Creekers on Parade - Somerset Show

[Jim Becker]

Robert Tarr, Fred Voorhees and myself ventured to the Somerset NJ show this afternoon after a quick lunch at a deli near Fred's house in Ringoes NJ. While we all had a good time, we were remarkably restrained relative to purchases....Fred plunked down about $15 for some miter track. Robert and I, well...only contemplated future goodies and grabbed free copies of Popular Woodworking so I guess you can say we didn't come home empty-handed! ;)

But we did run into a few more 'Creekers, including Sam Blasco, Bob Marino and Per Swenson. The former two were working at the show and Per was wandering about, hiding behind his "shades". :) I had the chance to look at the new plunge saw at Bob's Festool booth and was quite impressed with the improvements...they took a winner and made it even better. Jim Strain and Sam had some very nice stuff on display in the Mini Max booth...Mr Cresti had already left so we didn't catch him "in action". Geoffrey Noden was demoing the Adjust-A-Bench system fast and furious and when we were leaving, he was loading one up in someone's minivan.

At any rate, here are a few pictures for your enjoyment...
Robert and I with Bob Marino in Bob's very busy Festool booth
L-R Fred, Sam, myself and Robert in front of the Mini Max booth. That S315 slider behind us had a few new features that will be seen soon and there will be some additional new stuff coming along, too
Me with Per...I had to slip my "shades" on to feel like I belonged next to this icon of woodworking in our midst. It was my first in-person meeting with Per and it was a great pleasure to do so. His father was around somewhere, too, but I didn't get to meet him this time around
Back at Fred's shop, Robert, Fred and I pose in front of Fred's current project...two corner cabinets that he is doing a really nice job on

[Peter Pedisich]

Thanks Jim! Looks like a good time, wish I could have gone...the boss had other plans I dare not mess with.

Pete

[Jay Knoll]

Guess I"ll have to wait for the Orlando show, maybe Uncle Bob will venture south to get rid of the northern pallor that I am sure he will have developed by March.

Looks like you had fun, and Per lives! I haven't seen any of his great posts on the Creek in quite awhile, wondered if he had moved on to other forums.

Thanks for the post and the pics.

Jay

[lou sansone]

so that is what you all look like.... :) ok when will the test be?

glad that you all had fun
lou

[Per Swenson]

Hello All.

Of course I am alive and well Jay.

Don't let my case of writers block lead you to believe

I am not on this site every day.

Now for meeting Mr. Jim Becker, the pleasure was all my mine.

As for the show itself, well it was late Sunday, the end of the last day

and I had the feeling I missed most of it. But I sure was impressed

with the Woodmizer in the parking lot, heck if I had seen that

first, I might have saved 10 bucks. I jest. It was real nice to see

Bob Marino at the festool booth. That was worth the tenner.

Father Bob had to be saved from a few impulse buys, but all in all

it was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Per

[John Miliunas]

Yikes!!! What a motley looking crew!!! :eek: :D I see Jim has his precursory Festool jean shirt on, too! Nice touch, Jim! (That's what I wore to our last WW show, as well!) :) Looks like a good time had by all BUT, what's the real skinny on it??? As in, what all followed you guys home????:D :cool:

[Frank Chaffee]

Father Bob had to be saved from a few impulse buys, but all in all

Per[/QUOTE]

Yikes Per!!!
Most of us call him "Uncle Bob"!

Frank

[Per Swenson]

Bob Marino= Uncle Bob
Bob Swenson= Father Bob, The Bobster, Yo hurry up, Daddy Noooo!

You may be unaware of both his skill as a wood worker and his unique

sense of humor, for he may be registered here, he rarely posts.

Our loss.

Per

[Russ Massery]

Looked like a great time! Probably some the creekers I'd like to meet the most.;) I was just talking about this yesterday with fellow creeker Ken S. Looks like a better show than we have here, Lately the best way I can discribe them is they suck:(. And thats just by the venders I can see in the background.

[Jim Becker]

As in, what all followed you guys home????

'Covered that in my initial post..."not much". Two free magazines and a $15 3' piece of green aluminum miter channel...the latter was in Fred's hands.

I did "talk about" something I'd like to buy one day with my friends at Mini Max, of course. And the one thing I wanted to actually look at (the Lee Valley skew chisel pair) was not on display.

Oh, I did forget to mention I shook hands with Dino...his booth was pretty busy. Unfortuately, I didn't make it back to it to check out some of the new stuff...too many distractions, I guess!

[Fred Voorhees]

DANG, I would have enjoyed meeting both Per and Bob. Serves me right for venturing off to that beef jerky stand.:(

[Frank Chaffee]

Per,
I am not at all unaware of your Father Bob, he has been logged in more often than yourself lately. Just didn't realize right away who you were were referring to. Sorry.
Now I see that he was "around somewhere", when the pics were being taken.
Yours,
Frank

[Bob Winkler]

Looks like a great bunch. Thanks for the pictures. Maybe I should take my camera to the Springfield Show in case I trip over anyone I recognize. Darn, I wish I'd ordered that SMC hat:rolleyes:.

Bob

[Jim Becker]

I also forgot to mention chatting briefly with Craig Feuerzeig and his lovely at the Bowclamp (http://www.bowclamp.com) booth. He recently joined SMC and has provided "the prize" for one of the current giveaways in progress.

[Craig Feuerzeig]

Great meeting you Jim, and thanks for not posting a picture of me...Nobody needs to see that on a monday morning.:eek:

[Bob Swenson]

I missed meeting Mr. Becker and all the other Creekers at the the show.
My creaking body was sitting down watching the great Frank Klauz
chop dovetails in seconds (makes you wonder why you ever bought that
fancy jig) Sliding dovetails and an ancient water proof joint that he uses
to make a box for his water stones.
He said that now that he is a grandfather he realizes that he is sleeping with
a grandmother. Think about that old twinkle eyes.
Per and I got there late so we didn't get to see much. Uncle Bob Marino had
the new better improved Festool saw on display. Buying tools is a little like
buying boats. You start with a cordless cross cut saw (Sandvik makes a
good one.) and you end up with a "Sawstop". Buy a canoe and end up with
a Cabin Cruiser. What are we going to do with that old Festool saw now that
the new and improved saw is here. Will the generation be new and improved
with orange scent sawing power. It never ends but we love it --- if it shines, buy it.

May your New Year be happy, healthy, and prosperous
and your dovetails always tight.
Bob