Thread: Working With Wood Shows

I missed this year due to family copmmittments but try to get there every year. I like to see all the new machinery & tools that I can't afford and have no room for.
I think demonstrations on hand tool and general woodworking techniques are always informative (i.e. this is how you read the grain in a board, etc)
Also some good examples of what can be built from wood, traditional cabinetry through to more abstract bent & twisted laminated pieces just for display, in order to challenge people to be creative and precise in their work.

Im with Al on the non wood working stands, though I do like the shoe pollishers, its the only time my shoes get a good polish.

I might add, the price and type of food available is an issue especially if you have a family (Wife also likes to go, mainly to keep me in line, but also to look and buy at the exibits herself)

i can get what i need these days from reading the web, this forum, talking to my neighbours, going to Deloraine Craft Festival - which is absolutely fantastic - little maps are provided as the Festival is all over the town. Deloraine is small enough to allow that sort of arrangement. Each mini-site has something different by way of interest and there is a major site that has a little of everything plus they award prizes - best site, most interest etc.

Some of the craftspeople that attend are folks who would not normally come out before large crowds (large for Tassy). And the standard of work is high - very high. Not sure about too high though. Too high could be a bit off putting. Some of a lower standard is a good thing, providing that it is identified as such, e.g advanced level practitioner, middle level, lower, new chum, commercial. That kind of sorting is fraught with snags though.

A good thing is getting to talk to people who know and love their stuff, as well as demonstrations, special offers (limited and just for the Festival). last time i got to talk at length with a young bloke from Golden Valley who had gone back to earlier skills and who was making a living crafting items things from horizontal scrub, blackwood and a whole range of Tassy timbers. (Bought a neat set of coat pegs and a lovely blackwood coffee table with drawknife cut legs. The slab was cut from a tree fork so it showed some beautiful features. Plus he was also demonstrating using the stool, the drawknife, can't recall if he showed the broadaxe. Lots of folks found seeing old skills really fascinating. Oh, they even built an early settlers hut using old skills that you could walk through.

That's an important part of small shows, folks get to talk and touch rather than just look over a barrier though, obviously, you cannot allow everything to be in reach.

Maybe something to keep in mind is how the show is defined and who its audience are to be and what you expect to achieve. Some shows are much too big and it is like being caught in a current that sweeps you past what you wanted to see. Or, if you are a little slower, the pressure from the "wanna race in do the show and bugger off types" exert an uncomfortable kind of pressure that destroys the moment.

Often, i feel that the rushers are the ones who just go so they can say they went. That might be unfair. Perhaps it would be fairer to say that the rushers are one of the types that attend shows.

Deloraine is being attended by interstate presenters as well, including some flash buggers.

What is handy is where there are neat areas arranged so that you might have a local woodturners group then, either next to them or very close, the tools presenters, and equipment presenters, and materials presenters in a kind of natural progression. (Sometimes, the craftsperson is also the seller of kit) which can be tricky as one sometimes is looking for the hook and waiting to be sold something - that's what i mean about being transparent (buzz word, i know, but right nonetheless) about the purpose of the show/festival.

I recall being fascinated by a needle work mob and all the gear they used and right next door was where i could look at prices and ranges of kit. Even bought a big quick'n'pick - very handy for arthritic hands.

Now things like the shows that used to be at the Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne, i find too big, too fast, and too pressured. Presenters are already lining up the next visitor before they have even started talking to you. Maybe they need to attend worshops on people skills rather than selling skills?

Numbers aren't everything. In fact numbers may be misleading if all that happened was that people flocked in, were swept through and out another door. Sales too can be misleading as some people may have bought some novelty items but, some months down the track, a person goes and buys a 5K item which he had intended to buy from somewhere all along but, as a result of the presentation he saw and the friendliness of the attendants at the stand he buys it from your company. See, it's hard to quantify.

I go every year, wouldn't miss it (except for Act of SWMBO)

Reasons for going

1. I still learn stuff - seeing things demonstrated, talking to the displayers, picking the brains of the people who created the products - the Terrys (Gordon and Piric Design ), the Ubeauts, etc etc

2. I get to see an interesting range of timbers, that I can wish for (but never afford)

3. There is always other people's work on display - nice to see what people are up to, especially when there used to be competitions - always wanted to enter one, but my skills still haven't gotten good enough yet

4. Comparison shopping

5. Sales / discounts

6. Release of new products (think this should be done a lot more)

7. Getting to catch up on familiar faces, say hi to people that I don't normally get to meet as they are scattered around the country

Reasons for not going

1. If the variety of displays keeps degrading with displayers pulling out

2. More and more influx of non related displays / overhead painting, pillows, boot polishers. (Why the hell they ask to 'polish my boots' as I walk past with my steel capped boots that are pretty much kicked down to bare metal? I don't need the hard sale crap)

3. If the costs keep escalating without improvements in the quality of the expo. Showbags of donated product by retailers would be interesting, but probably not practical. At least if I could go home with purchases that were discounted so that I ended up saving more than the entry cost, then the entry price would feel justified. Knowing that the retailers spend a fortune to be there, and then the customers are also slugged for walking in is a bit rough.

I have never been and as I live over 5 hours drive from a major city I can't see myself making an expensive trip for what is for me a hobby.

is this for the W.A show as well??

It is a long trip for me so I currently average about once every 7 years.

When I do go I spend about $2k.

I go for the tools, to be able to make comparisons on products (like saw blades and router bits) that are all under one roof rather than to drive all across SE Qld, and also to see suppliers that are outside Brisbane, McJing and Timbecon.
I go to touch the wood.
I go to see for the sales (but would otherwise go to Hafco and Carbatec sales)
I go for the shoe polish!! - Bought some this year and it works a treat!
I go for the food:eek: (NOT!)
I go for the demo's to see blokes like the guy from Mulimbimbi (did I spell it correctly?)

I can't believe they charge so much for stall holders when they sting us at the gates as well!!

bring some out the west way I go..mine is distance
Toni

The first wood show I attended was the Melbourne show in 2001. I found it one of the best sources of information, learning, demonstration and bargain buying in the woodworking world. The next would be the Internet, but you can't pick up and use stuff there. I then moved to Perth, where the national show had been pulled.

Now the local show is great (but then again, something is better than nothing), but it is not a pinch on the national show, for obvious reasons. The amount of demonstrating exhibitors for one is huge in comparison.

I don't know why the Perth show was pulled from the national scheme, but I would love to see in brought back. If the reason was due to no suitable venue, the new exhibition centre is a perfect location - its just a small version of Jeff's Shed in Melbourne.

So, there are two main reasons I attend the show each year:

1. To learn, try and experience (hopefully)
2. To pick up a bargain or two.

I hope this helps to bring the national show back to Perth (if for no other reason than to see U and Beaut in the flesh again )

I've been to the last two or three years in Sydney.

It's great to be able to compare equipment side by side, without driving hours from shop to shop. That would be my main reason to go so far.

Enjoy seeing the different timber up close.

Ditto the completed projects.

Saw some interesting demos last year (turning mainly), and new products (domino), which were helpful to me.

Able to ask specific questions to dealers (like how do I connect a normal vac hose to the goofy Festool router connection).

Last year I spent a few hundred dollars I think. Not because things were on sale (not sure I paid any less for stuff than normal price) but because I could compare side by side. Also was able to see stuff working instead of just looking at things in a catalog.

I don't mind the non-wood stuff, as long as it doesn't choke out the rest. Some of it is kind of interesting. One of these days I'll probably get one of those Kiwi clamp things that do everything but sweep the floor.

The main problem I had was that I went on the Friday, and the place was packed with school kids. Good to expose them to woodworking and etc, but I though most of them were just there for a break from school, and made moving around the show a bit difficult.

Tex

I go to the Wood Show every year. I know half the people there, and it is a great place to go to, because 98% of it is Woodwork. The other 2%, is what I don't like.

Things that should be gotten rid of.

Magic Hand wash
Tree pruners
Those little brush thingamajigs they keep trying to sell to people.
Can't remember all the other non-woodwork stalls, but anything non-woodwork related should not be there. This is a Wood Show!!

The reason we have all these other non woodwork stalls, is because of......money.:mad:

The curators know they can make a good profit by letting these guys get in. I think the curators/managers of the shows do a wonderful job, but this is where they fall short. Keep it to Woodwork.

Anyway, I always like it, because there are hands-on demos, It might just be because I'm 14, but I always haggle with the seller, and I usually get the price under half. That's for machinery/tools/wood/etc:

The wood shows around Australia, should most definately be kept, BUT, keep it to Woodwork.

Enough,

Regards.........Joash

I'v eonly been to the 2005 Sydney show and missed this year because I was OS.

I went to the Showfor:
a. bargains
b. small wood samples and to identify sources of wood
c. interesting new tools and gadgets
d. listening to some presentations and learning new techniques
e. talking to fellow woodies

I agree with others that I really can do without the snake-oil sellers.

I'd like more on woodworking books and "meet the experts".

I bought timber and a biscuit jointer and picture framing accessories.

Gidday

I just havent been able to make one yet.................for me its the distance I have to travel cost of the weekend and that I'm always Broke.

When I finally have the opportunity to make it to one of the Woodshows the Kind of things that would keep me consistantly going back would include:

1. Some kind of ententainment/get together that promotes fellowship between woodworkers..............theres nothing like like minded people coming together to share a passion and speak crap n share yarns all weekend.
2. Exotic/Quality Timber at non exotic prices (Must not be advertised before the Show) Gotta face it woodies are sukers for a bargan.............make that bargan Timber & you've got us Hook line n sinker
3. Genuine Bargains on HAndTools/Machinery (Must not be advertised before the Show) Probs the next best lure is things we can attack/caress Timber with ...................... Theres nothing like getting a genuine good price on Tools
4. KEEP THE SHOW SPECIALS SECRET WITH ONE OR TWO OUTSTANDING SPECIALS THAT ROTATE AMOUNGST EXHIBITORS on a yearly basis. HAveing the excitement of not knowing quite whats on offer but knowing that theres going to be genuine specials on offers is like luring moths to light.
5. Exhibitions of quality High end furnature
6. I'm always interested in Work in Progress exhibitions & Demos of a wide range of tools & techniques.
7. A dedicated Finishing section with heaps a demos etc etc etc so I can get shown by the pros how to apply a finish I'm interested in including proper spraying technique, French polishing etc etc etc Finishing is often the Bane of the new Woodworker and most frustrating part of the furnature making process until you know what your doing.
8. HAving a raincheck period for all exhibitors ........... say about a month
9. HAving the pros give various presentations like the one Neil did on the forum Video - Thats Gold

These kind of things would keep me coming back each year and making me real dirty if I missed a show!!!!!

REGards Lou