Check out http://www.ultimateworkbench.com, which is slated to open on
Monday, Nov. 29, in Hamilton, NJ, in Mercer County.

(That's near Trenton, for those of you keeping track. We actually
have four Hamiltons in the state. Don't ask.)

I stopped in today, Saturday, and met Ethan and Glen Garr, who were
busy setting up the operation. They seem very nice and likable guys
who are looking for ways to bring in more people to woodworking, and
make a dollar or two while they are at it.

I personally do not have a commercial interest in the success or
failure of their venture .. Yet, anyway. I wouldn't mind trading PR
for shop time, though they don't have a need for my services at the
moment.

It is a spacious place in an old warehouse, of which we have plenty in
the area. They have a dealer relationship with Delta, so there is
plenty of big, gray power tools in the shop, including at least five
or six lathes, couple of cabinet saws, bandsaw, two planers, and
worktables, etc.

I have to admit I am sort of torn about it. I have a basement full of
cast iron and it would seem to be redundant to join a place with
tools. ...

However, it has space, lots and lots of space. Just the idea of having
a place to work where I didn't have to tiptoe, sidestep, slide and
contort myself to walk around makes my mouth water. In addition, they
intended to have classes on lots of subjects.

There is no way I would ever buy a lathe, simply because I don't have
the room to play with it, but that wouldn't be an issue working there.
Also, I am notoriuously weak on finishing, so getting more knowledge
on that would be good.

And I think my furnace is about to choke to death on the dust.

Then again, SWMBO will have to approve, although she has expressed
interest in learning how to use a lathe ... Hmmmmmm....

Anyway, I wish them all the success in the world and they'll probably
see me hanging around there in some capacity.


If I had a really good sig file statement, this is where it would be.