1. What was the motivation to start a Premium Content section of woodworkersjournal.com?

One of the challenges inherent to the publishing industry these days is how to present quality information on the Internet and do it in a way that you don’t go broke in the process. Developing and producing good content is expensive, but the Internet is a space where folks are generally unwilling to spend money to read things or watch video (with a few exceptions). Woodworker’s Journal has been a leader in online woodworking content with our eZine — a free, subscription-based product whose expenses are offset by advertising. But that model, by its nature, has limitations in the depth of information we can afford to produce. I wanted a way to present in-depth, high quality woodworking content online and, in addition to that, provide significant added value to our print magazine, which is still the “mothership” of our publishing business.

By executing this effort in the way that we did (no additional charge for the Premium Content for our subscribers), we also created what is undoubtedly the very best value in the industry in terms of a print magazine subscription. $20 a year for six great magazines and all the Premium Content should be a no-brainer for woodworking enthusiasts. I am hoping it will drive my print (and digital) magazine circulation through the roof!

2. Were there challenges leading up to or following the launch of Premium Content that readers might find interesting?

It took nearly a year to plan and perhaps six months in site development. That likely would have taken longer, but we had just gotten done with a complete site upgrade on the programming side of things, so we used the same company to do the Premium site technical development.

The overall site remodel and Premium build-out were a huge undertaking. Journal staff Dan Cary and Matt Hocking bore the brunt of that task … and did a great job. As a result, the Journal has a state-of-the-art website that is completely mobile responsive and has us positioned to move forward aggressively in the world of Internet publishing.

There are always hiccups when you kick off a new effort online. For example, one thing I missed was that we have a good number of international subscribers. A guy in Switzerland emailed me and told me he could not sign up for his Premium Content because he did not have a ZIP code … who knew?

3. “Premium Content,” for Woodworker’s Journal print and digital magazine subscribers, doesn’t mean “Pay More.” A paid subscription to the magazine is all it takes to get full access. Seems a great value!

A couple of the other woodworking magazines have the “you need to pay more” model for their premium content, but I did not want to go down that road. It is apparently working for them, but my goal was to create more value for our readers, and in doing that, generate more revenue by increasing our magazine circulation. As I alluded to earlier, while all of us here at the Journal love woodworking (I have the best job in the world), this is a business that needs to generate revenue. And it is a very tough business right now.

With that said, I believe strongly that if we put out a good product at a reasonable price, we can make a go of it in this transitional time in the publishing world.

4. How does the magazine determine what content will be Premium only, for subscribers, versus free content available to anyone who visits the website?

Our first decision was that we would not take away any content that has traditionally been on our site and put it behind the Premium gate. We have presented a useful and informational site for years now, and we will continue to keep all of that of content completely free.

Our Premium Content consists of valuable articles and videos that would not fit into the print pages of the magazine — we often have to turn down great articles because we only have so many pages to work with. There are also articles that we have our authors create because we think there is a need or an interest, and those topics would be best explained and covered via video or a combination of video and text. Other things you will find in the Premium section are special deals that our advertisers or other partners are willing to offer to our subscribers.

5. Will there be new Premium Content added for each magazine issue?

There is a ton of Premium Content available already, and more is going onto the site all the time. Every time you return to the site you are very likely to find new stuff that you will not have seen before. One surprising thing that has happened is that the whole staff is coming up with content that they think is perfect for the Premium section. It has offered us a new way to think about how to get great content to our readers.

6. One of the substantive features of the new Premium section is Woodworker’s Journal’s complete archives, going back to the first issue in 1977. Do you hear from many readers who appreciate returning to issues published years ago?

This is really exciting, and I have heard from many of our readers that agree with me. Those archives have over 1,500 woodworking projects, hundreds of technique articles, Tricks of the Trade tips — you name it. If you need a jig or project plan, chances are you can find it in the archives. We have over 40 years of woodworking magazines that you can “page” through. (I love to look at the old advertisements … it is a hoot.) And this is what I mean about added value. A $20 dollar subscription to a great magazine gets you all of this information … try to beat that deal.

7. Woodturning expert Ernie Conover has a brand-new video series focused on hand planes. It was developed exclusively as Premium Content. Tell us more about that.

This is a perfect example of something we can do on the web that would not work in the print magazine. We just told Ernie to teach us all he knows about hand planes and how to use them. (Boy howdy, does he know a lot!) These videos are pure gold, and they are on the web for folks to consume as they wish. All at once, one or two videos at a time … and you can go back and review them as needed.

8. Special project plans are also part of Premium Content. Share a couple of examples.

Right now there is one of the nicest examples of a table saw-based box joint jig that I have seen (and I’ve seen a bunch). We could not fit it into the print magazine, but had the room in the Premium section. I have requested a plan on teaching steam bending that should be along soon. We are just now filling the pipeline. If readers have a request, they should let us know what they’d like. Frankly, I don’t want to give away too much, as I want readers to be pleasantly surprised when they revisit the site.

9. What’s your hope, long-term, for the Premium side of woodworkersjournal.com?

I want it to be a woodworking content-rich venue that our readers can count on to further their woodworking knowledge and build their skills — all while being entertained and uplifted. We love woodworking here at Woodworker’s Journal, and I want that to come through strong and clear.

To subscribe to Woodworker’s Journal in print, and receive immediate access to Premium Content, click here.

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Kreg says the new KHC-MICRO offers the features, versatility and durability of its current 3-in. Face Clamp, but it’s sized smaller for tighter spaces. Use it for building Kreg Joinery, project assembly, general clamping, repairs and more. It also works with the Kreg Jig® R3 Clamp Pad Adapter.

You can find the new KHC-MICRO Classic 2-in. Face Clamp at Kreg retailers or order it online. It sells for $14.99.

The post Kreg^® Classic 2-in. Face Clamp appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Whether you need to clean your car, remove pet fur from the couch or clear sawdust out of a tool drawer, DeWALT’s new portable DCV517 Hand Vacuum will be ready for any of these tasks, and more. And, there’s no power cord to limit your range of uses — the tool is powered by DeWALT’s 20V Max* lithium-ion batteries.

DeWALT reports that the vacuum’s 1/2-gallon tank capacity is the largest among the competition for this class. It’s also the only model with a flexible hose attachment. The 29-in. hose extends up to 5-ft., and it accepts other DeWALT vacuum accessories with the addition of a Universal AirLock Adapter. Or, just plug the hose into the handle’s built-in gulper nozzle for tackling bigger jobs.

Like its predecessor, the DC515, this updated hand vacuum comes with a GORE® HEPA filter with a membrane coating. The filter offers a 99.97-percent efficiency rating for trapping dust as small as 0.3 microns (10 times smaller than drywall dust). The membrane enables the filter to be used during either wet- or dry-vacuuming applications, without removing it, and it can be rinsed after use to restore its original performance. This filter also minimizes “blow by” dust in the vacuum’s exhaust air.

DeWALT says that a balanced combination of high CFM and seal pressure ratings provides ideal vacuum performance through high power and strong suction. The new DCV517 exhibits a best-in-class seal pressure rating and high airflow rating.

For other features, this vacuum has a gripped handle for comfort and an easy-to-access, industrial grade switch.

DeWALT’s 20V Max* 1/2 Gallon Wet/Dry Hand Vacuum is priced at $79 if you wish to buy just the vacuum and use the 20V Max* batteries you already own from other DeWALT tools to power it. Or, DeWALT will offer the DCV517 in “kit” form, with a battery and charger, for $179.

The post DeWALT 20V Max* 1/2 Gallon Wet/Dry Hand Vacuum appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Tim Inman: Packaging is both a marketing art and a logistics issue. As far as I’m concerned about caps, “Ours is not to reason why; Ours is just to use the stuff inside.” If you have a container you really like, you can always just transfer the liquid from the one you don’t like over to the one you do.

Chris Marshall: Whether the myriad of plastic safety caps are a necessary evil or not is up to the lawyers and personal opinion. I’m just glad we still have easy access to all the different solvents we need for woodworking without having to have some special handling permit. (And I hope that day doesn’t come.) As Tim suggests, I guess we just have to play the hand we’re dealt, when it comes to those pesky caps. It’s what’s inside that matters most.

The post Why Have Metal Screw Caps Vanished? appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The prints are from Charles H. Denault studios in Maine. His work can be found on his website.

As you can see, these are made from 3/4-inch solid oak. They’re screwed together and the framing is glued. The movements and faces are from Norkro Clock Company.

-Clifford Gill
Cranberry Lake, NY

See the Gallery Below:

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