Disappointing Somerset Show

[Jack Hogoboom]

Just got back from the Somerset show. I was really disappointed at how few vendors were there. None of the big tool manufacturers were there. No Delta, P-C, DeWalt, etc. Not even Lie-Neilsen was there.

However, MiniMax and Laguna were there, and Bob Marino was manning the Festool booth. It was nice to get to meet Uncle Bob in person and thank him for all his help over the years.:D The adjust-a-bench booth seemed to be drawing a lot of attention.

On the other hand, I did go to two very good seminars. Frank Klausz was entertaining as always in his seminar on mastering the tablesaw. For some reason, he was given a Jet benchtop saw to demo on. He spent half the seminar ragging on the Jet and complaining how much time he spent setting it up. It was hilarious, but not exactly good marketing PR for Jet. As is always the case with Frank, there is his way and the wrong way.

Glen Huey taught a seminar on router jigs and fixtures. As I am a little afraid of my routers, I was eager to see a pro in action and Glen did not disappoint. He showed some cool jigs, including an incredibly simple jig he uses with a pattern bit to make perfect dadoes exactly where he wants them. He was very irreverent and basically said he doesn't know much about bits and just uses them until someone tells him they are too dull to cut and then he throws them away. He told a funny story about screwing up a cabinet side with a Leigh dovetail jig and how as a result he now uses the simple router jig developed by Troy Sexton and shown a while back in Popular Woodworking.

Although the show was disappointing, I still managed to spend money, mostly on some odds and ends for the shop. Luckily, I was able to bring some money home for a change!!:rolleyes: And it beat the heck out of working.

I guess the Edison show before Xmas must've stolen the thunder from this show. In other years, it's been a good show. Next time, I'll go to the earlier show and forget the other one.

Jack

[Cecil Arnold]

Jack, I'm surprised anyone showed up this close after Christmas. Does anyone have any money left?

[Jim Becker]

Well, I look at it this way...it's an opportunity for a little fellowship with some other woodworkers, so I'm sure I'll enjoy the trip with Robert and Fred as well as chatting with Jim and Sam from Mini Max, Geoffery from Adjust-a-bench and, of course, Uncle Bob. I need a few odds and ends, so if I can get a good deal on them at the show, great. If not...this computer knows its way around pretty well when it comes to online shopping! ;)

Woodworks in Ft Washington was also small this year. Shows, in general, have been struggling in all industries...very costly for both the vendors and the promoters.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Jack,
I was flippin' a coin deciding whether to go. It's only about a 1/2 hour drive from my home. However, I decided to stay home and build some needed jigs in my shop.

Next year, I recommend that you visit the Edison, NJ show at the NJ Expo Center. It is right before Christmas and has a nice turn out. Perhaps this is why this show had a weak showing of vendors.

cheer, Jeff

[Allen Bookout]

I was disappointed in the Tampa show because of a lack of major vendors. I though that it was because this year was their first show but may be this is the thing of the future.

[Craig Feuerzeig]

anything new and interesting this year?

Maybe in the back by the beef jerky guy?:o

[Fred Voorhees]

anything new and interesting this year?

Maybe in the back by the beef jerky guy?:o
BEEF JERKY GUY!?!?!?!?!?! I LOVE Beef jerky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Nope. It was about the same as last year except there was no Shop Fox vendor this time. I should mention that Delta Corp was there. However, there was also a Delta vendor that showed the same tools, with pricing.

cheers, Jeff

[frank shic]

jack, did frank klausz do his dovetailing demonstration? i'm considering going to the one in san rafaeil in april but i want to see the man in ACTION!

[Dave Falkenstein]

The Somerset Show was a Woodworks Show. Here in the Phoenix area we have experienced both Woodworks and The Woodworking Show. Woodworks was a much smaller show when it was here. The Woodworking Show, by comparison, seems to draw a lot more vendors and a lot more people. The Woodworking Show that was in Phoenix a couple of months ago was excellent with lots of vendors and lots of presentations - something for everyone.

Interesting that Tampa, which got a "small show" rating in a post above, was also a Woodworks show. Edison, NJ was put on by The Woodworking Shows. Not all woodworking shows are created equal.

[Craig Feuerzeig]

the beef jerky is excellent by the way, no offense. My friend Saul bought a whole pound. I'll be there again tomorrow. In the back...by the beef jerky guy.

[Jack Hogoboom]

Frank did do some dovetailing demonstrations. He's set up right next to Don Weber at the front of the exhibit hall. You should see his bench.... It is the most beautiful piece of woodworking I have ever seen. The finish on it just gleams and gleams. I wonder what he'd charge to build one for someone else.

His dovetailing technique is the best. Fast and effective with no measuring and no BS. I took a two-day class from him a couple of years ago at Peters Valley and was totally sold. Ian Kirby's techniques are laughably ridiculous once you see Frank do his thing. He can dovetail an entire drawer in less than 5 minutes. Definitely worth seeing in person!!! Also, he has the most amazingly shiny chisels and hand tools. The guy must be a real pain to work for and to live with if he is that particular about other things in his life, but oh what the man can produce!!

Jim, I definitely get the camraderie thing. I would've liked to go over the weekend just to meet you, Fred, etc. But with 4 kids, the only safe bet was to take a day off and go while they were in school.

I was just bummed out about the lack of vendors. I had ready cash burning a hole in my pocket and no good place to spend it.:(

There's always next year!!!

Jack

[frank shic]

jack, thanks for confirming that the MYTH does PRODUCE! as much fun as it'd be to hear him trash whatever tablesaw he's tuning up, i'd rather see his technique in person after watching his dovetailing a drawer upteen times and absolutely LOVING his no nonsense method which actually does WORK! calipers and dovetail jigs? who needs them?!?

he's inspired me to use a gent's saw for dovetailing and a frame saw for cutting tenons. his other videos on finishing, biscuit joinery and hand tools are MAGNIFICENT as well.

now to check my calendar for april... :D

[Jim Becker]

Jim, I definitely get the camraderie thing. I would've liked to go over the weekend just to meet you, Fred, etc. But with 4 kids, the only safe bet was to take a day off and go while they were in school.
Well, now that I have two of the critters (age 6 and 10), this required pre-planning with Dr. SWMBO. But we both try to give the other time for individual pursuits to insure our mutual mental health. (Ok, just an attempt at that...) Since I took the younger to the dentist this morning...my reward is a few hours with "my woodie friends", as she calls them...the younger got $10 for a Barbie and a trip to Tar-zhey to buy it. ;)

And after taking almost two months off because of the adoptions...it would have been inconvenient to bag work for a day, especially since I had to prepare a major presentation for a "large financial" customer for next week.:o

[Ellen Benkin]

Jim,

I certainly hope you are introducing the "new kids on the block" to the joys of woodworking. Adopting two kids at once is quite daring -- I hope you enjoy it.

[Jim Becker]

I certainly hope you are introducing the "new kids on the block" to the joys of woodworking. Adopting two kids at once is quite daring -- I hope you enjoy it.

Not yet, but I think some Barbie beds are in order very shortly. I'll do the woodworking (the older girl is likely capable, but not responsible enough) and let them do the "finishing". A doll house for the Poly-Pockets is also something I'm thinking about.

[fred woltersdorf]

i was at the springfield,ma show last year and watched frank klauz making dovetails.wow,so easy.i'm going back this coming weekend to see if i can remember how he did it.anybody else from the new england area going?i'd like to meet you guys and talk woodworking over a cup of coffee.

[Richard Niemiec]

From the reports, glad I passed on the Woodworks show this weekend. But I did go to the Edison Woodworkingshows show in December, and frankly, I was disappointed in the number of vendors, and their quality. I went specifically to see the Rockler display, and while their name was spraypainted on the floor, they simply did not show. Lee Valley was absent, the veneer guy wasn't there, TWC (always good for consumables) was absent, and although I was in the market for a router, a trim saw and a laminate trimmer, no real deals on those items were offered. I specifically wanted to eyeball a Leigh D4R, which is on my list, but it was simply not to be found anywhere.

And this is in central Jersey, where since Woodworker's Warehouse went belly up, there is no real hobbyist specific retail store where you can find specialized items. I lived in Charlotte, NC for about 5 years and got spoiled with Klingspor's Woodworking Shop, a Woodcraft, a great hardware store - Little Hardware and a few machinery dealers, including Leneave and Delta/Porter Cable and Bosch service centers which sold remanufactured/returned tailed tools at pretty good prices.

I've started to take the drive to Allentown PA where this past year they opened up a Woodcraft, and while there, I visit the Harbor Freight in Allentown (foam brushes, air tool stuff). No affiliation, but the Woodcraft folks are pretty friendly and some know what they are talking about, and there's no substitute to putting your hands on a new tool and seeing how they work.

sorry for the semi-rant. regards.rn

[Fred Voorhees]

From the reports, glad I passed on the Woodworks show this weekend. But I did go to the Edison Woodworkingshows show in December, and frankly, I was disappointed in the number of vendors, and their quality. I went specifically to see the Rockler display, and while their name was spraypainted on the floor, they simply did not show. Lee Valley was absent, the veneer guy wasn't there, TWC (always good for consumables) was absent, and although I was in the market for a router, a trim saw and a laminate trimmer, no real deals on those items were offered. I specifically wanted to eyeball a Leigh D4R, which is on my list, but it was simply not to be found anywhere.

And this is in central Jersey, where since Woodworker's Warehouse went belly up, there is no real hobbyist specific retail store where you can find specialized items. I lived in Charlotte, NC for about 5 years and got spoiled with Klingspor's Woodworking Shop, a Woodcraft, a great hardware store - Little Hardware and a few machinery dealers, including Leneave and Delta/Porter Cable and Bosch service centers which sold remanufactured/returned tailed tools at pretty good prices.

I've started to take the drive to Allentown PA where this past year they opened up a Woodcraft, and while there, I visit the Harbor Freight in Allentown (foam brushes, air tool stuff). No affiliation, but the Woodcraft folks are pretty friendly and some know what they are talking about, and there's no substitute to putting your hands on a new tool and seeing how they work.

sorry for the semi-rant. regards.rn

Rich, I see you, like I, was burned by the closing of the Flemington Woodworkers Warehouse. I feel your pain in having nowhere really close to do any "wood stuff" purchasing. It sure was handy having that place just up the road!