woodworking show this weekend in Houston

[LCHIEN]

Is there anything to buy anymore now that TWC has gone out of business?

Seems like they took up 1/4 of the floor and had the most selection and busiest booth space. Always good prices. Has the lack of competition allowed the other vendors to go up in prices? Any bargains this year?

[just4funsies]

Just went to one in Orlando, and Peachtree took up about half the floor.

[Jim Boyd]

TWC had all of the little odds and ends, right? I'm too broke to attend this year Watch, Ken will probably be there this time

[Pappy]

Same here. Too much going on to get away for the show this year.

[kwgeorge]

Well Jim, as a matter of fact that is the plan. Flying home today, hitting the woodshow tomorrow morning and then leaving for Seattle Sunday. Why else would I fly home for just one day?

I will be sure to take notes on all the cool stuff for you guys!

[LCHIEN]

Just a word on what I decided.

Admission $9
Parking $7
Tollway $4.50
Drinks and snacks - the sky's the limit
Being caught in Houston traffic for an hour or 2 = priceless.

The only thing I wanted besides to renew my supply of knobs (not critical),
was possibly a Bosch RA1165 base - this new fixed base for the 1617 routers is optimized for router tables so that you can use an above the table t-handled allen wrench to fine adjust the router height. This came out last year April but I have not been able to find one cheaper than the froogle prices of around $47-50. Even though that's lots cheaper than a router raizer or similar, I thought it was too much.

I called a friend of mine from work when he was down at the show and asked him to check with the Bosch dealer. $33-something . So I asked him to get me one and saved the parking, admission, tolls and time.

BTW, bargains like this and the wide availability of little parts and supplies are the big attraction of the show, in my book.

[Jim Boyd]

Well Jim, as a matter of fact that is the plan. Flying home today, hitting the woodshow tomorrow morning and then leaving for Seattle Sunday. Why else would I fly home for just one day?

I will be sure to take notes on all the cool stuff for you guys!

I thought you had some kind of sickness you picked up in an elevator in Chicago that you needed to recover from?

[kwgeorge]

I am better now, lots of over the counter drugs can do that! Still feel kind of crappy but the show is only once a year and I am hoping to maybe get the Lei-Neilsen Rabbit block plane and look around. I find that it is better to get there when the door opens and then do a quick run through. Make note of points of interest and then backtrack. Gets me out of there before the big crowds make the place shoulder to shoulder.

[kwgeorge]

Well you guys sure did not miss anything I can tell you that. Seemed very small this year and was little there that interested me at all. I tried to buy the Rabbit Block Plane from Lie-Nielsen but of course they did not have any in stock. Last year a vendor was there that had like 3 booths full of veneer and today there was just one vendor with a sad supply. There were no big show specials there that I could not get with the coupons I receive regularly from Rockler or Woodcraft without having to deal with the large crowd of people. Oh and Loring, parking is $8 not $7. One of the things I had been saving for was a Leigh Dovetail jig as they were all over the show last year and that is something that never goes on sale and the coupons always say “Excludes Leigh Products”. Well I don’t think there was one anywhere in the entire show! I ended up just getting angry and going and buying one at full price from the Rockler store.

I am with you guys, next year I will really have to have nothing better to do before I think about bothering with that show again.

[mater]

It sounds like the last Charlotte show I went to.

[LCHIEN]

Well you guys sure did not miss anything I can tell you that. Seemed very small this year and was little there that interested me at all. I tried to buy the Rabbit Block Plane from Lie-Nielsen but of course they did not have any in stock. Last year a vendor was there that had like 3 booths full of veneer and today there was just one vendor with a sad supply. There were no big show specials there that I could not get with the coupons I receive regularly from Rockler or Woodcraft without having to deal with the large crowd of people. Oh and Loring, parking is $8 not $7. One of the things I had been saving for was a Leigh Dovetail jig as they were all over the show last year and that is something that never goes on sale and the coupons always say “Excludes Leigh Products”. Well I don’t think there was one anywhere in the entire show! I ended up just getting angry and going and buying one at full price from the Rockler store.

I am with you guys, next year I will really have to have nothing better to do before I think about bothering with that show again.

Shame, isn't it?
Used to really look forward to the show.
I like to think it went downhill rather than I outgrew it.

Seems like as much traffic as they had in the past, it should have been profitable.
The admission, parking and traffic in the area sort of got to me this year.