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Popular Woodworking Magazine

Popular Woodworking Magazine
Reduced size for education use

Woodworking as an art or job is a very hands on and old-fashioned trade. It appeals to young and old, but there is an old spirit about working with your hands to produce something. That is one reason why woodworking magazines and prints are still a popular form of media today. Woodworkers like tangible things that they can put their hands on - like a magazine.

Popular Woodworking Magazine (PWM) is a mainstream woodworking print that has been in circulation for more than 30 years. The magazine consists of articles that go over projects that are suitable for all skill levels. Popular Woodworking Magazine covers just about all bases of woodwork. The focus of these articles is to give tips and tricks on using tools and working through projects. They circulate seven articles a year and will occasionally send a bonus issue. You can subscribe to a physical copy or digital copy.

Popular Woodworking Magazine is a great magazine for all woodworkers. Although the magazine is suitable for all skill levels, it has more emphasis on the more skilled woodworker. The magazine covers a broad range of topics such as big projects, tool reviews, and insight on tips to work through, but I find that I don’t have some of the equipment or the experience to complete what the magazine has to offer. Along with many other subscribers, I prefer the physical copy of the magazine. The digital copy is inconsistent, and the ads are a little too much in comparison of the regular magazine.

Overall, I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. It is a good magazine, and I will enjoy it more as I progress in my woodworking knowledge. Most of the content is advanced, but the information is relevant to any woodworker whether it is your full-time job or just a hobby.

Ask This Old House

This Old House: Screenshot
The Charleston House

In a time where the latest and greatest is all the craze, some things just can’t take the place of classic. Taking on a project house can be a huge task when you do not know the first thing about remodeling. But that is no problem for the guys at Ask This Old House; they do that sort of thing for a living.

Ask This Old House is a home improvement TV show that airs on PBS. It got its start in 1979 and was going to be a one season series, but due to its popularity it is still on today! This Old House is primarily funded by large home improvement corporations such as Home Depot, Lumber Liquidators, and Ace Hardware. From the show’s success, This Old House now has its own magazine and website. The show is primarily about a few older tradesmen who set out to help homeowners restore their old broken down homes into homes of classic beauty. A majority of the cast has been with the TV show for over 20 years.

The episode that I watched was about the finishing of a single home in Charleston that had been built in 1879. The house was run down and ready to be demolished, other than the good bones that kept it standing. The Ask This Old House crew did a remarkable job at refinishing the house. The master craftsmanship of the details that went into this house shows the expertise of the people at This Old House, which is the one thing that sets this show apart from any of the other trendy shows on HGTV. The people on Ask This Old House are actual masters in their craft, and most have been doing their line of work for over thirty years.

The acting is subpar, but the results and the quality of work in the remodel is beyond what I could think of. If you like entertaining characters I would not recommend this show. However, if you like the trades of remodeling or DIY and want to learn, then I highly recommend this show. Ask This Old House receives a 5 out of 5 in my books.

Jay Bate's Woodworking-Youtube

Jay Bate's Woodworking: A Hickory Woodworking Workbench

If there ever was a time in your life where you needed to accomplish a task, but you were not sure how to get it done or who to ask for help, well, now is the time to be alive! YouTube has bridged the gap of cluelessness and the how to.

Jay Bates is a woodworker by trade and a YouTuber by hobby. His skill as a teacher has propelled his career in YouTube to being one of the most successful woodworkers on the internet today. Jay started his YouTube Channel five years ago with a 4-video series on how to make outdoor chairs and a side table. He now has hundreds of how to project videos that has racked up millions of views and over 478,000 subscribers on YouTube.

I believe Jay is so successful for a few reasons. First, he is a great teacher. He explains what he is doing and why he is doing it very simply and very thoroughly. Another reason is that he is a very skilled videographer. He uses multiple camera angles, sound effects, and video editing to set his videos apart and make them entertaining. Jay has a dry personality, is intelligent, and knows a lot about what he is doing, but his sense of humor is kind of flat. With that being said, I believe he uses that to his advantage in his video editing and makes side jokes that make his woodworking videos funny, which is hard to do.

YouTube is a great platform for woodworkers; especially beginners like me. People like Jay make learning easy and entertaining. I believe Jay is one of the best out there. You can tell he is a hard worker and really enjoys what he is doing. I give Jay a 10 out of 10 for his YouTube videos. He knows what he is doing, and he has had time to learn from mistakes and work out the kinks to now produce an exceptional how-to video.