DON'T EXPECT MUCH

And I have to ho back tomorrow to return some BAD DOG drill bits.
These Bad Dog drill bits have a life time guarantee and will be resharpened
for life for free but I guess you would have to be able to drill the first
hole with out breaking one to be impressed. At the show year after year I
have seen the bits go through wood, ceramic tile, files, cinder blocks and
other drill bits. Mine would not go through 1/4" thick angle iron. My old
drill bit went through with out a hitch.

Anyway the show is a shadow of itself and while they are in a new location
west of Houston they offer free parking. The problem is we were lucky to
find a parking spot early Friday afternoon. The facility is a high school
gymnasium in Katy, TX. the vendors were packed in, Wood Craft and Rockler
and about 150 sq. feet each. I really don't think they were there to sell
anything. Kreg had a large display as did Peach Tree and Wood Line. Delta
and PC were there through a local vendor.

The facility was so crowded that the some vendors like LeeValley, a wood
working school, a wood turners club, and a few classes were actually located
outside the area where you need a ticket to get in.

The facility and the parking lot was way too small.

I am pretty much a die hard when it comes to going to these shows but this
will probably be my last for The Woodworking Shows show if it is held in
this facility again.

Leon wrote:
DON'T EXPECT MUCH

And I have to ho back tomorrow to return some BAD DOG drill bits.
These Bad Dog drill bits have a life time guarantee and will be resharpened
for life for free but I guess you would have to be able to drill the first
hole with out breaking one to be impressed. At the show year after year I
have seen the bits go through wood, ceramic tile, files, cinder blocks and
other drill bits. Mine would not go through 1/4" thick angle iron. My old
drill bit went through with out a hitch.

Anyway the show is a shadow of itself and while they are in a new location
west of Houston they offer free parking. The problem is we were lucky to
find a parking spot early Friday afternoon. The facility is a high school
gymnasium in Katy, TX. the vendors were packed in, Wood Craft and Rockler
and about 150 sq. feet each. I really don't think they were there to sell
anything. Kreg had a large display as did Peach Tree and Wood Line. Delta
and PC were there through a local vendor.

The facility was so crowded that the some vendors like LeeValley, a wood
working school, a wood turners club, and a few classes were actually located
outside the area where you need a ticket to get in.

The facility and the parking lot was way too small.

I am pretty much a die hard when it comes to going to these shows but this
will probably be my last for The Woodworking Shows show if it is held in
this facility again.

Hmmm. I was planning on making the trip from Austin on Sunday (with
one, possibly two other buddies) since I've missed the last show or two,
but now you've got me wondering if I should even bother... Interesting
that the place was so crowded; could it be they were expecting low
turnout because of the economy but they assumed incorrectly?

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:
DON'T EXPECT MUCH

Anyway the show is a shadow of itself and while they are in a new
location west of Houston they offer free parking. The problem is we
were lucky to find a parking spot early Friday afternoon. The facility
is a high school gymnasium in Katy, TX. the vendors were packed in, Wood
Craft and Rockler and about 150 sq. feet each. I really don't think they
were there to sell anything. Kreg had a large display as did Peach Tree
and Wood Line. Delta and PC were there through a local vendor.

The facility was so crowded that the some vendors like LeeValley, a wood
working school, a wood turners club, and a few classes were actually
located outside the area where you need a ticket to get in.

The facility and the parking lot was way too small.

I am pretty much a die hard when it comes to going to these shows but
this will probably be my last for The Woodworking Shows show if it is
held in this facility again.

Hmmm. I was planning on making the trip from Austin on Sunday (with one,
possibly two other buddies) since I've missed the last show or two, but
now you've got me wondering if I should even bother... Interesting that
the place was so crowded; could it be they were expecting low turnout
because of the economy but they assumed incorrectly?


I was there. Hot dogs are $2 instead of $8. The Lee Valley booth is
accessible and I thought their location was great.
I was luke warm about it, but then I didn't go last year because I don't
like going to the Reliant Center.
I didn't see a lot of unhappy people. I suppose beauty is in the eye of the
beholder. :-)

"Upscale" wrote in message
...

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
that the place was so crowded; could it be they were expecting low
turnout because of the economy but they assumed incorrectly?

When I went to the Toronto Woodworking Show this past February, it was
quite
crowded. The show was held at the same location as always, but there was a
little less floor space than usual which I'm sure made it look more
crowded
than it would have normally been.

Talking to several vendors and a few friends working two of the General
Tools booths, sales were very brisk according to them and even busier than
last year. I was surprised considering the cost of big iron, but maybe
there's a mind set to concentrate more on home based activities such as
woodworking and home renovations than there might be with going out other
places and spending money that one might do in a more robust economy.


The gate count was actually higher at our show in Saratoga Springs this year
than it was the past two. Some speculation is that it's cheap entertainment
compared to the options... which could explain the good turn out at the
Toronto and Houston shows.

John

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
that the place was so crowded; could it be they were expecting low
turnout because of the economy but they assumed incorrectly?

When I went to the Toronto Woodworking Show this past February, it was quite
crowded. The show was held at the same location as always, but there was a
little less floor space than usual which I'm sure made it look more crowded
than it would have normally been.

Talking to several vendors and a few friends working two of the General
Tools booths, sales were very brisk according to them and even busier than
last year. I was surprised considering the cost of big iron, but maybe
there's a mind set to concentrate more on home based activities such as
woodworking and home renovations than there might be with going out other
places and spending money that one might do in a more robust economy.

"John Grossbohlin" wrote in message
m...


The gate count was actually higher at our show in Saratoga Springs this
year than it was the past two. Some speculation is that it's cheap
entertainment compared to the options... which could explain the good turn
out at the Toronto and Houston shows.

John

Well, the booths in the outer passage way at the Merrill Center
(Katy/Houston) had some of the best entertainment. Frank Strazza was there
with his prize winning Federal Desk. It is a masterpiece of inlay and
stringing. It was in a recent issue of FWW. The inlay work was all hand
crafting. If you missed that, it's worth a trip back to the show to just see
it.
The Lee Valley booth was entertaining. You can caress all of their latest
creations. They are giving 10% discount and free shipping for any order. All
sales are catalog sales. I ordered four of their new clamps. I may go back
and order the small plow plane.
The Society of American Period Furniture Makers have about a dozen pieces on
display and they are demonstrating carving. This includes the Newport Shell
as well as ball and claw cabrolet legs.

All of the above is accessible without even buying a ticket. It is good
entertainment with no $8 parking. You can get there by traveling on the
latest taxpayer rip off, the Katy freeway. Is it 10 lanes now?

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...


Hmmm. I was planning on making the trip from Austin on Sunday (with one,
possibly two other buddies) since I've missed the last show or two, but
now you've got me wondering if I should even bother... Interesting that
the place was so crowded; could it be they were expecting low turnout
because of the economy but they assumed incorrectly?

--
See Nad. See Nad go. Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/


I would hate for you to miss the show because of my comments but it was
disappointing. In the last several years it was held at the
Astrodome/Reliant complex and there was plenty of room. I would say the
floor space now is probably 20-25% of what it had been. There were only 2
or 3 vendors that had adequate floor space. The show IIRC is under new
management/ownership. I think they have been listening to complaints about
parking and probably from the vendors having to pay high rent. That said,
if you want to sell something do you want to cater to the people that are
complaining about parking fee's? I know that a parking fee is a pet peeve
with many but IMHO it is a small price to pay along with admission to see a
bunch of vendors under one roof.
On the bright side, the show being in Katy, TX means you will not have to
drive through the heart of Houston to get to the show.

"Lowell Holmes" wrote in message
...
?


I was there. Hot dogs are $2 instead of $8.

I never even saw the Hot Dogs! And I did not see Laguna, Minimax, Jet,
Leigh Jigs, Makita, Bosch, Festool, Powermatic, Sand Max, the Veneer vendor
and a few others.


The Lee Valley booth is
accessible and I thought their location was great.

Agreed, and you don't even have to pay to get to them.


I was luke warm about it, but then I didn't go last year because I don't
like going to the Reliant Center.
I didn't see a lot of unhappy people. I suppose beauty is in the eye of
the beholder. :-)

"Leon" wrote in message
...

On the bright side, the show being in Katy, TX means you will not have to
drive through the heart of Houston to get to the show.

Unless you live in Baytown. =)

Dave in Houston

"Leon" wrote in message
...

"Lowell Holmes" wrote in message
...
?


I was there. Hot dogs are $2 instead of $8.

I never even saw the Hot Dogs! And I did not see Laguna, Minimax, Jet,
Leigh Jigs, Makita, Bosch, Festool, Powermatic, Sand Max, the Veneer
vendor and a few others.


The Lee Valley booth is
accessible and I thought their location was great.

Agreed, and you don't even have to pay to get to them.


Well, you can see most of the machines at Rockler and Woodcraft. But, it's
not the same.:-)

Actually, The Cutting Edge had a display of pictures of the Jet machines,
but that's not going to work unless they have killer prices and they didn't.

I look back at the show's for the last 10 years, and I really think they
have become stale.

"Dave in Houston" wrote in message
...

"Leon" wrote in message
...

On the bright side, the show being in Katy, TX means you will not have to
drive through the heart of Houston to get to the show.

Unless you live in Baytown. =)

Dave in Houston
Or, Dickinson.

Leon wrote:
"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...

Hmmm. I was planning on making the trip from Austin on Sunday (with one,
possibly two other buddies) since I've missed the last show or two, but
now you've got me wondering if I should even bother... Interesting that
the place was so crowded; could it be they were expecting low turnout
because of the economy but they assumed incorrectly?


I would hate for you to miss the show because of my comments but it was
disappointing. In the last several years it was held at the
Astrodome/Reliant complex and there was plenty of room. I would say the
floor space now is probably 20-25% of what it had been. There were only 2
or 3 vendors that had adequate floor space. The show IIRC is under new
management/ownership. I think they have been listening to complaints about
parking and probably from the vendors having to pay high rent. That said,
if you want to sell something do you want to cater to the people that are
complaining about parking fee's? I know that a parking fee is a pet peeve
with many but IMHO it is a small price to pay along with admission to see a
bunch of vendors under one roof.
On the bright side, the show being in Katy, TX means you will not have to
drive through the heart of Houston to get to the show.

Yeah, that parking deal at the Reliant center sucked, and you couldn't
even leave to get a decent meal and come back without paying again - at
least not unless you bribed the guy at the guard shack with the promise
of bringing HIM back a #1 from Whataburger as well... :-)

I'm a bit confused about the floor space though; you say it's only about
a quarter of what it was at the Reliant center, but at that location
they never used anywhere *near* the actual space that was available.
Are you saying that it's now only 25% of the space they actually *used*
at the Reliant center? That *would* be pretty small...

We'll probably go anyway. It's a nice drive through the countryside and
a nice diversion from the routine, and I don't even have to come away
with a purchase to feel like it was time well spent.

--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

"Lowell Holmes" wrote in message
...

Well, you can see most of the machines at Rockler and Woodcraft. But, it's
not the same.:-)


Yeah they don't have the exotics. LOL



Actually, The Cutting Edge had a display of pictures of the Jet machines,
but that's not going to work unless they have killer prices and they
didn't.

Yeah I talked to Steve and adked him what was going on. Apparently he is
delling direct out of the warehouse. I agree that with out any overhead so
to speak and nothing to touch or feel his pricing will have to be good.


I look back at the show's for the last 10 years, and I really think they
have become stale.

Absolutely.

"Dave in Houston" wrote in message
...

"Leon" wrote in message
...

On the bright side, the show being in Katy, TX means you will not have to
drive through the heart of Houston to get to the show.

Unless you live in Baytown. =)

Yeah but I was responding to the guy coming from Austin.

"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:


Yeah, that parking deal at the Reliant center sucked, and you couldn't
even leave to get a decent meal and come back without paying again - at
least not unless you bribed the guy at the guard shack with the promise of
bringing HIM back a #1 from Whataburger as well... :-)

Well there is that. LOL





I'm a bit confused about the floor space though; you say it's only about a
quarter of what it was at the Reliant center, but at that location they
never used anywhere *near* the actual space that was available. Are you
saying that it's now only 25% of the space they actually *used* at the
Reliant center? That *would* be pretty small...

Yes, that is what I am saying, the current show is in a high school
basketball gymnasium, a large one because of all of the seating, but floor
space is very limited. That is why probably 1/3 of the needed floor space
is out in the loby around the gym where you don't have to pay to get into.


We'll probably go anyway. It's a nice drive through the countryside and a
nice diversion from the routine, and I don't even have to come away with a
purchase to feel like it was time well spent.


Absolutely go, it is still fun to see what is going on but get there early
to find parking.

"Lowell Holmes" wrote in message
...

"John Grossbohlin" wrote in message
m...


The gate count was actually higher at our show in Saratoga Springs this
year than it was the past two. Some speculation is that it's cheap
entertainment compared to the options... which could explain the good
turn out at the Toronto and Houston shows.

John

Well, the booths in the outer passage way at the Merrill Center
(Katy/Houston) had some of the best entertainment. Frank Strazza was there
with his prize winning Federal Desk. It is a masterpiece of inlay and
stringing. It was in a recent issue of FWW. The inlay work was all hand
crafting. If you missed that, it's worth a trip back to the show to just
see it.
The Lee Valley booth was entertaining. You can caress all of their latest
creations. They are giving 10% discount and free shipping for any order.
All sales are catalog sales. I ordered four of their new clamps. I may go
back and order the small plow plane.
The Society of American Period Furniture Makers have about a dozen pieces
on display and they are demonstrating carving. This includes the Newport
Shell as well as ball and claw cabrolet legs.

All of the above is accessible without even buying a ticket. It is good
entertainment with no $8 parking. You can get there by traveling on the
latest taxpayer rip off, the Katy freeway. Is it 10 lanes now?


We had Lee Valley and SAPFM at Showcase in Saratoga too... L-N was there too
so you could wander back and forth and fondle pretty much their whole line
up! L-N has finally got small panel saws in production--I think it was 3-4
years ago when I saw prototypes--with larger saws coming. It is interesting
to be able to handle, say, the large shoulder plane, of both brands and see
first hand the differences. Personally, I've got L-N stuff and Kristen was
kind enough to sharpen the iron for my No 5 before I did my demo--the 6
weeks leading up the show were a mad-house for me and it slipped my mind to
sharpen the iron. BTW, she did a supperb job!

John

To reply, eat the taco.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Hi Steve =

I love the work you did building the rocking chairs.
Fantastic works of art.
Did you rough out the joints by hand, then finish,
or use something like a power rasp ?

Smitty

Smitty wrote:
To reply, eat the taco.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Hi Steve =

I love the work you did building the rocking chairs.
Fantastic works of art.

Thanks! I love building them.

Did you rough out the joints by hand, then finish,
or use something like a power rasp ?

While not possible in all cases, most of the joints are cut on the
tablesaw and/or router while the boards are still flat and square; i.e.,
before they are cut to their approximate final "seat", "leg", "arm",
"backslat", or "headcrest" shapes on the bandsaw. Most of the contour
shaping of the joints occurs after the parts are glued together. For my
first chair I did use a power grinder with a carbide "donut" to "hog
off" most of the waste, but this made such a huge racket and mess that I
threw it aside and never looked back. Now I use a variety of hand
tools: skew chisels, spokeshaves, scrapers, and one of my favorites,
the "microplane":

http://us.microplane.com/index.asp?P...PROD&ProdID=55

The microplanes are fabulous inventions, and with these I have no need
for any other files or rasps; however, I do wish they would make them
with handles on both ends. For the final finishing I use air-powered
Dynabrade sanders:

http://www.dynabrade.com/pdf/lit/D07...pg44-59ROS.pdf

These sanders are lightweight and have a low profile, and this makes all
the difference in the world when you're trying to sand something as
absolutely non-flat as a rocking chair... :-)

--
"Our beer goes through thousands of quality Czechs every day."
(From a Shiner Bock billboard I saw in Austin some years ago)
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/