ShopNotes Magazine Issue 17
ShopNotes Issue 17 is one of those issues that woodworkers with a deep back-catalog collection return to repeatedly, with all the project plans and shop improvement ideas that have gotten better with age. As someone who has built projects and shop jigs from these older ShopNotes issues, I learned everything there is to know about what makes the content in this particular issue worth tracking down. Today, I will share it all with you.
ShopNotes in the Workshop Context
ShopNotes magazine was a woodworking publication focused entirely on shop improvement, jigs, fixtures, and tool upgrades. Every issue was organized around making your shop work better — more efficient, more accurate, safer. Issue 17 follows that format with its own set of project plans, tool reviews, and shop tip collections. The numbering system ShopNotes used allowed subscribers to build a systematic reference library organized by topic and issue number, making it easy to locate specific content years later.
What Issue 17 Typically Contains
A typical ShopNotes issue from this era includes shop-built project plans with measured drawings, discussions of specific tools and their proper use, shop organization and storage solutions, and reader-contributed tips. That’s what makes ShopNotes endearing to us woodworkers who grew up on this magazine — the focus was always practical, never theoretical. The plans worked because the editors actually built them in a real shop.
Finding Back Issues
ShopNotes back issues are available through various online marketplaces. eBay consistently has individual issues at reasonable prices. Woodworking forums and communities often have members willing to trade or sell issues they have duplicates of. The full archive of ShopNotes was also compiled into bound volumes at various points, which are sometimes available through used book channels. If you’re building up a shop reference library, the older ShopNotes volumes are among the most practical investments you can make.
Using Shop Plans from Older Issues
Probably should have led with this practical note: shop plans from older ShopNotes issues are largely timeless. A crosscut sled plan from 1993 works just as well built today as it did then. A router table plan, a sharpening station, a workbench — these aren’t subject to obsolescence. The tool reviews date more quickly, but the project plans, jig designs, and shop improvement ideas hold up indefinitely. I’ve built several projects directly from older ShopNotes issues and the plans have always been accurate and complete enough to build from without modifications.
Effective Issue Management
If you’re building a ShopNotes reference collection, organize by issue number and consider creating a simple index of the topics covered in each issue. The magazine published comprehensive indexes periodically that cross-referenced content by topic across all issues. These indexes are almost as valuable as the issues themselves for locating specific content quickly. Store issues flat or in binders to prevent the covers from wearing. A collection of ShopNotes issues is a woodworking reference library that pays dividends for decades.
Summary
ShopNotes Issue 17 is part of a long-running series that represents some of the best practical woodworking publishing ever produced. The content focus on shop improvement, real project plans, and tool knowledge makes these issues genuinely useful reference material rather than coffee table reads. Whether you’re tracking down Issue 17 specifically or building out a broader collection, ShopNotes back issues are among the most practical acquisitions a woodworker can make.
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