Brisbane Woodworking show

[MikeK]

Hi,

Just wondering what were the general impressions of the Brisbane Woodworking show. Any amazing new products? What about show discounts? etc etc.

BTW - I am not affiliated with any of the shows or vendors, its just that the Sydney show is coming up and I'm interested in finding out if there's any "absolutely must check out" items.

Thanks,
Mike.

[bitingmidge]

I would be interested to see if my impressions were born out by others who spent more time there.

I had a fleeting visit (a little over an hour) so didn't get time to talk to anyone or see any seminars in action.

On the negative side:

There seemed to more than usual "only available at the show" things:- the pommie guy with the painting pad that works really well on horizontal surfaces, but not quite so well on walls and ceilings, the acme 2000 vice/clamp thing that will make you a cup of tea while you saw your grandmother into little pieces and usually sells for $400 but buy now for $250. Then of course there was the European clamp that acme 2000 copied and usually sells for $600 but you could buy for $400. A couple of saw blades which would cut anything, steel, aluminium, timber, your grandmother........ Garden cutters...jigs...thingamejigs.

Then there was the timber.... I am sure that some of the timber sold at wood shows works out at $1million per cubic metre. I know there are overheads, but $28.00 for an offcut of red cedar cut in a 150 diameter circle 38mm thick for turning?? I wonder who buys that stuff, but a lot of people must because the vendors are always there. Still, at Maleny last year there was a guy selling fruit trees by the kilogram....

The food.

I was with someone else who had a different agenda to my own, and therefore couldn't spend time where I would have preferred.

I couldn't get to the U-Beaut stand because there were too many people buying stuff and I had a limited time.

The positives:

U-Beaut stand seemed constantly busy, which I hope translates to lots of business to help fund this forum!

Lots of machinery tools and stuff at all ends of the market so if one had time one could make comparisons on the spot.

Quite a good range of woodworking clubs, and my mates at the Wooden Boat Association and the Australian Association of Musical Instrument Makers were there and busy.

Seminars and displays - there but didn't see.

Timber vendors...a wide range, not all at outrageous prices, but I always feel incapable of buying because I think I'm being dudded anyway.

The sign on the Tasmanian timber guys stand that said something like " Don't try to bargain with the little grey haired guy...it'll only puss him off and make him impossible for the rest of us to work with".

In summary, an enjoyable hour or so. Next year I'll try to get a bit more time to wander round, I may even do some homework on timber prices and who knows?

I don't think I'll use the show as a shopping trip though....unless someone can convince me that there are some real bargains to be had...it just isn't worth the hassle, and major equipment purchases can be made at other times for the same or fewer dollars (Carbatec's pre show sale for example!)

Cheers,

P

[IanW]

Yeah - you've probably summed it up pretty well, Midge.
Like you, I did a pretty quick whip-around on my way to a meeting - managed about an hour and a half, but that was enough. I'm in the market for a new table saw, so tried to do a comparison under the one roof. There were several possibilities, but none really grabbed me. Talking to one of the sales people, he assured me he had just what I wanted back at the shop but "you can't bring everything to the show, mate". So I still have to make the effort to go and visit the showrooms.
Noted the absence of the Qld Woodcraftsmens Guild - have they folded? Was thinking about rejoining and wanted to talk with a current member, but they wuz nowhere to be seen.
I concur heartily about the timber prices. There was a bloke with some Qld Maple that looked like it was mostly out of a big old salvaged tree, all slabbed into 50mm plus thick chunks. Some of it was quite good, but several pieces had big punky areas where the log had been lying on the ground, and lots of branch pockets and rotted knots (character!). Was sort of half thinking about a smallish chunk and working out if I could get what I needed out of it by re-sawing, but at a rough calculation, I reckon it would have cost me well over $20 a super for the useable bits, with a fair bit of very expensive kindling left over. I jokingly remarked to the vendor that it was a shame to hack fine cabinet wood into these silly slabs all the time. He took me a bit too seriously, and got quite shirty, so I decided to move on.

Don't know what everyone else goes for, but this is about my only opportunity to mix with a bunch of other woodies for a while, and see what others are up to, get ideas, get inspired, etc. From my times on the club stand a few years back, I got the impression that that's what many (most?) are looking for, and if it deteriorates into just a bunch of vendors flogging stuff, I certainly won't be bothering to go any more. In brief, I reckon thre are fewer vendors and fewer things of interest happening each year, or am I just getting old and jaded?
avagooday,

[ozwinner]

There seemed to more than usual "only available at the show" things:- the pommie guy with the painting pad that works really well on horizontal surfaces, but not quite so well on walls and ceilings

He makes me laugh, a painting pad that costs cents to make, yours for only $50.

The sign on the Tasmanian timber guys stand that said something like " Don't try to bargain with the little grey haired guy...it'll only puss him off and make him impossible for the rest of us to work with".


I think I haggled with him last year......:D :D

Was the guy with the incredible drill bit that can drill through anything there?

Cant wait for the Melbourne show..:D :D

Al

[IanW]

Don't worry Al - at those prices there'll still be plenty of that Maple left for you.............
Didn't see the 'incredible drill bit' bloke this year, but I wasn't looking for him, either. Probably run out of used files.
Is pussed-off as bad as being -off?
Cheers,

[Driver]

It's worse. Not only are you off but you're also in New Zealand!
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[bitingmidge]

No, it's better...you've off a Kiwi!!! :D :D :D

P

[soundman]

I've resolved to go alone next year. went with a couple of mates & that was a distraction. didn't see all I wanted to see.
Carbatec were very agressive in the market this year, I did my buying from them the week before as did many people.
The vacume clamps intrested me, one of my mates baught a pair so I'll see how they go.
Gregories would do a lot more business if they would put some prices on their stuff.
The food was the usual sideshow fare, but finding somewhere to sit down to eat it is a major pain.
the gadget boys are always a laugh, nobody has mentioned the rubber broom guy.
The most anoying thing was the bad & I mean bad sound systems used on the demo & speaking areas. none were loud or clear enough and one of them was squeeling its little head of while the demonstrator was speaking thru it. was he deaf or just didn't care
you can understand the tight A$%se stall owners having cheap nasty pa systems but when the demos are sponsoured attractions I expect better.
certainly bigger than previous years. and well attended.

[bitingmidge]

I've resolved to go alone next year. went with a couple of mates & that was a distraction. didn't see all I wanted to see

My sentiments exactly!!

Hey since we're both going alone, do you want to catch up and go together? :D :D :D :D

P

[IanW]

Yeah - and since I'll be on my own (if I do decide to go, which I've said I won't, but always do) we might as well make it a threesome.....
avagoodone,

[soundman]

While the serious business of checking out new gear & baiting sales reps is best done alone, it would be good to catch up with some of the characters on the bb from time to time.

[IanW]

While the serious business of checking out new gear & baiting sales reps is best done alone, it would be good to catch up with some of the characters on the bb from time to time.

Well, they do have a bar there - maybe nearer the time we can organise a session and meet up over a cleansing ale. I'll bring my laptop, and we can type messages to each other.....
Cheers,

[felixe]

The Gifkin stand is pretty cool, I got to chat with Roger Gifkin last year, I had no intention of buying a jig, but left with one anyway. It was worth the money, the accuracy and speed of setting up is fantastic. the big stalls are fun, I liked the guy at the timbecon stand who dismissed play in a mitre saw with "so it moves from side to side a bit, who moves the saw around that much anyway"!!
The deals are comparable to sales that most retailers have, the advantage is getting to see stalls of new retailers. The wood from Mullimbimby is great to look at.
But there is a lot of crap, but crap is fun too!!!