Well, since the Steven's convention center is just a few blocks from my office, I figured I would sneak away for my lunch hour to the show. Parking was easy (and about as cheap as I've ever seen at the convention center with the $5 off parking coupon). I've never been to a show before and all I can say is that Mr. Howell was correct - you need comfortable shoes. My lunch break became an extended lunch as I didn't show back up to the office until about 4:00! I've never been to a show at the odeum, so I can't say how they compare, but the thing sure was fun.
I am sure I bit on a few gimmicky things, but frankly, I plan to go back tomorrow. Here are the results, so far:
Got a Blade Guage II and Angle Perfect II for just over 100 bucks with tax. They claim that this is a show special because it comes in a wood box for storage and has an additional batter and a measuring gauge (both probably cost them a buck total). You can get the same at Garrett Wade without the plywood and pine box for nearly the same price. However, it is a gimmicky little thing and I like it - plus the show "hucking" is part of the fun. Also shown is an Incra guide that was thrown in free with my router lift (see below) thanks to a coupon.
Bought the "show special" grip tite package which is 2 grip tites with the roller attachments, metal auxilliary fence (not shown) and DVD. Also not a huge "bargain" at $140 but I'm thinking safety and I will likely pick up the router table auxilliary fence tomorrow as I realized what a piece of junk fence I have on my router table tonight! Also shown is the top of a veitas flush cut saw that I got to go along with the dowling system shown below.
Finally, the mother load: A woodpeck Unilift to go with my Amazon gloated Hitachi M12. I'm not sure what I paid for it because my head was about spinning at all the money I threw away today! It was the one thing I was coming to the show for (actually, there was a small discount) today. Upon getting home, I realized that my old reliable Rockler router table top (with my good ol 690 inside) is the smaller opening! I'll have to do some work with the jigsaw and router tomorrow to get that opening bigger. I recall that they had a "template" on sale at the Incra booth, but I'm sure it isn't necessary. Picked up an offset wrench for blade changes to go with the package. Also, you'll see two Miller Dowl Joinery systems - the medium and small sizes. They looked cool and the kid hucking them was trying to move product on the regular size kit packaged in a bag because Rockler wants to clear them out in favor of the boxes. Normally, that one runs for something like $22. Had em at the show in the bag for $14. Picked up the smaller one for $20 - just a 10% discount on that one.
Also stopped by the turbinaire booth to get the rep to show me how to get the darn thing to work as mine sits in the corner of my shop and I occasionally swear at it or mutter under my breath about overspray and my lack of enough brains to figure the thing out (spraying looks so easy in the videos!).
Tomorrow, I'm hoping to hit a few of the seminars on finishing and I want to see more of these "do it yourself" frum sander kits (there were two companies selling these). Finally, there was no Lee Valley booth, however the Lie Nielsen people were there and I just stood there drooling (sad that I ran out of $$)!! I'll go and bug those folks tomorrow and the Tormek people.
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