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Dear friends of Woodwork magazine,When my parent company, New Track Media, bought Woodwork last year, I was one happy guy. With the help of a small but dedicated staff, I was all set to continue a great tradition. If you've seen our first issue, Spring ‘09, I hope you've noticed that Woodwork hasn't really changed. Our plans for distributing Woodwork have changed, though. Due to a major and completely unexpected disruption in the newsstand distribution business, Woodwork will not continue as a quarterly this year. We will be publishing an annual issue this fall instead.Chalk this up to the weak economy. Our publisher just made this call the other day, and it wasn’t easy. Now for some good news: we’re launching a new Woodwork website May 1st. It will host blogs, forums, and galleries of photos, plus stories that have already appeared in recent issues of Woodwork. This site is our way of helping the Woodwork community grow even larger and stay connected. In the meantime, we’ve started this forum to discuss Woodwork’s past, present and future. I welcome your contributions.Be assured that the whole team here is eager to publish the next issue of Woodwork. We bought a business, but we also inherited a trust. We all want Woodwork to continue in the same spirit, and for that, we’ll need your understanding and help.Talk to you soon,TomTom CasparEditorWoodwork Magazine
NOTE: Former Woodwork Magazine subscribers may contact us with any questions.
Woodwork was my first woodworking publication subscription. I'm pleased to see
it looks and reads much the same as the first issue I bought. Thanks for keeping the
format and quality of content. I really like the personal touch the articles bring out
regarding the woodworking experience. Woodwork remains a resource for
exploring ideas in the beauty of wood.
Thanks for writing, Harry. Although Woodwork won't come out as often as it did,
I'll still be publishing the same kinds of profiles about people that you've liked.. I've
always wanted to know, what makes folks so passionate about woodworking?
What is it that moves you to spend so much time in the shop?
Tom
Hi Tom,
I love solving mechanical problems and building things that serve a function. As a
mathematician and computer programmer I like to solve problems and build programs
that provide a solution to make life better. My woodworking is the other angle in my
triangle of how I think about building something to provide a function that wasn't done
before or makes it easier to accomplish. I love it when I can use all three disciplines to
work together.
Harry
Hi Harry,
Talking about solving problems, often the answer is a better jig. Have you got any
that you're particularly proud of?
TOM, PLEASE DON'T STOP PUBLICATION,START UP 4 TIMES A YEAR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE>>>>>>>>>WOODWORK MAG.FAN.........BOB LINDH,WESTERN PA.
I've been woodworking for several years now and my skillset is improving every day. I subscribe to just about every magazine I can get my hands on, in the hopes of increasing my knowlege of the craft. I don't subscribe (yet) to any of the specialty magazines, like for turning or carving or scrollwork, because I'm not ready to specialize and I feel like the basics of these topics are covered in other publications.
When I started making furniture, it was from a homeowner's perspective - I needed a table and didn't like the options from the department stores. When I moved into a new house several years ago, I finished my basement to include built-in bookcases, an entertainment center, and a wet bar. I learned a great deal about framing and finish carpentry from that experience, in addition to plumbing and electrical. In the past few years, my interests and skills have steered me in the "fine furniture" direction and I've worked on projects such as a poker table and some craftsman furniture.
When I started learning about the craft, I subscribed to magazines such as American Family Handyman, Handy, and Workbench. As my interst grew, I subscribed to Popular Woodworking, American Woodworker, Woodworkers Journal, Woodcraft, Shop Notes, Woodsmith, Wood, and Woodshop News. Between the magazines, books, and all the tool catalogs, I was learning a lot, getting inspired, and challeneged to try new skills.
When I first saw Woodwork magazine, I didn't get it. It was too stuffy, too artsy. (Fine Woodworking magazine rubbed me the same way at first.) I'll admit that the things I saw in those pages were beyond my skill level at the time - I didn't have the foundation or appreciation for them. As my knowlege and skills increased, however, I found I yearned for more depth from my woodworking reading. That's when I concentrated on more technical articles and stared in wonder at books by Moser, Maloof, Nakashima, and Krenov. The passion that these guys have/had for their craft is truly inspiring.
About one or two years ago, I started buying Woodwork at the bookstore - slowly at first. I was drawn in by the great scope your magazine provided and the excellence of the writing. Techniques on which I'd had little background were revealed with clarity, detail, and the authors' passions truly came through in their writings. I was all set to subscribe when I read that Woodwork was ending. I was disappointed to learn of losing a great source of inspiration and learning. A few months later, I was happy to learn that it was picked up by you guys and I hope you continue the tradition of excellence of your predecessors.
I can only hope that you continue to offer insights into the masterworks that great woodworkers create. There simply is no regularly published source that details the construction of fine furniture, art works, period reproductions, and the like. Woodworking Magazine comes close in depth, but doesn't offer the range of topics covered by Woodwork. Fine woodworking comes close in scope, but doesn't offer the depth that Woodwork gives the topics it covers. The biographical stories are great, too, as they provide insight into the various methods of work that teach us to create better work, use better materials, work faster with less mistakes, without cutting corners or diminishing the quality of what we produce.
Short of taking a class or attending a woodworking school, this is the cheapest way to learn about something I love to do! Thanks for not letting Woodwork go under. Please don't turn it into another home improvement magazine.
Thanks, JT
Is the website going to be by paid subscription, free subscription, or open to all?
j
Hi J,
Good question! My guess-and I don't know for sure-is that it will be free, like the American Woodworker site.
Tom Caspar
Editor
Woodwork Magazine
Hi JT,
Thanks for writing. As you know, we're working to keep Woodwork afloat, but not at the expense of turning it into something else. We'd like to keep the same rich mix of stories that it has always had. Rght now, we're gathering material for a 2009 annual issue, which will be available on newsstands only in late November. It's going to be one heckuva issue.
I'm confused, what is the relationship between American Woodworker and Woodwork? Sorry, but I've never heard of Woodwork...only David Marks' Woodworks. :)
Hi 99,
American Woodworker magazine and Woodwork magazine are both currently edited by the same staff. Woodwork was formerly owned by Ross Publications, which started the magazine in 1989. Ross sold the magazine last year to New Track Media, which purchased American Woodworker three years ago.
American Woodworker and Woodwork are very different magazines. American Woodworker is basically a how-to magazine, while Woodwork covers a much wider range of topics.
Woodwork and American Woodworker Magazines
My two cents:
Put the all of the issues of WW online for us to buy per article, or even charge the same price as an archive, albeit less for the costs you would not incur.
I just picked up my first issue of Woodwork and I love the detailed interviews with longtime wood workers. I believe someone else on this thread said since now they have matured in WWing they highly value the unique interviews on techniques, style and commupance (is that a word?) to being a professional WW.
I would definately buy individual articles from all of your archives electronically. It is probably not likely that I would buy back issues. As a web developer I do not think this would be difficult. And Fine Woodworking's all you can eat plan for subscribers AND Popular Woodworkings, $6 a digital download.
Respectfully,
MRod
Colorado!
I hope you're able to bring it back when the economy improves. Woodwork's been a unique magazine, and among the top woodworking magazines.
I'm a little confused, though: will it be newsstand only?
I have been buying Woodwork since very early in its life, and a subscriber for around ten years. I recently culled the numbers of magazines to which I was subscribing to, but retained my favorites : Woodwork, Australian Wood Review & FWW. I am very pleased that Woodwork is to continue in the same format that it has, but very disappointed that the number of issues is to be reduced.
I have recently received the Spring 09 issue and tried to contact via www.americanwoodworker.com/woodwork as advertised in the magazine. However this does not work, and the link for Woodwork on the AW site is difficult to find.
I wish you well and hope your endeavors prove fruitful
Regards David