Discover Hidden Woodworking Gems in ShopNotes Issue 121

I found a stack of old ShopNotes magazines at an estate sale last fall—about forty issues, including #121. Spent a weekend going through them instead of actually working in my shop. Worth it, honestly. Those old magazines had better project plans than most of what’s published today.

What Made ShopNotes Different

ShopNotes wasn’t trying to sell you tools or impress you with fancy techniques. Each issue focused on practical projects with detailed measured drawings and step-by-step instructions. The kind of thing where you could actually build what they showed without reverse-engineering half of it.

August Lehman started the magazine in 1992, and it ran until 2017 when they merged it with Woodsmith. During those 25 years, they published a remarkable amount of useful content—jigs, shop furniture, fixtures, and actual projects designed for real woodworkers in real shops.

Issue #121 came out in 2011, during what I’d call the magazine’s peak years. The production quality was high, the drawings were clear, and the projects were genuinely useful.

The Standout Projects

The feature project in that issue was a router table system that I ended up actually building. Nothing revolutionary—a cabinet with a lift mechanism, fence system, and dust collection. But the design addressed problems I’d had with commercial router tables.

The fence especially impressed me. It had micro-adjustment capability built in, plus a split design for working with different bit profiles. The joinery holding it together was solid—box joints at the corners that looked good and added strength.

There was also a shop vacuum cart that seemed minor but turned out to be incredibly practical. Mobile base for the vacuum, storage for accessories, dust separation system all in one unit. I built a version of this that I still use.

The Jig Features

ShopNotes loved jigs. Probably half of every issue was dedicated to jigs, fixtures, and shop-made tools. Issue #121 had several good ones.

A circle-cutting jig for the bandsaw that handled multiple sizes through an adjustable pivot. Simple design, easy to build from scraps, solved a real problem.

A clamping table that doubled as an outfeed surface. Built from torsion box construction with bench dog holes at regular intervals. The idea of combining outfeed support with clamping function in one piece of shop furniture was smart.

A sharpening station for chisels and plane blades with built-in angle guides. Nothing groundbreaking here—similar designs appear everywhere—but the construction details were clear enough that someone could actually build it.

The Tips And Techniques

Every issue had a section of short tips. Quick ideas, clever solutions to common problems. Some were obvious in hindsight; others were genuinely creative.

One I remember from #121 involved using automotive weatherstrip as a sealing surface for shop vacuum attachments. Creates a better seal than the hard plastic-to-plastic connections most shop vacuums use. I adopted this immediately and still use it.

Another covered making sacrificial fence faces from HDPE cutting boards. The material doesn’t absorb moisture, stays flat, and can be replaced cheaply when worn or damaged. Practical and inexpensive.

Why This Matters Now

You can find these old magazines at estate sales, thrift stores, and sometimes online. They’re worth grabbing when you see them. The information hasn’t aged—wood still works the same way it did in 2011.

Digital equivalents exist. Woodworking websites and YouTube channels produce similar content today. Some of it is excellent. But there’s something about the magazine format—curated, edited, physically present—that still works for me.

When I’m planning a shop project, I often flip through those old ShopNotes issues before searching online. The designs were well thought out and the instructions were tested. More than I can say for some of what appears in search results today.

Where To Find Them

Full sets of ShopNotes command premium prices from collectors. Individual issues vary widely—some are common, others rare. Issue #121 isn’t particularly scarce, so you shouldn’t have to pay much if you want specifically that one.

The publisher eventually released digital compilations. I think there’s a USB drive version with all issues in PDF form. Less satisfying to browse than the physical magazines, but comprehensive if you want access to everything.

Online forums sometimes share scans, though the legality gets murky. If you’re serious about the content, supporting the original publishers by buying the compilations seems like the right approach.

Building From Old Plans

One thing I’ve learned: old plans often assume tools and materials that aren’t available anymore. Specific hardware, particular sheet goods, tools from manufacturers that no longer exist.

You have to adapt. The concepts transfer even when specific products don’t. That router table from #121 specified a particular insert plate that I couldn’t find—so I modified the design to use what was available. Same function, slightly different construction.

That’s fine. The value is in the ideas and the problem-solving approach, not in slavish duplication of exactly what they built in 2011. Take what’s useful, modify what needs modifying, build what works for your shop.