The Brisbane Wood Show

[chook]

I went to the Wood Show yesterday not intending to buy anything. And I didn't. (Apart from 6 F clamps, some sandpaper and a Veritas honing jig.) That was all. (Apart from a Veritas bevel up smoothing plane. But hey if you get a honing jig you may as well get a plane too.)

I have given the honing jig a bit of a test drive and I think it is very good, especially on plane blades. My old Stanley no 4, ground to 30 degrees with a small micro bevel hums along better than ever. The bevel up smoother is a strange beast, completely different than any smoothing plane I have ever used. But it is well made and worked nicely straight out of the box. I have only had a chance to use it on some straight grained silky oak so far. The test will come when I get to making a new kitchen from camphor laurel. Derek Cohen ( a beast who often haunts these pages) reckons it to be a good tool on this type of timber.

My impression was that visitor numbers were down on the last time I went about 5 years ago. And that over the years prices of tools and machinery have become relatively cheaper.

The best display was the chap from Carbatec who spent ages sharing his skills and knowledge on a range of topics from saws, to cutting dovetails to sharpening. He was worth the cost of admittance many times over.

[Kidbee]

I too went yesterday and would have to say that both attendance and exhibitor numbers appeared to be down. Is it a post GFC thing? I looked around and wondered if most of the attendees will be in nursing homes in the next 10 years. Or is woodwork something you get into on retirement -perhaps it is and new crop will emerge.

I miss Robert Dunlop and his stand; is he still going okay? No Vicmarc stand and demonstrations by Bruce Bell. No Richard Raffan this year or Guiliano Marcalongo [spelling?] and the Scobies were absent.

Witnessed the new Arbortech Turbo Plane in action. Cuts great but creates a shower of debris. Drooled at the Lie-Nielsen and HN Gordon quality goods.

[chook]

I too went yesterday and would have to say that both attendance and exhibitor numbers appeared to be down. Is it a post GFC thing? I looked around and wondered if most of the attendees will be in nursing homes in the next 10 years. Or is woodwork something you get into on retirement -perhaps it is and new crop will emerge.

I miss Robert Dunlop and his stand; is he still going okay? No Vicmarc stand and demonstrations by Bruce Bell. No Richard Raffan this year or Guiliano Marcalongo [spelling?] and the Scobies were absent.

Witnessed the new Arbortech Turbo Plane in action. Cuts great but creates a shower of debris. Drooled at the Lie-Nielsen and HN Gordon quality goods.

I thought the same thing. I am 56 and I swear that I was just about the youngest man there.

Also this afternoon spent a bit more time with the bevel up smoothing plane. It cuts easy and clean with the grain, against the grain and across the grain. I cleaned up a little box I have made with it and it is magic to use.

[chook]

I too went yesterday and would have to say that both attendance and exhibitor numbers appeared to be down. Is it a post GFC thing? I looked around and wondered if most of the attendees will be in nursing homes in the next 10 years. Or is woodwork something you get into on retirement -perhaps it is and new crop will emerge.

I miss Robert Dunlop and his stand; is he still going okay? No Vicmarc stand and demonstrations by Bruce Bell. No Richard Raffan this year or Guiliano Marcalongo [spelling?] and the Scobies were absent.

Witnessed the new Arbortech Turbo Plane in action. Cuts great but creates a shower of debris. Drooled at the Lie-Nielsen and HN Gordon quality goods.
The HN Gordon no 4 smoother was nearly $100 more than the Veritas plane I eventually bought. The are a beautifully made thing though. The Lie Neislen chisels are another matter. I have been using some Stanley chisels for about 15 years but one of the chaps doing a demo reckons that the LN chisels are worth the extra money.