About Us

Launched in 1984, WOOD® magazine is the world's most trusted woodworking resource — a distinction we've earned by guaranteeing our readers' success in their woodworking shops. Our mission: to inspire and inform woodworkers at every stage of their journey by providing reliable and accurate project plans, woodworking techniques, and product reviews.

Every project you build from wood has a history ingrained in the material and a future that will outlive you. There is a deep satisfaction in working with your hands, mastering a new skill in the woodshop, or crafting a heritage piece. We know this because woodworking is our passion as well. And we strive to pour that same passion into the content we create for you.

That's why every project plan we publish has been proven in our own shop, by our own editors: to ensure that every detail is included in the crystal-clear, step-by-step instructions, drawings, and photos. No guesswork. That same shop-proven standard applies to our best-in-class woodworking technique articles and unbiased tool tests, conducted by independent third-party testers and validated by WOOD. Readers know that every issue is packed with reliable woodworking info that they can take straight out to the shop and put to use.

At WOOD magazine we aspire to provide the highest quality content produced by humans, for humans. It is against our guidelines to publish automatically generated content using AI (artificial intelligence) writing tools such as ChatGPT.

We are serious about your success in the woodworking shop. We're so serious that, smack-dab in the middle of our office's cubicle-ville — right between the coffee maker and the finance department — we built a 1600-square-foot, fully-outfitted woodworking shop. You can tell you're nearing it when you start seeing the hallways lined with hand-crafted wooden furniture. Every project that we show you how to build has first been designed and built by our staff in that shop. The dimensions are double-checked by our tape-measure-equipped illustrators. The step-by-step instructions are triple-checked by expert woodworking editors. We eliminate errors in our process so you don't encounter them in yours. If you see something that doesn't seem accurate, please let us know by emailing woodmail@woodmagazine.com

We apply that same level of personal care and detail to our technique articles. Those are our hands in the photos showing you how to apply the finish. That is our handiwork accompanying the joinery how-to. Our expert writers and contributors are tasked with creating high-quality, original, accurate, and engaging instruction that you can take directly from our shop to apply in yours.

Our thorough, hands-on, tool reviews are conducted by independent third-party testers — all experienced woodworkers — in real-world, real-shop environments. They are then validated and compiled by our editorial staff. This creates a layer of insulation between testers and manufacturers in order to ensure an uninfluenced, unbiased review. We love woodworking tools and want you to love yours. But they are a big investment. So, we rave when raving is due, but don't pull punches where accountability is deserved. To be frank, it's lost us advertisers in the past. But it places us directly in line with the principles of the Dotdash Meredith Content Integrity Promise.

With our content, we strive to cover the full breadth of the woodworking experience. If you are just starting out, we want to introduce you to miters and jigsaws and S4S lumber from the home center. If you're a lifelong expert, we'll challenge you with double dovetails and CNC routing and line-and-berry inlay. Wherever you're at, we're here for the next step in your woodworking journey.

If you're reading this Accuracy section, you're our kind of pedant. Our editorial team is committed to producing high-quality, accurate content. Because of that rigor, the timeline from article ideation to ink on page is measured in weeks and even months in an arduous process that is (almost certainly) only interesting to us. We map out a year's content every Spring (a great time to submit ideas to us!). Project designs are presented by our design team, evaluated by editors, and built in our shop, the process documented with detailed notes and captured by professional photographers. An artist takes the designer's CAD files and transforms those into easy-to-read, gorgeous illustrations, double-checking the designer's dimensions, often by dragging the physical project to her cubicle for exact measurements. Our writers — woodworking experts themselves — compile the notes, photographs, and illustrations into reader-friendly instructions. That article undergoes a round of copy-editing for clarity, readability, and accuracy (also by woodworkers). Our Creative Director whips it into a palatable page layout before it is pummeled once again by a copy editor. It is then passed on to a savant proofreader who checks for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and math errors before moving to a separate fact-checker who makes sure sources, links, materials, product, pricing, and contact information is correct. Color experts tweak the photos. Our Managing Editor curses. And everyone breathes a sigh of relief as we ship an issue off to the printer. Whew!

To our mortification, errars do sometimes make it through that process. If there is an error in a story, we want to correct it as soon as possible. If you believe you have found one, please notify us by emailing woodmail@woodmagazine.com.

WOOD magazine editors seek out top experts on each topic we write about. In many cases, that expert is already sitting in the next cubicle. In those niches where more experience is required, however, we track down the subject-matter specialist, interview the product engineer, or source the materials scientist.

Our standard for independent, fair, and impartial journalism has exasperated many an ad sales exec over the years, who could earn far more commission were we less strict. Our editors and writers are held accountable to a high bar of honesty and transparency, and our original editorial content is not influenced by our advertisers. We maintain a strict separation between advertising and editorial content. Any content that is provided by or on behalf of an advertiser or sponsor, is clearly labeled as such; it is visibly, stylistically differentiated from editorial content to avoid any potential confusion; and is not created by our on-staff editorial team to eliminate any conflict of interest.

We pay particular attention to ensuring that our product reviews are independent and based on hands-on testing by our expert testers and editors. In our comprehensive comparison-testing of tools, our testers are never in contact with the manufacturers, retailers, or advertisers. Our tools editor supplies those testers with a thorough set of testing procedures and receives back detailed data along with ratings for a series of tested criteria. These are compiled into the reviews and recommendations you see in our magazine and website. Tools that receive our coveted Top Tool award have out-performed their competitive set. Our Top Value award goes to the tool that packs great performance into an affordable price point.

If you visit certain links within our content, we may receive commissions from your purchases. However, we never receive compensation for recommending products within our content and we happily steer you toward products we love for which we will never receive commissions.

There is no need for the joy and satisfaction of woodworking to be limited by gender, race, or life experience, but we've sadly encountered just that on multiple occasions. WOOD magazine is committed to including diverse faces, voices, contributors, and decision-makers on our pages and in the content creation process so that everyone can experience the joys of woodworking and be celebrated when they do.

Following his father's footsteps into the construction business, Lucas put himself through journalism school helping to build houses and cabinetry. Diving straight into a career in textbook publishing and on- and offline media, he maintained woodworking as a hobby, building small furniture projects and cabinetry. Since joining in 2007, Lucas has served in many roles at WOOD Magazine, encompassing print, web, video, and commerce. In his spare time, he builds small gifts and furniture for home, family, and charity, and he's working on learning about CNC and laser engraving. Lucas's wife, Christie, has long since stopped believing him when he tells her that one day her car will fit in the garage.

Dave grew up hanging out in the garage with his dad working on antique cars and building things. In high school, he took his first woodworking shop class, and his love of building took off from there. A few years after college, Dave started working for woodworking magazines and has been helping others learn for close to three decades, including time at WOOD, at Workbench Magazine and on the Woodsmith Shop TV show, and 10 years doing educational content for a manufacturer of woodworking tools. When not working, Dave can usually be found working with his wife on their 1925 craftsman-style bungalow where they raised two sons, riding his bikes, fishing, or hanging out in his workshop working on antique cars and building things.

With more than 30 years of experience, Kevin's passion for woodworking ignited in a 4-H woodworking class with his dad. Even through college, he helped pay bills by building furniture for clients. After college he spent a few years in the home-building industry before landing in publishing. As Senior Design Editor at WOOD magazine, Kevin is largely responsible for the project selection, project designs, and ultimately the construction of those projects, making sure they are not only timely and stylish but also incorporate techniques and processes that will enhance and increase the skills of our readers. In his spare time, he is in his shop designing and building furniture for his home and others.

Bob learned how to work with tools and wood growing up on an Indiana farm. One of three sons of a farmer-turned-carpenter, he helped build houses from start to finish, including the roofing, painting, and masonry. On the side, he began to build small furniture pieces. With a journalism degree from Ball State University that he parlayed into the sports editor beat at two newspapers, Bob continued farming, remodeled houses, and built his woodworking skills and tool collection before joining WOOD magazine. An expert on the woodworking tools industry, Bob manages a network of skilled tool testers, writes unbiased and detailed reviews that guide woodworkers to the right tool for their task and budget, and speaks with tool manufacturers regularly at trade shows and media events. He has also taught woodworking classes in conferences and woodworking clubs throughout the Midwest. At home, Bob can be found out in the shop, building small boxes and furniture, or turning something on the lathe. He and his wife, Kristi, raised two daughters.

John cut his teeth in woodworking 25 years ago when he started hanging around his grandfather's shop after school in what would become an informal but intense 11-year apprenticeship. After college, he worked for nine years in the 1875-era blacksmith and cabinetmaker shops at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, before joining the WOOD magazine staff as Design Editor. His educational background has taught him the value of using both hand and power tools in his work. And John has a passion for tool making and forestry; in his free time he can often be found making planes, laminated chisels, and back saws, or milling his own lumber for woodworking projects.

A woodworker for more than 50 years, Jim's interest started from watching his dad make yard signs with an old Craftsman jigsaw. During his 30-plus year career as a firefighter/paramedic, Jim pursued the hobby in earnest, creating furniture projects for friends and family and eventually building his own backyard woodworking retreat—a 2-story gambrel barn—to house his growing tool collection. Since 1997, Jim has been a contributing craftsman and educator for WOOD, where his projects and techniques have appeared over the years. For almost 20 years, he has presented educational programs nationally at The Woodworking Shows on behalf of WOOD and has continued teaching in an ongoing series of videos. Jim strives to make woodworking fun for both novice and seasoned woodworkers by teaching techniques that will help them to produce a quality project at any level of expertise. Jim enjoys the occasional round of golf, but is hopeful that is woodworking prowess makes up for his lack of skill on the links.

SVP and Group General Manager Tim Fisher

Editor-In-Chief Lucas Peters
Managing Editor Dave Stone
Creative Director Jessica Eno
Senior Design Editor Kevin Boyle
Design Editor John Olson
Tools Editor Bob Hunter
Fact Checker & Adminstrative Assistant Chrissy Tassin

Contributing Craftsmen Jim Heavey, Brian Bergstrom
Contributing Editors Vincent Ancona, Zach Brown, Randy Maxey, Bryan Nelson
Contributing Illustrators Lorna Johnson, David Kallemyn, Roxanne LeMoine

To order a subscription, visit magazines.com

To notify us of an address change, or get help with your subscription, click here for online self-service, email wdmcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com, or call 800-374-9663 (option 1).

For questions or comments regarding an article, email woodmail@woodmagazine.com

To order past articles and issues, visit woodstore.net

Brian Kossack, Advertising Account Executive
Email: Brian.Kossack@woodmagazine.com
Phone: 515-284-2090

To download the WOOD Magazine media kit, click here.

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