Thread: Melbourne T& WWW Show 18-19-20 October 2013

Each year I forget to mention Carba-Tec's contribution and I must fix this; they are a stalwart presence at the shows and should be acknowledged. Their stand this year had a bit of nearly everything and they also had a great stand set up where you could make your own mallet. The mallet idea was priceless, I don't know how many mallets were made but I saw that stand going flat-chat all weekend. Best of all I saw lots of kids there (and slidingdovetail - twice ). Everyone had a great time so well done Carba-Tec for getting such a hands-on stand going!

Originally Posted by Larkan

I was however disappointed there weren't more power tools. I was up for a small portable drill and an random orbital sander.

Originally Posted by DaveTTC

I must say - that is one thing Canberra did have and I was surprised not to see here. A large stand with DeWalt and a few other brands

Normally Panasonic, Metabo, Bosch or Milwaukee are there. Not sure what happened this year but I thought in previous years they did quite well. Maybe Liz can answer this one if she sees it.

Originally Posted by Sam

Did Carbatec have the Veritas Chisels on display ? I wanted to see them in the flesh and compare with the LN's while they were close by but didnt see em.

I saw some chisels but didn't look to see if they were the new ones.

Originally Posted by Groggy

Each year I forget to mention Carba-Tec's contribution and I must fix this; they are a stalwart presence at the shows and should be acknowledged. Their stand this year had a bit of nearly everything and they also had a great stand set up where you could make your own mallet. The mallet idea was priceless, I don't know how many mallets were made but I saw that stand going flat-chat all weekend. Best of all I saw lots of kids there (and slidingdovetail - twice ). Everyone had a great time so well done Carba-Tec for getting such a hands-on stand going!

Yes, but they snivelled out of Canberra and I was looking forward to laying some $ on them.

Regards

Knowing that I would be at the show all day Friday, I took advantage of the exhibition center's "early bird" car park rate. Park before 9am, plenty of spaces to choose from so you can park close to the door, and leave after 3pm - $13. As the doors did not open till 10am I read the newspaper and chatted to others going to the show.

This was a load of fun, thanks to Stan and his fellow musicians.

By what I have read I think the forum stand was managed very well and the people who participated had a great time. I would like to also voice my thanks for Groggy organizing and for the volunteers on the forum stand.

A great big thank you to Groggy for his fantastic organisation and running of the Forum Satan. A sterling job, very well done.
Excellent work Greg. Bravo.... clap:

To all those who volunteered to work on the stand and gave freely of their time a I extend a hearty thank you.
An excellent effort by all and one that I'm sure will have been appreciated by all who were spoken to and harassed into having a look at the forums.
A fantastic effort by everyone involved.

Cheers - Neil

It was my first Time to the show so I can't compare with any previous years. I visited on the Friday and did the first 2hrs Sunday on the stand, there was a big difference in numbers between the days.

I don't know why there was any complaints about parking it cost me nothing and I parked right in front of the steps up to the doors………….Although if I had the cash to buy any of that lovely timber I Might have had trouble strapping it to the sissy bar for the ride home.

Plenty of eye candy in the way of tools, but due to funds not being able to take much away with me. Decided to spent it where it counts and came away with some U-beaut products.


Got to meet a lot of forum members on the stand and put a few faces to names I also got to meet a number of forum members and lurkers in the crowd. It seemed every second person I spoke to while working the stand was one of those two. Hope fully the rest will sign up.

I would like to say a VERY BIG THANK YOU to Russell, Dennis,or is it..Dennis, Russell (I know their faces, but sometimes the names get confusing), Jenise, Doug, Dave'o and my beautiful wife Noelene, without their amazing help this show would have been near impossible, these folk make up a group of articulate, happy, confident and courteous setter upper'ers, shop assistants and awesome elves in general, the pack up at the end was like a well oiled machine and within 3.5 hours was all done...thank you guy's so very much.

I'd also like to thank Neil & Pauline Ellis who always are so supportive to Noelene and I and also help make this Melbourne show a lot easier for us to attend and put on..
A very big thank you to the folk who support our humble little family business (Billinudgel Woodworks), we try and provide / create products etc from wood that are sought after and also versatile, the complete range of our products wasn't possible on this occasion as family & health issues reduced the time available to make and freight them to Melbourne...

I discovered that U Beaut and Arbotec had a 25 year history this year with the shows, an amazing commitment to both their product, passion and dedication to the industry..well done guy's, really ! Well done !

Groggy took a few terrific video's of our Sunday "Musical Interlude", thanks mate, a nice addition for the woodshow history, when I first started playing some music, I dreamed of having other show folk join in, Kevin Insker from Arbotec has been one of them and having a ball playing at the shows with me this year and last, the video's are great, but will not release the same emotion's that I felt and others from the other side of the fence during that impromptu session on the Sunday..(as well as the Friday & Saturday sessions)

There were some visitors to the show which I believe will have an everlasting memory of that session / day, one in particular, a young and a little shy "Dylan", you may have seen him walking around the show with his aunty yielding a pirate cutlass, well in the afternoon , he sported a lovely timber whistle and during that musical interlude played a memorable whistle solo as well as a demonstration of finger clicking, body moving and a genuine feeling of intense happiness and satisfaction, 2 other kids (young ones) the names of which escape me discovered percussion using salvaged empty pineapple juice tins and hand split sticks..

Andy Rigby (Blind Andy Marimba) should be mentioned as a great musician and a very great part of the show, bringing his wonderful form of music and love to this show, his very trusty and also incredibly talented, master of entertainment friend "fingers Phil" with his antics of juggling, drumming,percussioning, encouraging the kids and crowd and his musicianship should be thanked, Strat on sax, Lyndle (or is it Lindell ?) on trombone and marimba and I think Don on marimba and towards the end another lady (on marimba) whose name (I'm sorry) escapes me (but has a lot to do with organising the marimba thing) were all absolutely great, all sharing the love and passion of music and the show..
A chap played the irish Boudron (sort of hand drum) Bill from the woodclub across the aisle from the bushcraft stage was terrific..

I'm not sure how many people have met or know him, but on the bush-craft display was an ex Victorian copper and sports axeman, Daryl Smallman, he spent considerable time organizing logs, cradles & equipment and each day put on a very informative display of underhanded axemanship...we discovered he had a knack and love of sitting under the marimba and holding a microphone near the resonating tubes, he is an awesome fella, generous and also very talented, He was also a very great help in making my display what it was....

I started doing the shows in 1991 or 1992 and have clocked up over 120 woodshows throughout Australasia since, this show I must admit, even though not one of the biggest was one of my most memorable shows and will (I hope) stay in my hard drive forever !

Kevin Insker from Arbortec said to me that he loves the shows and absolutely loves playing his ukelele with me at them, he has become a good friend and I want to acknowledge his passion for our industry and love of life including music here also..

I'm not sure what the future holds for me,but, I'm blessed with a lovely, beautiful wife , 3 awesome boys and a grandson on the way (christmas eve possibly) a love of working with wood, making musical instruments and music, living life, some great friends, heaps of "mates" and just want to finish this long winded message in saying thankyou to everybody who loves and shares working with their hands and heart, has passion for life and who have made this great show and shows possible...
Finally, to the organisers of the show, with the passing of loved family members, the hugely horrible global financial crisis and the "lack of confidence" sickness that has been around since,political uncertainty and the general pressures of being in business, a very sincere thank-you for your continual struggle to keep these important shows alive..your sacrifices and dedication is recognised....thankyou !

Oh, thank-you to the forum members who make all this possible, Neil, Groggy, and the countless faces I see, but still (I ) don't know their names yet..goodonya guys !

The Show would not be the same without you.

For the last 4 years, I have driven to Melbourne for the "show".
I enter at 10.00 .and stay all day,every day.
Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoy every minute.
Last year a kind man named "Stan" was kind to give me his entire stock of "Cock Spur" for a meagre amount.
This year Stan not only made a pirate cutlass for Dylan, he also made Dylan a Black Eye Patch, from chips off the floor.
It was a treat to see Stan stand back from Dylan , use his hands to "frame" (photographer style) the intended patch, shape and colour the patch.
While this was happening, Stan kept up a running commentary in "gruff pirate talk" Yo Ho Yo Ho,I am a buccaneer that's bold. I sail the seven seas "alooking out fer Gold".

Later in the day Stan gave my wife Lynette several pieces of timber to scollsaw, he collected a kiss,me too.
This bloke named Stan is a very talented, but I would never tellIMG_0734.jpgIMG_0740.jpg IMG_0746.jpghim so.IMG_0740.jpg
Pics of Stan and Dylan. ( and the Rag Time Band)

Originally Posted by mannum3

This bloke named Stan is a very talented, ...... ( and the Rag Time Band)

Very true

I watched the cutlet being made. Now I have some idea who you are too.

It was Stan's first sword. He does well.


Dave

The Turning Cowboy