will. He's got X and Y chromosomes, but no ability to conceive and execute. Some women are the same way. Others prefer to use glue guns to make decorative items or do scroll saw projects because it makes them feel good; just like it makes me feel good to turn a rocking chair. A lot of men use their mechanical skills in other ways; one guy I know does needlework, and really nice needlework, but has no interest in wood as a raw material. He'd likely make a pretty good furniture project if he put his mind to it. Folks like Renata, I assume, make pretty much the same stuff that I do, and do it pretty much the same way, and I say great.

Now, as to the mag WWing for Women, well, hey, America's a great country, and if there is a profit in the mag, more power to 'em, but I don't really think that FWW, WWJ, Wood or any other "traditional" wwing magazine excludes women readership. Nor do I think W for W will last.

Mutt

[Charlie Self]

biggmutt responds:

Many years ago, I read some research that flatly stated--I think based on WWII assembly needs--that women were better at tasks that require good eye-hand coordination on a sustained basis. Something about the way their brains were wired. Been too long to recall details, but it does seem that IF that's true, there are numerous areas of woodworking where women would do measurably better than men, given similar training and interests.

Maybe 30-40 years from now, there will be a definitive answer, though I doubt it, because I think on an overall basis it doesn't make any difference. Some people are better at some things than at other things. Gender has something to do with it only because of culturally determined factors like expectations and training.

So there should be no real, long term need for specialized publications for women in woodworking, but the existence of such magazines may provide some simplified methods for interesting larger numbers of women in the recreation. It would be nice if accuracy were a criterion which tends to depend on experience, which may mean that you can't totally staff a magazine with women.

Look, for a quick example, at Woodworker's Journal and Popular Woodworking: Each now has at least one competent woman on staff. I don't really know what kind of woodworking experience either of these women have, but the results in the photography and articles have been, IMO, been favorable. Other magazines may have female staff members, but I've paid less attention there because I haven't met them or worked with them.

AFAIK, though, neither is relegated to crafty projects: They share editorial duties fully.

Charlie Self "In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office." Ambrose Bierce

[edfan]

Of course it's a new market. All the high-target males who were gonna buy a $1,600 Unisaw have already done so. The average American woodworker is white, male and over 65 (according to American Demographics magazine). That means companies had better find a larger target soon - their buyer pool is literally dying off. Boomer women, on the other hand, are approaching their most financially powerful years and just getting into woodworking in a serious way.

It took money lust to overcome prejudice. Unfortunately, they produced a real piece o' turkey with this magazine. I found it grossly insulting, not even as good as the usual crafts junk that's shoved at women, who are universally assumed to be working on cute little projects in tiny dribs between jags of baby tending, doing laundry and cleaning house.

The surprise is that they even got the title past the committee that thought up this dreadful rag. Exploitative in the extreme.

[edfan]

Actually, I do think there are differences. For one thing, fewer women are deaf to high frequencies and we HEAR more of the noise of the machines, IMHO. Ask teachers, I'd bet they notice that women are more often safety minded. Typically shorter than males, many women adapt their materials handling to that fact as well. Documentation might need changes too, women are more often alone, learning through books and videos, without a shop course EVER.

Any time you have a new user group that's lower in age, size, strength and income, wouldn't you think there might be some consumer behavior changes as well? I've found more women with Japanese tools because they fit a smaller hand better, for instance. (I also think Festool is overlooking THE biggest long term market they could possibly target at this time, while they're still enjoying a virtual monopoly on the issue of a complete dust control tool line.)

Way back when, I figured the problem would be closer to "solved" around 2015. If you look at demographic trends, the guys who are in charge are mostly WW II cohorts. When they die off, the attitude of magazines will be more informed by people who grew up with fewer expectations of gender bias.

--

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I have to agree. (I know a doctor that does needlework also) The only thing that bothers me is the gender specific thing is tolerated for women, but not for men. I'm not just talking ww here. A woman is welcome in my shop at any time. I guess it is possibly a case of reverse discrimination. Ed

[Charlie Self]

Ed Pawlowski notes:

True. If a woman wears pants, all is well. If a man wears pants, and they're not plaid, all sorts of assumptions are made, warranted or not. A woman is comfortable. A man is cross-dressing.

Charlie Self "In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office." Ambrose Bierce

[Tom Veatch]

I couldn't agree more.

But that does assume that the "dripping wet greenhorn" is aware the forum exists. It could be more likely the 17 year old girl will see the magazine on a newsstand than happen across an appropriate forum on the net. Trying to remember how I discovered the wRECk and I'm drawing a complete blank. I'm pretty sure I was aware of various woodworking magazines before I found this (and other) network discussion groups.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[Tom Veatch]

Well, I did assume the question was honest, but I have been known to display an astonishing amount of naivety. I've got to work on that. It makes me an easy target for trolls.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[Unisaw A100]

Turn that into a full page and you could qualify for Lori's job which looks to be writing contrived Q&A's for Wooddorking Wimmen.

UA100

[Unisaw A100]

Yahbut, they average wooddorker has always been white, male and 65(ish) and they've been dying for years.

What the industry needs is to find a new and improved Norm. The old one just isn't cutting it/taking anyone to the next level.

UA100

[Unisaw A100]

Trolls I would worry nothing about. What you really want to watch for are Nigerians needing a place to stash some extra cash.

UA100, who doesn't actually mind the Nigerians needing a bank account for stashing extra cash onna 'count of it only affects those at the shallow end of the gene pool...

[Dave Balderstone]

Tell that to my 14 year old daughter after you see the dragon-head door plaque she cut on the bandsaw and freehand engraved with the router, and the pieces that she's pulled off the lathe.

djb

[patriarch]

[e-mail] (Charlie Self) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

???

[patriarch]

Unisaw A100 wrote in news: [e-mail]:

David Marks needs a more widely available network. And Bruce Johnson needs to find something else to do.

Patriarch

[Tom Watson]

I'm thinkin' we gotta get Norm away from Delta.

How 'bout SCMI, Biesse, etc. start sponsoring the boy.

That gaudy Timesaver might have been the start of a slippery slope to lead Normie into a whole new set of demographics.

Mebbe Nahmie will come out at the next IWF.

(expiring minds want to know.)

(watson - who is booking his room in Atlanta - at this very moment.)

Regards, Tom.

Thomas J.Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.) tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

[Charlie Self]

patriarch responds:

Yeah, well..if he wears two pairs? No?Replace pants #2 with with skirts.

Charlie Self "In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office." Ambrose Bierce