Shopsmith or Woodsmith mag?

[AAvK]

Anyone know which one I should buy for a subscription, me being a beginner? Does either magazine tend in any specific direction as to designs, such as jigs, tools and furniture? What are the differences?

[Lobby Dosser]

Do you mean ShopNotes?

Shopnotes is almost exclusively jigs and tools and other stuff for the shop.

Woodsmith is mainly projects with a 'shop' project now and then.

I subscribed to Shopnotes for a while. I think they tend to overbuild everything. Frankly I don't really care if the compressor cart or crosscut sled falls apart the day I go up the chimney, but YMMV.

I buy an issue of Woodsmith now and then for a particular plan.

If you have a decent library nearby, why not just go there and read them all. My local library gets both plus FWW, WWJ, and a couple others. Older issues can be checked out. One thing I notice is that things repeat quite a bit, both in the same magazine and across magazines. There must be about 50 articles in the past 4-5 years on 'The ULTIMATE Router Table'. If you read the mags at the library, you're not paying over and over for the repeats.

[Charlie Self]

AAvK asks:

ShopNOTES offers shop notes, techniques, jigs, projects that enhance the general shop experience.

Woodsmith offers highly detailed furniture and other projects. The plans are usually very easy to follow, and all necessary techniques are covered in a single issue, which usually contains two or three projects, two small, one larger theme project, and, often, a jig project to help with one of the main projects.

Charlie Self "A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground." H. L. Mencken

[Ray]

I like Wood magazine. It has jigs and plans in almost every issue. It seems to be geard toward beginners to intermediate.

Next time the bill comes for American Woodworker and Woodworker's Journal they are going in the trash. The projects in these two are pretty high end and 70% of the mags are ads. I can get catalogs free.

[Robatoy]

I agree that so many magazines go on and on about the same topics. But! When it's time for me to get down and built that router table, I will have seen/studied a dozen designs, each with features that are 'must-haves' and then some additional features from this magazine and that.... but that doesn't mean I feel the need to buy any and all magazines. That's what libraries are for.

That's how I cook. I search 'chili-powder'. Then I print out a half dozen recipies and tick off the ingredients they all seem to have in common. Then I look at the differences and apply them as they appeal to me. This approach really works for me.

Oh..and Alex..OFF TOPIC..... I visited the e-sword site and I was wondering why there is no macintosh version of that Bible. Is it because Mac users are a hopeless bunch or they don't need it as much because they don't curse as often as PC users? (Keep your shirts on, folks..this is in jest... just a gentle tease.*G*)

0¿0

Rob

[Duane Bozarth]

A few others have noted on the differences...I'll just add that even as a beginner, I'd recommend (since I see the library solution was posted) you also at least browse FWW as well---while it may show things above your present skill level, it will balance the often simplistic techniques of Woodsmith and possibly you'll subsequently see a way to improve the construction of their plans w/o too much additional effort...

For just one example, I just received the "new, special issue" of Woodsmith unsolicited yesterday in the mail--the tool chest on the front cover is attractive but the fake through tenons holding the sides are really pretty tacky...and it wouldn't take much extra effort at all to actually turn them into a real through tenon.

IMO, YMMV, $0.02, etc....

[AAvK]

That's exactly a good idea! I like to cook basic foods.

I have always thought Rick should port e-sword over to mac. My mother uses mac, seems to be not as functional as windows. I cuss sometimes.

[Lobby Dosser]

FAKE through tenons?! What's a fake through tenon?

[Mark Jerde]

Inlay and a butt joint?

-- Mark

[Lobby Dosser]

The Horror!!

[Duane Bozarth]

...

In this case, they used a #8 wood screw through the side into the shelf and covered it w/ an end-grain rectangular plug to fake the end of the tenon...

A real waste of effort for an overall nice-looking cabinet made from a sizable amount of quarter- and rift-sawn oak... :(

[Duane Bozarth]

Close... :)

In this case a dado w/ a wood screw through it and the plug to cover the screw head...

Wouldn't be so bad except it was, overall as I say, a fairly nice looking piece built w/ a sizable amount of quarter- and rift-sawn oak. Seemed to me like a real waste for such a significant amount of effort overall and a fairly pricey amount of material when the only difference would be to make the shallow mortise required for the plug a through mortice (he had them build a jig and use a row-tah :) to cut it anyway) and the need to make the shelf sections holding the tenon long enough to go through...

Anyway, IMO, YMMV, $0.02, etc...

[Phisherman]

[C & S]

I tend to agree. I subscribed to Wood for quite a while. I think, for a beginner, it offers an appropriate mix of techniques product reviews and projects. It's pretty cheap too IIRC (something like $1.35/issue subscription)

Personally, I outgrew it and convinced my dad to give me an advance on my inheritence and buy me a subscription to FWW. :-)

In short I think Wood is a fine magazine for a newbie for a couple years until they start recycling content.

-Steve

[RKG]

I subscribe to Wood magazine and being Canadian also Canadian Woodworking, Check the rest out at the local variety store and if there is an article I want I buy it. I,ve kept my subscription to Canadian woodworking for a couple reasons, 1, it is not expensive compared to the rest $49 for 3 years and 2. the advertisers are nearly all Canadian which makes it a little easier when hunting for something.

Rick

[J T]

Fri, Jan 7, 2005, 12:49am (EST-3) [e-mail] (AAvK) says: YES "Shopnotes" DDUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHRRRRRR thanks LD!

Reminds me of the guy that went to his doctor and told him he wanted to be casterated.

The doctor was amazed, and asked him if he was serious.

After much discussion the guy finally convinced his doctor that was what he wanted.

He woke up after the operation, and heard the guy in the bed next to him talking to his friend. The friend asked, "What were you in for?", and the guy says "circumcision".

The guy hears that and screams out, "Oh my God, that's the word".

JOAT EVERY THING THAT HAPPENS STAYS HAPPENED.

- Death

[AAvK]

Sorry everyone...when I typed: "I guess they have to the maf afloat somehow but..." What I meant was: "I guess they have to KEEP* the MAG* afloat somehow but..." My typos are getting rediculous!