Popular Woodworking question

[nateswoodworks]

I am always very happy when my issue makes it to my mailbox,it's like Christmas morning bi-monthly. Never knowing what your going to find but figuring it's going to be good. There is always the rehashing of the same material but with different takes and opinions along with newcomings to the craft we all love. Now for the frusteration, nails nails and more $^%#*!@ nails. I understand that historically the have a footprint and there are many cases where they are useful today. but I personally am very tired of precious pages issue after issue being used up talking about nailing furniture together when I thought the goal was to advance ourselves. If it was part of the "I can do that" section it would be different but it's on top of it. To me it just seems like a big step back, am I alone? I in no way want to offend anyone who may really like the nailed articals and would NEVER look down at someones hard work so I beg you not to take it that way, this is just my opinion and wanted to see if I am the only one in this boat or if we have a fleet. If you do like the nailed articals could you please let me know some of the reasons so I can understand, I would be very greatful.

[Dozer's Workshop]

Some of the editors are on twitter. Have you gotten a chance to ask them?

[jimmykx250]

I know what your saying and I see where you are coming from. Nailing is in our hiostory and alot of folks like reproducing what was made from that time frame. I think some of the stuff looks cool but people that dont build furniture or know the history look at it as cheap. I personally enjoy building without nailing but that's me. I also have to add that when I see a piece done with the old school square cut nails I like it but again it has to be the right piece and the done correctly.

[theapprenticeshand]

Have you built furniture with cut nails?

The reason I ask is that I've built some furniture with it. Unless you got out a mirror and looked under the shelves, you would never know that the case work was assembled with nails. The back is shiplapped and nailed, but there is really no way of attaching a back without them. The moldings are attached with nails, but again, good luck finding them. I've even had some pieces on the front of pieces attached with nails, and by placing nails in shadow lines, they completely disappear.

It's quite impossible to build certain pieces of casework without nails and get the look you are going for, with out resorting to some rather amazing joinery gymnastics to keep things together with glue in some crossgrain situations. Nails are not evil, unless you see big round shiny heads poking out at you everywhere. There is a difference between a cut nail and a construction nail with a big head on it.

If you use the wrong type of nails in the wrong locations, it will be obvious what you did. If you do it right, you'll never notice.

--Brian

[Dyami Plotke]

Gents, I know what its like to be dissapointed by an editorial shift of a magazine (I'm thinking AutoWeek when it became a lifestyle magazine). If you don't like the content, then don't renew.

As for me, I find that the vast mojority of furniture I read about in all medium is nice, but not necessarily my cup of tea. I hold no ill will towards Popular Woodworking for expanding the types of furniture they cover.

[rodger.]

I subscribe to Fine Wood Working, as I find their magazine consistently good (though many proejcts are out of my league). I find most other wood magazines "hit-or-miss", and buy them off the rack if there is an article I like.

[bglenden]

My perspective is that I am very glad to see new techniques described as opposed to the "same old" techniques applied with minor variations in different pieces of furniture (most of which will also be minor variations on what has been done before). So, kudos from me.

Cheers,

Brian

[Mike Brown]

I subscribe to Popular woodworking. I found the recent articles on Historical Nailed furniture interesting, as I thought that all "Historical furniture"

was put together with amazing fancy joinery. Just my two cents...

[nateswoodworks]

I am glad that I am the minority in this, that means the rest of you are very happy and I know you can't please everyone. I have not built with cut nails before as it's not my cup of tea. Please don't take this the wrong way, I am not disappointed enough to stop subscribing but I would rather have the pages filled with info that will push me further, all in all Popwood does a great job. Just wondering how the rest of you felt. Thanks for the input!!

[lawrence]

pop woodworking would be the last magazine that I'd give up-- and my CNC router is the last tool I'd give up... I know that probably seems like the makings for an anachronism, but to me the magazine reveals doors that are otherwise closed to me... which makes me look through doors that were already open a little differently. In the recent interview on WTO, the Fine WW'ing editor mentioned that they bring in an expert... the best in the field.... for their articles, while other magazines use their editors as the "experts". This is another thing that I love about Popular woodworking. I get to follow along these writer's journeys in woodworking... when Chris gets a hair up his rear about Roubo or campaign furniture or tool chests... suddenly I learn a LOT about these subjects too... and that's ok with me. Adam Cherubini's recent articles may not show any furniture that I'd ever build, but his recent articles have enlightened me and inspired me in other ways (and educated and entertained me in the meantime)

Everyone gets their own opinion though, and like voting, most of us only get one subscription... so this is only my opinion and of course your mileage may vary... heck, I may someday even use cut nails in a project, and now I know how!

v/r

Lawrence

[Vic]

Nate,

I subscribed to PopWWing for several months to get a better feel for the magazine. Although I do like some of the history, I didn't find the information something that furthers my design or building sensibilities. I quit taking American WWer and WOOD for the same reasons. With those magazines, I felt like I had learned everything they could teach me. All are fine magazines and are very well done for their target audience. I just wasn't that target anymore. I'm almost to the point of unsubscribing to FWWing for the same reasons. I wish Ross Publishing hadn't gone under. Woodwork magazine was by far my favorite, as it focused on woodworking as an art, even when it was a more basic piece. The articles often got into the whys of how a designer/builder approached the craft.

I'll be keeping the FWWing online for now, as they still get into more detail and I feel they have more to teach there. Much of what I'm learning now is from the online world. It's generally very in depth and in video format, which helps me see even more of what I need to know.