Greensboro show

[Travis Porter]

OK, who went to the show, what did you see, what did you like, what didn't you like. I think I remember toolferone saying he was going so I would like to hear something from someone. I haven't gotten to go to a show/expo since I moved back here from KC. I spend too much money every time I do go, but it is SOOOOO satisfying.

 

[DaveO]

I think the Charlotte show was this weekend, and Greensboro next weekend. I am so confused with all these shows. :eusa_thin :eusa_thin

Dave

 

[Travis Porter]

You may be right. I know Charlotte is this weekend as I have perused the show web site and drooled. Minimax and Laguna both there. Felder as well. I have heard the Felder/hammer has micrometer precision adjustments. Would love to check one out one day.

 

[cskipper]

I think they are both this week. A couple of folks were going to G'boro today and Charlotte tomorrow.

 

[DaveO]

See I told you I was very confused:eusa_thin
I had thought about going to the Greensboro show (being closer to me) after the weather forecast messed up a decking job I have, and the LOMLs were going out of town. Any one set me straight, I may have a free weekend with nothing to keep me home.
Dave

 

[Dutchman]

I went to the Greensboro show today. yesterday. I don't think this show will last much longer. It keeps getting smaller and smaller. I was talking to my friend from furnlite, and he said it was the worst attendance he has seen since they have been showing there. At close to 8,000 or so for a booth, I be surprised if he showed again next year.

 

[Tarhead]

The Greensboro show was yesterday and today. I went this morning and met up with the other NCWW'ers but was not able join them for lunch. Unfortunately, I had to rush/hobble through while my pain meds were peaking and my patient, lovely, kind, patient, wonderful, great, patient wife was waiting way too long for me. (I am recup'ing from a knee injury:eusa_booh and she has been her usual wonderful self through all of it!). It was very crowded and for the most part I focused only on the ~10-15 vendors I had vetted from the hundreds of booths. The most impressive thing I saw was the chest display by the high school woodworking class from Hillsborough, NC. Those kids have some excellent design and technique skills and an super instructor. Makes my shoe-shine box I made in 9th grade shop class look mighty pitiful. For the most part this show was geared for the big $million CNC production types but it is good to see where the home/small equipment user market is headed. Got to see some cool, self closing cabinet slide hardware, new laminate countertop edge treatment from www.gem-loc.com, play with a Grex 23 gauge pneumatic pinner, saw a Carter bandsaw accessory demo and hobnobbed with the Festool and Bosch reps. My big ww equipment lustful moment was a large drum sander from Holland http://www.cosma.nl/ which uses multiple abrasive flap/brushes instead of a drum. They claim the abrasive is good for 8hrs/day X 1-2 years on hardwood or MDF!

See everone tomorrow!
Mark

 

[SteveColes]

I went and met up with with the usual crew. Great BBQ! I had brought my camera, but then found out I couldn't take it in.:cry: Basically, it was interesting for me because I had never seen some of the industrial equipment before. But I doubt that I would make it a yearly thing.

Hope to see you'all at the charolotte show later this morning.

 

[Travis Porter]

I have been thinking about the Grex pin nailer and some of the Festool stuff. Both are on the very expensive side to me. What did u think of them? Is the Grex worth the difference? What about Festool? How easy is it to change devices for the vacuum stuff? I get tired of the way I have to hook up hoses as it stands today for vacuum hookups for my sanders.

 

[gator]

Tarhead is right. The show is shrinking. I have attended for the last four years and it has gotten smaller each year. I may pass next year and go to the Charlotte show. I had always thought that 5-6 hours road time plus show time would be a waaaaaaaay too long of a day for attending the Charlotte show. When I mentioned this to my wifemate last night she said "well you should go to the Charlotte show". When I complained about he time she came back with, "well spend the night". Next year, Charlotte.

George

 

[cskipper]

Hope you feel better soon. Give yourself some time to recover - pushing too hard will only delay getting better.

 

[Tarhead]

Travis,

The Grex pin nailer and brad nailers were awesome but I question whether they're worth the $'s for someone like me who is not in the shop every day. The pinner was able to fire a 23 gauge pin 1 3/8" into 2, 3/4" pieces of red oak without any difficulty. My $7.80 Harbour Freight 18 gauge brad nailer continues to do just what I need now that I figured out how to hold my mouth right when I use it.

Now the Festool stuff is a different story! Some of it was worth the expense for my needs. When setting up my single circuit, 15 amp shop...er garage... I decided to go without a table saw, radial arm saw, miter/chop saw and large work bench . I purchased one of the Festool tables, extra clamps, guide rails and their new plunge saw. The saw and table combination was a stretch financially but I was able to justify it somehow...seems I promised to put hardwood floors in the kitchen as part of the ROI presentation to the CFO but now will have to wait on my knee to heal:eusa_whis . My biggest motivation though was wanting to get a shop setup and have a place for the cars. Light weight, flexibility and dead-on accuracy w/sheet goods was also a factor. The work table folds up like a card table and hugs the wall with ~8" protruding out into the garage when stored. We are also contemplating a move and did not want to have move multiple heavy pieces of machinery, rewire the garage , etc.

The Festool vacs are very nice, quiet and have the auto on feature when you turn on the power tools but I could'nt justify the added expense. My Shopvac, while loud, works fine connected to the Festool saw with cheater adapters and fits the dust ports on my Bandsaw, router table fence, my brand new used DW621 router (Thanks Ron!), jigsaw and sanders. Sears has a magic box for ~$20 that will do the auto on function if I want to go that route. I would rather save my $.01's for a real dust collection system.
For additional info: www.festoolusa.com

Mark in Concord

I have been thinking about the Grex pin nailer and some of the Festool stuff. Both are on the very expensive side to me. What did u think of them? Is the Grex worth the difference? What about Festool? How easy is it to change devices for the vacuum stuff? I get tired of the way I have to hook up hoses as it stands today for vacuum hookups for my sanders.

 

[McRabbet]

Travis,

Aside from Gator, Tarhead, Steve Coles and Toolferone, Woodguy1975 and I also attended the Greensboro show and we joined the others for lunch at the BBQ across the street. As already mentioned, this was a show with big CNC machines producing copious amounts for MDF gravy as they cut out all of the intricate components for a cabinet from a sheet of Melamine coated MDF or particle board. There were loads of cabinet hardware OEMs and major distributors there (e.g., Blum, Accuride, Knapp & Vogt, Salice + Custom Service Hardware, Furnlite and others), plus products from some well-know companies like Freud, Woodworkers Supply and Oliver. Woodline USA (router bits) was there and we scored some good buys there -- a small NC Saw Service company called Union Grove Saw and Knife Co. had a booth with sharpening service and some very inexpensive C4 carbide TS blades -- I got an 80-tooth 10-inch ATB blade for $24 -- I'll do a separate review on if when I get it installed. We had fun, but it is a show for people in the cabinet or furniture making industry which is going through a real downturn in NC with more than 50% of US furniture now coming from SE Asia.

Rob

 

[Oakwood]

I have attended the Greensboro Show as an exhibitor since the first year. I did not exhibit this year but walked the show to check it out. Those who say this show is not going to make it much longer are right. It took me 20 minutes to register and pay my fee and not much longer to walk the show. There were a lot of empty spaces.
With the bulk of furniture manufacturing in China now there are few major players left to draw exhibitors. This show is not worth the time for either major furniture manufacturers or the small woodworker.

 

[Travis Porter]

Well, it looks like I didn't miss too much on this one. I hate I missed Charlotte, but it looks like I might be able to swing a business trip to the DC area when the show is in Chantilly, VA next month, at least hopefully.