You can now download any issue of Popular Woodworking back to late 1999. No more sold-out back issues. Or waiting on the postal service for some project you need today.

To introduce you to this service on our site, we're doing a couple special things: First, this month we're running a special on our web site – 50 percent off all digital downloads when you enter the coupon code PWDD50. So all the back issues that normally cost $6 now cost $3. This special price is available until Aug. 1.

Secondly, if you've never tried reading a magazine digitally, we wanted to give you a small sample of what our downloadable pdfs look like. We think you'll like them. So download your free article, look them over, and then start shopping in our store. You can search for particular articles by browsing our Article Index. Once you find what issue you're looking for you can visit our shopping site to make your purchase.

Here are the free samples:

The Way Wood Works by Nick Engler
This great piece will finally clear up any confusion you might have about flat-sawn, quarter-sawn or rift-sawn lumber. Plus, you'll learn how to calculate how much room to leave for wood movement when building.

WayWoodWorks.pdf (470.44 KB)

10 Tricks for Tight Joints
We canvassed our staff members to find their favorite little workshop tricks for tightening up their joinery. Learn how packing tape can tighten a miter. And how you can clamp any assembly with a biscuit and a pocket screw.

Tricks_Tight_Joints_6p.pdf (1.24 MB)

Handsaws: West vs. East
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between Western saws and Eastern saws? It's not just that one cuts on the push and one cuts on the pull. They are fundamentally different tools with their own sets of plusses and minuses.

Saws_West_vs_East_6p copy.pdf (1.2 MB)

Pdfs are great for many reasons. You can search them. They're portable (take them on your laptop) and you can print the pages you need out and take them to your shop. And they don't take up acres of wall space.

— Christopher Schwarz