Woodworker's Journal RIP

[kmealy]

First Popular Woodworking went bankrupt and sold to AIM, then Fine Woodworking went to AIM.  Woodworker's Journal is owned by Rockler.   I guess that leaves WOOD Magazine alone

 

[kmealy]

magazines from AIM

 

[DAB]

psst, magazines and newspapers are dying.  if they cannot, or will not, figure out how to make money online, they will go away.  subscriptions, ads, wealthy owners.....find the right combo.

[kmealy]

5 minutes ago, DAB said:

psst, magazines and newspapers are dying.  if they cannot, or will not, figure out how to make money online, they will go away.  subscriptions, ads, wealthy owners.....find the right combo.

One problem is that any hack can set up a Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, etc. channel and start spewing wrong and dangerous information.  I sometimes wonder how some of these people still have all their fingers.   It's nice to have some experts contribute stuff.

[DAB]

every time i see some "home fix up show" and they are showing someone make a cut on a portable TS, they never have the blade guard on it.  want to lose some weight, cut off 3 fingers in less than a second.  use the safety gear that it came with.  especially rip cuts.  you don't need to see the blade, you need to monitor the wood to fence interaction, to ensure the rip comes out true.  the blade will slice thru your cheap pine just fine without the whole world seeing do so.  really.  that would make a useful 20 cut, not watching a blade slice thru wood.  but proper, safe technique shown and described.

[kmealy]

2 hours ago, DAB said:

every time i see some "home fix up show" and they are showing someone make a cut on a portable TS, they never have the blade guard on it.  want to lose some weight, cut off 3 fingers in less than a second.  use the safety gear that it came with.  especially rip cuts.  you don't need to see the blade, you need to monitor the wood to fence interaction, to ensure the rip comes out true.  the blade will slice thru your cheap pine just fine without the whole world seeing do so.  really.  that would make a useful 20 cut, not watching a blade slice thru wood.  but proper, safe technique shown and described.

"Guards removed for photographic clarity."  I call BS.

 

I use one of several sliding crosscut tables that have guards on them for 75% of my cuts, 24% are rip cuts that I use feather boards, push sticks, or Grrripers, the remaining 1% is using a jig like a tenoning jig, a key cutting jig for reinforcing a miter corner, cutting box joints, or rarely a dado blade.   I'd love to have a riving knife but they don't work on my 40 year old table saw and the factory guide gets in the way 76% of the time and would need time to unbolt it.   We do have a SawStop with a guard always on at the furniture bank where we rip dozens of sheets a month.   One of the other crew hit a nail last week and blew the safety.  He was under the impression that only flesh set off the thing.  $180 to the trash bin.

[DAB]

the 4 minutes it takes to remove and replace the blade guard is far less than the hours of time, thousands of dollars of expenses, and the lifetime of missing something valuable (your fingers).  i'm not getting paid by the hour, so i take the time to use the blade guard at all times, except when the cut type does not permit it (dados, rabbits, cutting tenons).  and if i'm getting tired, then it's time to call it a day before i slip up and try to catch myself by putting a hand on a running, exposed blade.

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Sure enough, I got my issue of WWJ yesterday and checked the editorial page (I usually don't read these right away). Chris Marshall announced the next issue will be their last. To be honest, I don't like WWJ all that much except for Ernie Conover's monthly article. Conover is a turner, but his articles span a lot of different woodworking interests. Anyway, I have this subscription because I bought it deeply discounted and I only have 3 issues left (I think). But they didn't say anything about a refund for the remaining issues.

[PeteM]

On 6/19/2024 at 8:50 AM, kmealy said:

One problem is that any hack can set up a Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, etc. channel and start spewing wrong and dangerous information. 

I think the problem isn't "hacks", it's all the very competent, bright, innovative experts who share their thoughts on line that are undercutting traditional media.  I know "hack v. expert" is sometimes a tough call to judge, but as Gresham put it "cheap drives out dear".  I think it's also called "progress", but that's pretty subjective if you're sitting in the ER wondering what went wrong.  Maybe it's a trap for the unwary and lazy who take the first answer they find and assume it is Wisdom?  It's kinda like shopping on Amazon:  never take the first offer without looking at some more.

[PeteM]

I wonder how long Wood Mag can hold out?  I get mine from Kindle, as part of their "Kindle Unlimited" program.  For the same monthly fee, I get a couple dozen periodicals, including Wood.  I've been curious to see if other publishers start using alternative outlets.  

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

I still subscribe to Wood (still my favorite) and Woodsmith, but there's no doubt in my mind that the are both circling the drain. For me, that's a shame....I just don't like watching U tube or reading on a computer (or laptop) screen. I also get Woodcraft, but really don't care if it crashes.

[kmealy]

2 hours ago, PeteM said:

I think the problem isn't "hacks", it's all the very competent, bright, innovative experts who share their thoughts on line that are undercutting traditional media.  I know "hack v. expert" is sometimes a tough call to judge, but as Gresham put it "cheap drives out dear".  I think it's also called "progress", but that's pretty subjective if you're sitting in the ER wondering what went wrong.  Maybe it's a trap for the unwary and lazy who take the first answer they find and assume it is Wisdom?  It's kinda like shopping on Amazon:  never take the first offer without looking at some more.

Ah, Gresham's Law, remember it well.

 

I may have said this before, but I went to a veneering class at Ernie Conover's (barn) about 20 years ago.   It's right across the road from where I attended Boy Scout Camp back in the day.   Ernie (maybe in relation with his dad) used to sell a lathe kit.  The middle part you added lumber to the length you wanted and you assembled the cast iron parts and motor on the ends.

 

  

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Yep, the Conover Lathe...I've seen one from time to time show up in various ads.

[Grandpadave52]

8 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

Sure enough, I got my issue of WWJ yesterday and checked the editorial page (I usually don't read these right away). Chris Marshall announced the next issue will be their last. To be honest, I don't like WWJ all that much except for Ernie Conover's monthly article. Conover is a turner, but his articles span a lot of different woodworking interests. Anyway, I have this subscription because I bought it deeply discounted and I only have 3 issues left (I think). But they didn't say anything about a refund for the remaining issues.

Wow. Chris has only been in his role for a few months since Rob Johnstone retired. Makes one wonder if Rob knew what was coming? Sad. I've never met Chris but he seems to be a very personable, approachable and down to earth guy. I suppose this means an end to the weekly WwJ e-zine too. I always enjoy reading it plus the free, downloadable .pdf plan files. I let my magazine subscription expire expire ~couple years ago.

 

3 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I still subscribe to Wood (still my favorite) and Woodsmith, but there's no doubt in my mind that the are both circling the drain. For me, that's a shame....I just don't like watching U tube or reading on a computer (or laptop) screen. I also get Woodcraft, but really don't care if it crashes.

I resubscribed to Wood last fall. Mainly because of the great offer although it still is a high quality magazine IMO. I haven't had a subscription to Woodsmith for a few years now.

 

I'm like you Fred, I prefer a hard copy of the magazines. I've adapted to read the local news on my tablet or phone. Most You-Tubers either try to be stand-up comics, stage actors/ entertainers or salesmen versus educational presenters. Too much fluff, too little content.

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

14 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Wow. Chris has only been in his role for a few months since Rob Johnstone retired. Makes one wonder if Rob knew what was coming?

 

 I was wondering that same thing.

[PeteM]

1 hour ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Makes one wonder if Rob knew what was coming?

Many (many) years ago a Savant told me "if you want to know how the ship is doing, watch the rats:  the smart ones leave when the ship's in trouble".  

 

Squeek.

[kmealy]

I new most of the people at Popular Woodworking before they went under (mostly due to corporate (mis)management, I think).  AIM is recycling a lot of old articles online.

 

Chris Schwarz is doing independent books, classes, and some custom furniture.  Megan Fitzpatrick is now working for him

 

Glen Huey and his wife are running a high-end donut shop

 

David Thiel ended up working for a while at a gun range, then I think he got a somewhat related job doing videos.

 

Bob Lang is an editor for SAPFM journal.  Coincidentally, he was featured on a national NPR article yesterday.

[HARO50]

4 hours ago, kmealy said:

Glen Huey and his wife are running a high-end donut shop

I guess he knows where the money is, right @Grandpadave52?!

[Grandpadave52]

5 hours ago, HARO50 said:

I guess he knows where the money is, right @Grandpadave52?!

Smart man. Guess he saw the light....through the center hole.

[kmealy]

13 hours ago, HARO50 said:

I guess he knows where the money is, right @Grandpadave52?!

https://the-donutdude.com/