What Is Popular Woodworking?

Updated

Popular Woodworking is a woodworking publication and website offering advice, project plans, videos, and blogs for woodworkers of all skill levels. You can browse a broad range of free content organized by project type, technique, and tool category, or subscribe to the magazine and access additional online learning through PopWood+. It suits beginners looking for simple projects and foundational techniques as well as experienced woodworkers seeking furniture plans, joinery details, and tool reviews.

What the Site Covers

The site organizes content into several practical areas:

  • Projects — furniture projects, jigs and fixtures, shop projects, shop storage, workbenches, and SketchUp models.
  • Techniques — basics, finishing, joinery, marking and measuring, safety, woodturning, and a wood encyclopedia and glossary.
  • Tools — hand tools, power tools, and tool reviews.
  • Videos and learning — a video section plus e-learning courses such as Guide to Gluing & Clamping Wood, Mastering Built-In Furniture, Simple Live-Edge Slab Table, CNC – Designed for Woodworkers, Milling Your Own Lumber, and Advanced Bandsaw Techniques.
  • Blogs and extras — the Tricks of the Trade blog, Shop Blog, ShopNotes Podcast, online extras, and a newsletter.

There are also free woodworking downloads from Lee Valley, which is useful if you want plans or reference material without committing to a subscription.

Who It's For

The stated audience is woodworkers of all skill levels, and the content structure reflects that. A beginner can start with the basics and safety sections or the I Can Do That! – Simple Woodworking Projects series, while someone with more experience can go straight to furniture plans, advanced bandsaw techniques, or CNC content. If you mainly want project ideas and technique explanations, the free browsing sections likely cover most needs. If you want structured courses or the magazine itself, the subscription and e-learning options are the relevant path.

How to Access It

You can visit popularwoodworking.com and browse projects, techniques, tools, videos, and blog posts directly. The site also presents subscription options: a magazine subscription (with a stated saving of up to 64% and a free gift), PopWood+ for online videos and learning, digital editions, and gift subscriptions. Pricing details and any login requirements for specific content are not specified in the available site information, so check the subscribe page for current terms before signing up.

A Practical Starting Point

If you're new to the site, pick your goal first: for a build, open the Projects section and choose a category like shop storage or workbenches; for a skill gap, go to Techniques and read the relevant section (for example, finishing or joinery); for equipment decisions, use the tool reviews. For example, if you need a first shop project, the simple-projects series and free downloads give you a plan and cut list without needing a subscription.