Thread: Brisbane 2012 - VISITORS FEEDBACK

My first time at the show and overall impression was excellent. I did a couple of hours on the stand and met some other forumites which was great, hopefully I convinced at least a couple of visitors to sign up on the forum. Thanks to Ian W for all the work he put in organising the roster and for bringing along those great tools he has made. For the price of parking and lunch it was fantastic value. I managed to pick up a few bits and pieces and was happy at the prices. I'll definately be back next year and will be happy to offer my services as a volunteer again.

Cheers Rumnut

I too went yesterday and had a great time. Hadn't been for a couple of years and I will be booking in for next year. I ended up with a pile of blanks and new set of Robert Sorby chisels from Jim Carrolls stand. I went home a very happy person till my wife asked me why I hadn't spent all that much, this was even after I showed her the docket from my chisels.I hadn't of been booked up today I would have headed back in. I did find time to have a play with my new toys the sarvo though and all I can say is I am in love.........

Thank you Ian for all the work you did in organising this.

The work bench and the tools were an excellent idea.

Again: Thanks to you and all who attended for your help.

Charleville...thanks for posting those pictures. Looks like the show has been a success....Sydney next!

Good job IanW well done.

As for price of food at show: Maybe this should be answered by the organisers, but I'll do it for them.

The food and prices of same have nothing at all to do with the show organisers. This all goes to the vendors and the venue. The organisers of the show have no control over those prices and it is my understanding that they derive on benefit from the food vendors other than the convenience of the food being on site.

Bring some sangers if you don't like the prices and stop complaining about things that are out of the organisers control.

I believe there is a wet area (grog) at the Sydney Show this year. So if you don't want to complain about the prices down there bring some water.

As for the woodshows themselves:
For those people who only seem to see the down side, Try looking on the bright side and you may find that there isn't a down side at all. Be thankful there is a Working With Wood Show to complain about, be pretty sad for us all if there wasn't.

What you should be doing is actually thanking the organisers for all they have done to keep these shows alive and kicking, and maybe spare a thought for the exhibitors who in many instances travel thousands of miles, spend tens of thousands of dollars and often have to shut shut down their businesses for a couple of weeks to bring their expertise and their wares to the shows only to be accused of just coming to sell at shop front prices.

People should be thankful for what they have and for the massive effort put into making these shows happen by all involved, especially in the light of the current economical climate. Don't be surprised if more exhibitors drop out as many may not still be in business by this time next year. However the shows will endure and new exhibitors will get involved. It's happened in the past and will happen again. This is from someone (me) who has attended these shows since the very first one in Melbourne many years ago.

Cheers - Neil

My impresions of the show itself are a bit limited because I spent more time than I expected on the Forum stand, trying to bring in the new members (= talking my silly head off). I kept planning to check out all the other stands properly, but didn't get very far after several starts - kept running into people I know, & by the time we'd finished chatting, I was due back at work. However, I thought what it lacked in quantity, it made up for in quality, I noticed a number of very good demos running (not the least of which was at the U-Beaut stand! ). The current organisers seem like a much more switched-on bunch, who listen to the vendors, so keep the constructive ideas coming from the crowd.

My impressions from talking with people who stopped at the Forum stand is that they like to see the sawdust flying, and some of the posts here are calling for more activities, too. One big omission to me is the lack of any advanced cabinet-making demos or anything along those lines - the blokes with the spinny-turney gadgets have achieved total dominance in the woodworking sphere, it seems.. When the Woodcraftsman's Guild was still alive, we used to have several people making & finishing pieces of fine furniture, which always seemed to be popular. So perhaps that's something for the organisers to explore.

On the Forum stand, my little bench with its wooden-screw tail vise, plus a few tools flashing some polished brass & wood, pulled in a number of passers-by and got the conversation going. I hope we have convinced some of them that the Forum is a worthwhile place for all sorts of reasons other than the lounge & the tea-bags.

I thought the timber prices and the quality of what was on offer were more reasonable this year than previously - the marked prices equated to super-foot values that weren't as absurd as I've seen in years past. I spotted a lovely crotch piece of cedar, with a superb, defect-free feather pattern, and just had to take it home. It will become two very nice book-matched panels for the fancy china cabinet LOML 'needs'.

Despite a couple of panic moments, the Forum stand operated without any glitches, and much thanks is due to our enthusiastic volunteers, who all did a great job. The Forum 'lounge' is a brilliant addition. Having somewhere to rest in comfort, have a cuppa & shoot the breeze with fellow woodies, then leave the heavy stuff safely while you go out & run up more debt, is a boon. I reckon it's worthwhile being a member for that alone.

Finally, a public thanks from me to all the Forum members who helped out on our stand, & those who dropped by for a cuppa & a chat. I sincerely apologise for the lack of pictures. I managed to forget my camera for three days in a row . I had a moment of sheer panic on Saturday morning, when my phone decided not to cooperate, & the situation was only saved by transferring my sim card into Neil's phone for the rest of the day. That led to a few amusing (for everyone else) incidents, when a phone was ringing & ringing & I was wishing the idiot who owned it would answer it, when I realised it was Neil's phone in my pocket! Why don't they all sound like my old clunker? -

And I lost my (new!) specs on Saturday. I was sure they were in my back-pack (which has more darned pockets than a whole platoon of infantry), but after three fruitless searches, a trip to 'lost & found' & phone call home, I was resigned to the fact that they'd disappeared for good. On Sunday, lost some bits of wood he's just bought, & in the ensuing search, I found my specs - in my back-pack. But 's wood was nowhere to be found, & we assumed it must have been nicked by some light-fingered passer-by.

At the very end of the day, 's wood turned up - it was over by his lathe, where he'd safely put it..... I'm so glad I'm not the only 'senior' on the street....

Cheers, and here's to an even bigger & better next year...

Heres a pic of the stand and members

Ian,

Glad 's timber turned up !! I did not think anybody got passed us to nick it. Thoroughly enjoyed the show, my time on the stand and catching up with several other forumites. I look forward to doing it again next year.
Ian, you done a great job and I loved seeing and feeling the quality of your hand made tools. Keep me in mind for some saws and gauges if and when you have any available.

Much appreciated
Cheers
Tony.

Yes, Ian W, you did a brilliant job! So glad you found your specs, and Neil his wood. I will be putting my hand up for a stint at the stand again next year. It is a great way to meet the other forumites. The timber for sale was great. I did not get much as I have a fair bit here at home, but look out next year.

Arrived home to find I had got thnree seconds for some things I put in the local show. Pleased with that. Will put pics on the site when my photographer has time to wield the camera.

All in all, a good show I thought. Take care of those knees, Neil.

Shirley. xxxxxx