Somerset NJ Wood Show

[Richard Niemiec]

Anybody going to the Somerset show this year?

RN

[Jim Becker]

I can't make it this weekend to Somerset, but will try for the Edison Mid-Atlantic Expo in late March.

[Gary Ratajczak]

Whats the weather down there? I'm just west of Albany, NY. Windy here. Not sure if I want to make the 3-1/2 hour drive Sat.

Any local reports appreciated.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I kooked at the web site. It looked pretty tiny.

[Jim Becker]

Whats the weather down there? I'm just west of Albany, NY. Windy here. Not sure if I want to make the 3-1/2 hour drive Sat.



Cold, but not by your standards, Gary! This weekend it should get back up to about freezing. Most major highways are back to bare since the weather we had mid-week...I78 west of Allentown PA being an exception, but you'll not be going that way if you come down from Albany...scoot down the river and hit I287 almost all the way to the Somerset venue.

[Steve Milito]

I'd need to take route 78 to get there, and it's closed.:p

[Jim Becker]

Actually, Steve...only one direction is a problem. I don't envy PENNDOT as it's not going to be easy to get that thick ice off the highway with the temps staying low as they are until mid-week next week at the earliest.

[Ed Gibbons]

Jim Becker,
I went to the show yesterday (Friday) in Somerset. Had a great time. The show in Edison looks more "industrial". How does that show compare with the one in Somerset?

Thanks,
Ed

[Gregg Mason]

I went yesterday. I thought it was good show. Had fun and bought a new tool. Ridgid 13" planer.

[Jim Becker]

I went to the show yesterday (Friday) in Somerset. Had a great time. The show in Edison looks more "industrial". How does that show compare with the one in Somerset?

The show in Edison "is" Industrial. I'm largely going to hook up with my Mini Max friends, but always enjoy learning about whatever is there. I actually first met the Mini Max folks at IWF in Atlanta which took up the whole Georgia World Congress convention center...and you wouldn't believe the big stuff that vendors had running there...the kind of things you put a sheet of something in one end and have a complete cabinet come out the other end, as it were. Fascinating to look at!

I would have liked to shoot over to Somerset as Sam Blasco is there doing the show for MM, but I have too much on my plate for this weekend in the shop...it's "my week" to not do swimming and karate duty. :)

[John Terefenko]

I too was there yesterday and spent some $$$ there.Doing my part to keep the economy going. Bought a Rigid oscillating edge belt sander. First Rigid tool I own but with a lifetime guarentee how can you go wrong. Made a mistake by going past the Craft Supply booth and watching some turning demos. Wound up buying some pen making equipment. Guess that will be on my to do list. Bought some exotic woods from Us Mahagony. These are the same people I buy most my hardwoods from. Great people to deal with.

All in all it was a better show than years past in that more of the older vendors were there. They had all the big players in the shop tool catagories there that we all are familar with. I look forward to these shows every year even if they are getting a little less vendors. There are so many gizmos and gadgets. :)

[Wilbur Pan]

I went today, and had a great time. It was only the second woodworking show I've been to. For me the best part were the seminars, especially the one Mike Heavey did on routers and bits.

I also found out that there are an incredible number of vendors selling router bits, while I couldn't find a tapered bit/countersink set to save my life.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Went last year, waste of time. I've outgrown this size show. Problem is... I've outgrown my shop too. If I buy one more tool,....

Well, maybe just this small one...

[Fred Voorhees]

Yeah, though I'm no more than a half hour from the site this show is being held at, I was a bit dissapointed in it last year and had my doubts about going this year. Maybe if I had something that I desperately wanted and could have picked up there, I might have gone, but I had other irons in the fire this weekend and didn't give the show that much thought. The number of vendors last year was way down and the show lacked "substance". Maybe it my weekend was completely open, I may have gone.

[John Terefenko]

Fred

You made a mistake. I think someone heard the complaints of last year and the show this year was much better. All the big name tool makers were there. They had many free seminars going on all day every day. You never have to be shopping for a major tool to go to these because they only come around once a year. Go to oogle at the latest and greatest. Go sit in on the seminars. Pick up some sandpaper or glue for a good price. Pick some router bits. It was not disappointing this year at all.