Madison WI - places of Galoot interest?

[Zach Dillinger]

Fellow Creekers,

I'm heading to Madison, WI this weekend and am looking for things to do. My wife has a conference on Monday and Tuesday, so I will have free reign and the car, so I'm able to do pretty much anything I want. I will also be around Saturday and Sunday, but will need to clear the itinerary with my wife. I'm looking for anything relevant to our mutual interest, namely neat old furniture or old tools. I'm planning to hit a large antique mall in Columbus, a slightly smaller one in Madison, and a couple in Mount Horeb, as well as Duluth Trading Company. Other than those, can anyone suggest some interesting stops?

Thanks,

Zach Dillinger

[David Kumm]

Mac Campshure of www.airtightclamps.com is there. Has a neat shop of both woodworking and metal working stuff. Dave

[Matt Radtke]

You can hit up the antique mall on the far east-side: http://www.antiquesmadison.com/

It's kind of picked over, but there are about 3 or 4 booths with rust. Often times the good stuff disappears quickly as it is less than a mile from my house ;-)

You mentioned the Columbus mall. It's neat, but about 95% of the stuff is collectable glassware.

Otherwise, not really. Sometimes said antique store has a flea market on Saturday. It tends to be lacking. Alternatively, we have plenty of fine brew pubs. Madison SMC meetup anyone?

[Mark Baldwin III]

If you want to venture a little farther from Madison, there are a few stores in Oconomowoc that often have old tools. If you head North to Princeton, there are more places. Princeton would be a bit of a drive though, probably an hour and a half from Madison. Could be less, I usually get there in two hours, leaving from Milwaukee. If you head towards Oconomowoc, and you enjoy good beer...there's a wee little town called Lake Mills, and that's where you'll find the best beer in the state at the Tyranena brewery. My humble opinion of course.
I've never been to any of the Madison stores, as I try to avoid that town. An internet search for Oconomowoc antique stores will show a few.

[Mike Siemsen]

The Forest Products Laboratory is in Madison and could be an interesting visit. The Chazen Museum at the UW has some furniture pieces and is connected with Chipstone.

[Andrew Teich]

If you are staying or can get downtown get signed up for the Madison Food Explorers Lake to Lake Tour. Get the scoop on interesting restaurants and architecture plus some history of Wisconsin and Madison. Google "Madison Food Explorers"
Stop into Candina's Chocolates on the square, expensive, delicious and free sample when you walk in. It's a small shop and easy to walk right by. Buy a two pack for four bucks and impress your wife with your fine taste.
Tour the Capitol, available most days and free. Sit in the House, stand in the Senate, Enter the Supreme Court (WI) and go up to the overlook.
J Taylors Galleries, also on the square, has some of the most interesting stuff in the windows. Don't know if there are any tools as he's never been open when I've been by, but he does say that you can make an appointment.
Eat at Buraka, it's midwesternized East African Food. You can eat it and not die... promise. Yum!
Der Rathskeller at the UW Union, and the last stop if you take that food tour, has some interesting old looking Oak tables.

Enjoy Madison!

[Zach Dillinger]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We got home late last night from a very enjoyable trip. Didn't get much, but did get a few things. A wood brace for $30, a pound of small cut nails for $4, a Stanley 60 spokeshave (the weird one that is half concave and half flat) for $20, a Butcher 1.5" chisel for $12, a Sandusky 7/8 ovolo and a 1" tongue and groove plane pair (all three for $50). So not truly gloatable stuff, but good prices on things I wanted. Also bought a fairly rare graphite tennis racquet (I also collect racquets and play a lot of tennis) thats worth about 10 times what I paid for it.

Visited the Chazen Museum of Art on the UW campus. They have a very nice section of furniture. Got about 6 inches away from a Job Townsend
kneehole desk (tried not to drool on it). Also saw a very interesting Philadelphia small chest of drawers that I think I'm going to make. Its a little
larger than a typical spice cabinet, 6 drawers, but with an interesting door that is just rails and styles, no panels so that you can still see the drawer fronts and hardware, but the rails and styles block the drawers from opening. The door is the only part that has a lock. Nice William and Mary hardware, turned ball feet in front. Might have to make one as a study for my much-desired William and Mary high chest.