Toronto Woodworking Show - Mar 2,3,4

[Art Mulder]

Hey folks,

Not too many Canucks here on the forum, but for those that lurk...
(Jim's recent "Creeker Visit" post prompted me to post)

Next weekend is the annual Canadian Home Workshop (http://www.canadianhomeworkshop.com/show/home.shtml) show in Toronto at the International Centre out by the airport. March 2,3,4

I'm planning to be there with LOML for most of Saturday afternoon. If anyone is interested in saying howdy, post a note here, and we'll see what we can do. Maybe at 4:30pm-ish at the main stage after their 4pm talk might be a good place to congregate?

Otherwise we could try to congregate at the Federated Tool booth and ask Creeker Dave Eisen when he's going to post more pictures of his kitchen project or some other tool restoration. :p

...art

[Art Mulder]

Bump.

This weekend...

[Chris Curry]

My buddies and I are going to open the place on Friday. One of the perks being self-employed. We'll get the shop class kids but miss the weekenders. Anyone want to saw 'howdy' on the 2nd?

LOML will be staying home but I have my allowance, cheque (check;) )book and M/C. Debating whether to take the F150, 250 or 450. :D

Cheers, Chris

[Brian Sweetman]

Art: I'll be there Saturday for most of the day. I'll keep an eye out for you.

Brian

[Benjimin Young]

I am going on Friday. Always interetested in meeting other Creekers if anyone is interested.

[Ralph Dobbertin]

was the show decent? I'm thinking of going saturday

[Chris Curry]

Ralph,
It is certainly not worth the $14 when compared to London, Hamilton or the others. There were a few deals but not like before. Elite continues to flood the market with their router bits, Woodline had a great booth as always, Busy Bee Tools showed up aagain. If this is you only chance, go and have a good time. I've decided to stick exclusively to the Woodstock show in October. Nothing else comapres.
From the 'for what it's worth department' but remember, you asked -- Chris

[Ralph Dobbertin]

Thx Chris: I'll check it out today, and then I'll try to hit the ones in your area as well. Your are right tho: these shows really need to be revived.

[Art Mulder]

There were a few deals but not like before.

It all depends on what you're looking for...

Anyone looking to buy a DeWalt/Porter-Cable/Delta tool was making out like a bandit, as they gave big discounts, and free extras (Free RO sander, Free jigsaw), and also "show bucks" that could be spent on other Delta/etc tools.
Me? I wasn't shopping for that iron, so it didn't make that big a deal to me.

I think the $20 Delta crosscut blade was a pretty good deal. I also thought that the Woodline booth was selling things at a very sharp discount -- cheaper than on their website, and in Canadian dollars! I always think that the LVT show deal is nice also: free shipping, and a 6% (equivalent to GST) discount.

But I also don't just go to a show to buy stuff. I go to meet people -- I see people at the show that I never see except on the forums or in magazines.

I go to learn things, and see what is new on the market -- so at this show I finally got to have a look at a Sawstop saw. I finally got to have a look at a MiniMax sliding tablesaw (Laguna was there also). Other people talked about getting to see a Dowelmax demonstrated, and so on.

And of course, I go for the talks and demos. lots of those.

...art

ps: and my wife got to buy a belt, and make some stuff in the free build-a-project areas. And making my wife happy is always a bonus.

[Wayne Watling]

Went mid morning Friday and picked up some Italian double sided shaper knives from Normand, a GRR-Ripper and ordered a 153" resaw king blade from Laguna. I must say, Laguna sales have received a lot of flack in the past but they were very helpful and spoke well of their competition. He asked me what bandsaw saw I used and I said Minimax, his reply was "I have a good saw".

Art, that Minimax slider is a smaller version, probably 5.5' but still it would have given you an idea as to quality. The Tecnomax is beefier again.

All in all a good half day had..

Wayne

[Doug Shepard]

I always read posts from Canadians about so-and-so not selling or shipping to Canada, so out of curiousity I followed the link and checked out the exhibitors list. There's some noticable absences and quite a few there I've never heard of. Please tell me though that nobody has actually started a WW biz with these company names. I'm guessing they included the food vendors in the exhibitors list?

Bake & Deli Delight
Plasma Innovations Cookware
The Nut Lady

This one is obviously an Adam Sandler Waterboy movie spinoff.
UCANDOIT!

UCANDOITALLNIGHTLONG.:D :D

[Art Mulder]

Please tell me though that nobody has actually started a WW biz with these company names. I'm guessing they included the food vendors in the exhibitors list?

Bake & Deli Delight
Plasma Innovations Cookware
The Nut Lady

Oh, hey, Doug...

Are you telling me that you don't get any non-woodworking vendors at your wood shows? No one selling beer nuts? No one pushing hand lotion? No million-dollar pots and pans? (Well, the price was close when I asked last year... :eek: )

Personally, I suspect that those guys selling the green shammy's (chamois?) are at every show on the planet. I think they clone the hucksters.