Customer Reviews

My Home My Style

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I regularly read all of the major woodworking magazines and this one has begun to grow on me quite a bit. Granted, for the subject matter it is not as highbrow as Fine Woodworking or Fine Homebuilding, nor is it as simple and practical as something like Family Handyman.

What this magazine IS is an attempt to provide a balance between the various interests of us homeowner-woodworkers, whether we happen to be weekend warrior newbies or knowledgable home improvement veterans. Simply put, most woodworkers are not only passionate about building woodworking projects but also about improving our homes. I applaud this magazine for doing a good job of "bridging" this span of interest.

Now for the nitty-gritty. I find the writing in Workbench to be very good, the photography and illustrations are clear, the shop tips submitted by fellow readers are always a highlight, and by including projects for the home and yard right alongside finer furniture projects, there is always something in every issue for nearly every interest. Also, I don't care who you are or how long you have been doing this stuff, there are always new/more tools to consider and the quality tool reviews found in Workbench are always welcome!

Ignore the naysayers and pick up a copy of this one to see for yourself. I highly recommend it!

There is no lack of woodworking magazines for the budding (or advanced) craftsman. Each has a particular audience for its contents. For someone looking for the right magazines to subscribe to this can be a confusing process. Especially when the potential reader isn't precisely sure what they want themselves.

Workbench Magazine is, as the subtitle indicates, concerned with 'woodworking to improve your home.' The implication that the focus is on carpentry and basic cabinetry rather than complex design and joinery is correct. But don't make the mistake of thinking that that means that the projects and articles offered are in any way simple or humdrum. Recent features include a complex swing out pantry, mobile garage organizers and a simple, but very nicely made garden storage bench.

Technical articles tend to center on hand tools, finishing, and basic techniques, but don't be surprise when you discover that this also includes making a panel-raising router table and a cabinet door project using the same. Or an in depth report of a joinery machine. The focus is not on the tools though, but on what might be done with them.

Regular Departments include questions & answers, tips & techniques, tools & equipment, and craftsmanship. There are no surprises here, but Workbench is clearly aimed at the competent craftsperson that is interested in home improvement and doesn't mind an undertaking that is a bit of a stretch. One who isn't in the mood to spend a fortune on sawdust makers either. Solid practical writing marks all the articles.

You'll notice that almost any positive review of this publication was pre mid-year 2009 because that's when the format changed (without notice to subscribers who signed up for a real woodworking magazine). The format is more similar to "Do It Yourself" or "Ready Made" only with even less actual how-to than those lightweight magazines have. I actually cannot figure out who the target audience for MyHome My Style. I don't look for it to survive. I subscribe to every woodworking and handyman magazine out there. The decision to drop this one is easy.

Once was a magazine that applied wordworking to home improvement. Now it has no woodworking (or any working for that matter) and has less information than an advertisement. Here is a sample from the latest edition: Wheelbarrow Drink Holder - throw ice in a wheelbarrow and add bottled drinks. And they did this in the middle of my three year subscription. Pluses: None. Minuses: You name it. ZERO stars (not one - ZERO!).

A year ago I decided to tear out my old workshop and start all over with a new layout, new equipment and new storage. To get lots of ideas I subscribed to Fine Woodworking, Fine Homebuilding, Popular Woodworking, Wood, and Workbench. The one I'll be dropping is Workbench. I have found Workbench to be too light on content. My ranking is:
Fine Woodworking
Popular Woodworking
Fine Homebuilding
Wood
Workbench

Others have said it before me and said it just as well, but in reviews numbers talk so here's another zero (not one, but zero) star rating. Workbench used to be my favorite woodworking magazine, and I used to subscribe to a bunch. I eventually decided to pare things down into a high-end publication (which of course is Fine Woodworking, the best in *that* niche) and a good all-around treatment of woodworking with a solid mix of practical projects, theory, tool reviews, and how-to. For this latter category Workbench had everything else out there beat hands down; every issue was a cover-to-cover read for me.

Then, undoubtedly due to some political imbroglio at the publisher with a silver-tongued devil painting some Grand Unified Theory of Fine Woodworking, Better Homes and Gardens, and Interior Decorating for Dummies, pod people took over the mag and there was a sonic boom as all the quality went out of it in one gigantic WHOP! Right in the middle of my 3 year subscription, too, a fate I share with another reviewer.

The content of the resulting waste of ink and otherwise perfectly good paper, now called "My Home, My Style," is appalling. The vacuity of the title alone warns you your money is better spent elsewhere. The decorating advertisements masquerading as articles are a Yugo to Better Homes and Gardens' Lexus (and without the secret gardening tips!)

There are no woodworking articles or other in-depth DIY projects like in days of old; titles to that effect turn out to be buyers' guides (of a sort) for completed furniture. Articles on painting are little more than pointers to more useful and in-depth vendor brochures at the home centers. The editorial content is fatuous and content-free. It has, in short, putresced into a terrible magazine. Amidst my sorrow at the passing of the Workbench I loved, I can only wonder what insane political battle at August Home Publishing had to have happened to allow this monstrosity to see the light of day.

Since I no longer have a bird cage these days, even the utility of the tree pulp is of no use to me, and I really should just cancel my subscription. My one hope is that AHP will offer a digital compendium of all the back issues of the dearly departed Workbench, so that even though the future is now dark, at least I can still wander in the golden twilight of the past.

Workbench magazine has had a major format change since the August 2009 issue; the woodworking articles and D-I-Y tips are more like what you would find in "Better Homes and Gardens" without the recipes or garden tips. I've gotten better D-I-Y information for free from stores and homes shows. Advertising is now in the short articles themselves; it's a glossy rag without any real substance. I've subscribed for years but now I wouldn't even pick it up for free unless I had to line a birdcage. No renewal for me thanks. Warning: If you are looking for a woodworking/D-I-Y magazine better look elsewhere because this is no longer such a magazine. The new format is NOT better, IMHO it's not even worth one star in ratings. RIP Workbench.

The new format for Workbench Magazine is terrible. It is little more than an excuse for advertising products using models in goofy poses. It has absolutely nothing useful for building projects, no plans, no shop tips. etc. The free magazine from Lowes is more useful. Take my advice and buy Wood Magazine. It's written by woodworkers who know what a Workbench is for.

I used to really like Workbench magazine. I'm sorry to see it go away and be replaced by a fashion rag.

Workbench is a magazine aimed at do-it-yourself type people who like to work on their own home improvements and save money in the process. This publication presents dozens of woodworking ideas for home improvement and a few for hobby, with plenty of instructions and diagrams to make sure you get it right.

Most of Workbench is focused on the exterior of one's home. As you page through an issue, you will notice plenty of articles on building wooden decks, new porches, and other decorative ideas to improve the outside appearance of your residence. There are a few projects for the inside, usually dealing with construction of cabinets, bed frames, and other things. But for the most part, the articles deal with outdoor woodworking tasks.

I like the photos in this magazine because the projects always look so fancy. They are perfectly constructed, clean, and well- finished and they make you want to get off your booty and start working on your own home. In many cases, the articles in this magazine do tend to make things seem a little too easy when, in reality, these projects can often take many days or even weeks to finish. But the end results are worth it not only from a financial standpoint, but also from the sense of pride you feel from a job well done.

Workbench is a little more expensive than other magazines, but for those who enjoy working with their hands, this publication is worth the cost. With some effort and some good ideas, you can greatly improve your home's appearance and value with some new outdoor trimmings. Workbench shows you exactly how to get the job done with plenty of woodworking projects to enhance your residence inside and out.