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Thread: DFW Woodworking show-someone needs to report!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    West of Ft. Worth, TX
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    Talking DFW Woodworking show-someone needs to report!

    Ok, I know several of you were planning to go. How was the turn out? What vendors were there? What kind of deals did you find? Come on, spill the beans. We promise not to tell your wives!!!! Jim.
    Coolmeadow Setters...Exclusively Irish! When Irish Eyes are smiling....They're usually up to something!!
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    McKinney, Texas
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    84
    I went first thing Saturday. I was underwhelmed. By noon I had pretty much seen it all.

    There were not as many vendors this year, but it did appear much more crowded in terms of attendees. Perhaps that will lead to a better show in the future.

    Most of the standards were there, Sommerfeld, Freud, Incra, Woodline, Woodcraft, Rockler, PorterCable and Delta, Dewalt. Some new offerings, Rigid and Ryobi had a presence this year.

    I came away empty handed, no really good deals that I had to have. Couldn't find any 150" bandsaw blades, and Freud talked me into waiting on the new Fusion blade for the Unisaw, so I basically just bought a hamburger.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Northern New Jersey
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    1,958
    Don't keep me hanging...how was the hamburger?
    -Jeff

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    McKinney, Texas
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    84
    You know - I actually commented to my buddy that it was a pretty darn good burger for a woodworking show.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Prosper, Texas
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    1,474
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeffrey Makiel
    Don't keep me hanging...how was the hamburger?
    -Jeff
    LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Regards,

    Glen

    Woodworking: It's a joinery.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Prosper, Texas
    Posts
    1,474
    I decided not to attend as a result of reading the rather negative comments about the status of the show in recent years.
    Regards,

    Glen

    Woodworking: It's a joinery.

  7. #7
    I am done with the shows....haven't been in two years. A very big waste of time and you rarely save much on a tool. I calculated gas [90 mile round trip] and the admission fee and that takes care of any savings I might have enjoyed.

  8. #8
    I have a different view of the show as far as why I go. I do not expect any great deals on tools or services. I do go to see what vendors are trying to push and why. I try to pick up a few good ideas. Some of the seminars are great although I did not attend any of the paid ones this year. If I can walk away with 1-3 facts that help my ability to work or create a new way of looking at things I feel like I had a good show.

    For example, I got to see the SawStop work in person and it is really great technology. However, I also want the choice whether or not I need to have it on my machine. I got to talk with the Mini-Max rep and had a few things confirmed. I als learned that when I do retire and build a shop for my cottage business I can see one of their combo mahines in my future (yes even over the SawStop.)

    I enjoyed the demonstration on the Freud picture frame router bits as well as the air powered carver for glass or wood. It was nice to put some faces with people I have spoken to over the phone from Craft Supply and Carvewright.

    For me even for the $9 admission, $5 parking and $10 in gas and tolls, it was a nice way to spend a morning and part of the afternoon. Although I like my weekends for shop time getting out and seeing what's up in the industry is not too bad either.

    Regards,
    Jeff
    There are three types of people in this world: those who want things to happen, those who make things happen and those who just wonder what the heck happened.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Allen, TX
    Posts
    217
    It’s been a while since I’ve posted…been a while since I’ve read too…that darn work thing

    I’ve gone the last 4 years and I’d say this one was OK.

    Vendors: The vendors this year were OK. I thought they had more than last year. But I although thought last year was pretty sad. They seem to be trying to get a bit more variety, and they don’t have as many ‘stuff’ vendors. They use to have 3 different vendors who sold the same ‘stuff’ – like Peachtree. Now they don’t have as many. It’s pretty much peachtree. But a few more tool vendors. The ‘footprint’ of the Euro-all-in-one systems, MiniMax, etc. vendors was seriously reduced. But more ‘regulars’ like Ridgid tools. Overall better than last year, but probably not as good as 2-3 years ago. It seems like they are trying hard to bring in more variety, which is nice. Should be interesting to see what they have next year. Was nice to see SawStop. LN was there - I’d love to see Lee Valley there.

    Seminars: This was a bit of a disappointment. IF you’ve never been, they’re good. But if you’ve been there before, it’s the same seminars they’ve had the last X years. They seem to change out one/year. Last year they had ‘the experts’ seminars, which were good. New and different. This year they didn’t have these. And I think one that was different than last year – the Wood magazine project shop. Only sat in on one of them, and it was basically the same old seminars just re-packaged slightly.

    There’s SO many topics they could talk about, and they just rehash the same old topics. You could be a pocket screw expert and never have used one given the number of seminars talk about this.

    So overall, it was OK. Better than last year, but not as good as a few years back. Would be nice if they could change out the seminars! But I think they’re working on vendors and trying to get more variety.

    Deals?? Nothing any better or worse than last year. Did have a couple of ‘door-buster’ deals. Rockler was selling a set of 4 Jet cabinet clamps w/ supports for $90 til they were gone. Normally $150 I think. A nice Besse copy – more features than Besse, but don’t know about reliability. It IS a clamp, so that shouldn’t be an issue. So nice – and priced right! They were gone by Friday night though. But you can always talk up your deals. I had a friend who got a pretty good deal on a Porter Cable router. Not what was listed, but just talked him down some and threw in a couple bits w/out much effort. Prices generally appeared about 5-10% less than 'normal'.

    Next year: I too question if I’ll go back next year. If they change out the seminars I’ll go back. But if it’s the same old seminars, unless I needed something new, probably would skip it. If you haven’t gone though, I would say it’s worth it.

    Perry

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