I have hundreds of pounds of a various publications in storage containers. This Fall and Winter I will go through and cut out some of the projects and articles I like the most and put them in 3 ring binders, but most will go to recycling. I still get Wood (for another couple years) but when it runs out, I’ll not renew. Not because I don’t like it, but there are fewer and fewer projects I find I can (or want) to make. I ‘may’ keep my FWW, just because of the quality of articles, but most will go back to Ebay for someone else to enjoy.
I put ads in my local CL to first sell and then give away many of my magazines, but I only got requests for rare copies. Decades of skiing, motorsports and flying, as well as wood working made it into the recycling trailers.
I do look at Woodworker’s Journal via RBdigital and if something interests me I send a copy to a printer, but MUCH of my new info comes from contributors on this forum and a couple others. With YouTube, I get lots of input, though way too much is from people who have less a clue than me and that’s down right scary
The past few years I’ve been relegated to reading rather than doing. This Spring slowly getting back into making wood shavings and saw dust. Part of it has allowed a clarity that I can’t make much of what I used to. Also, many of the new and improved toys are not going to make it in to my collection.
. Since much of the space (other than advertising) in wood magazines are about new toys, they have less interest to me.
Which leads to the obfuscated point of this rambling (yes finally
). Few magazines can offer articles which cover the breadth of information which will satisfy the well seasoned user and the newbie. I believe we subscribe in hopes we will find enough gems to make it worth the time and price. For a lucky few, one or two magazines offer most every thing they want. For some, a few articles to keep subscribing year after year. Personally, I give a magazine a couple years of blah and mundane before I tear up the mountain of renewal notices.
Since my newest immediate plans
are getting back to making flag boxes, exploring turning chess pieces and Harry Potter wands and seeing what mischief and havoc I can create with a 3D printer and pouring epoxy into gaps in wood, I’ll trust that any thing earth shattering will show in the wisdom and excitement of this group.
Be well,
Ben