I just attended the AWFS Fair (Association of Woodworking and
Furnishing Suppliers) in Las Vegas. If you aren't familiar, this is
the big tradeshow for all the machine, equipment lumber, hardware,
etc. for the cabinetry and furniture industry. http://www.awfs.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=2
I do wood on the side so this was a vacation for me. It was really
cool. You do see all of the same guys you see at the retail wood shows
that go around the country but also, the full spectrum of all the
other suppliers from small to medium to huge companies and products.
Some of the biggest equipment was attomated finishing lines that had
conveyor systems and drying centers and covered a few hunderd feet.
Notable interest.
The Woodworking supply guys had a Woodtek Planer that I felt was the
best 20" planer I have seen on the market without getting up to the
$6-10k proce point. It has all the real features for about $3k if I
recall correctly. It has segmented infeed rollers, spiral (square
insert) knives, AND fine adjustable bed rollers, just like the very
high end machines.
Delta\Grizzly\PowerMatic\Jet\Shop Fox\Steel City\General all had full
completments of their clones. The Steel City guys have started to add
some small improvements like little wings on the bed rollers of 20"
planer to assist in setting the ecentric setting (but still the same
poor set screw concept) and the Shop Fox Drum Sanders had some nice
features like better clips for holding the sand paper and better
prices.
I finally got to see a MultiRouter in-person. I touched it (stroked it
really) and had my few remaining questions answered with the right
answers directly by the inventor and the guy and his wife are so nice
I really need to get one now. The action was so sweet. The Woodworkers
supply guys have some lower end Woodtek horizontal router thing that
looks about 1/3 as nice and cheaper but couldn't get any help on that.
Finally, I sat through the Snappy quick connector guys complet pitch,
end-to-end and he convinced me they do have the best made and best
thought out version of this stuff. I negotiated a great price for a
full set of quick connect drills, vix type bits, accessories and lots
of other cool items in a slick black pouch that will (would have)
lasted a lifetime. However, I was traveling lite with no checked
luggae and the home land security folks felt I might bring the plane
down with my drill bits and would even let me just take out the sharp
pieces and keep the chuck, etc. Oh well, small price to pay for for a
safe trip home.
I agree, the act of surrendering my toys, erhhh tools didn't make
anyone any safer. Just resigning myself to an erosion of my liberties
in the hopes that someone some where is safer.
Honestly, the guy offered to let me go back out the entrance and check
my bag and also told me there was a US mail station just outside the
gate and encouraged me to take advantage but I had just pulled some
strings using my status on United to get them to give me a boarding
pass after they had actually closed the flight so I didn't want to
miss the flight and have to go back to the counter and beg for a seat
on the next flight.
On Jul 25, 5:47 pm, BillinDetroit <[email protected]> wrote:
> SonomaProducts.com wrote:
> > I just attended the AWFS Fair (Association of Woodworking and
> > Furnishing Suppliers) in Las Vegas. If you aren't familiar, this is
> > the big tradeshow for all the machine, equipment lumber, hardware,
> > etc. for the cabinetry and furniture industry.http://www.awfs.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=2
>
> > I do wood on the side so this was a vacation for me. It was really
> > cool. You do see all of the same guys you see at the retail wood shows
> > that go around the country but also, the full spectrum of all the
> > other suppliers from small to medium to huge companies and products.
> > Some of the biggest equipment was attomated finishing lines that had
> > conveyor systems and drying centers and covered a few hunderd feet.
>
> > Notable interest.
>
> > The Woodworking supply guys had a Woodtek Planer that I felt was the
> > best 20" planer I have seen on the market without getting up to the
> > $6-10k proce point. It has all the real features for about $3k if I
> > recall correctly. It has segmented infeed rollers, spiral (square
> > insert) knives, AND fine adjustable bed rollers, just like the very
> > high end machines.
>
> > Delta\Grizzly\PowerMatic\Jet\Shop Fox\Steel City\General all had full
> > completments of their clones. The Steel City guys have started to add
> > some small improvements like little wings on the bed rollers of 20"
> > planer to assist in setting the ecentric setting (but still the same
> > poor set screw concept) and the Shop Fox Drum Sanders had some nice
> > features like better clips for holding the sand paper and better
> > prices.
>
> > I finally got to see a MultiRouter in-person. I touched it (stroked it
> > really) and had my few remaining questions answered with the right
> > answers directly by the inventor and the guy and his wife are so nice
> > I really need to get one now. The action was so sweet. The Woodworkers
> > supply guys have some lower end Woodtek horizontal router thing that
> > looks about 1/3 as nice and cheaper but couldn't get any help on that.
>
> > Finally, I sat through the Snappy quick connector guys complet pitch,
> > end-to-end and he convinced me they do have the best made and best
> > thought out version of this stuff. I negotiated a great price for a
> > full set of quick connect drills, vix type bits, accessories and lots
> > of other cool items in a slick black pouch that will (would have)
> > lasted a lifetime. However, I was traveling lite with no checked
> > luggae and the home land security folks felt I might bring the plane
> > down with my drill bits and would even let me just take out the sharp
> > pieces and keep the chuck, etc. Oh well, small price to pay for for a
> > safe trip home.
>
> Thanks for the show review. That Woodtek planer is on my fantasy list
> ... where it will probably stay.
>
> But what part of giving your tools away at the gate made you feel safer?
> After you did that, were there fewer terrorists on board? Or was an
> honest man relieved of his legally obtained tools?
>
> Since a terrorist could do his dirty work without an obvious weapon, (a
> sharp edge on a credit card, a temple piece from a pair of glasses ...
> use your imagination) what did the surrender of your tools accomplish?
>
> They took your tools on the presumption that you could use them to
> commit an act of terrorism ... but let you on the plane anyways. Seems
> to me that if you are a decent human being, the tools posed no threat
> but, if you were a terrorist, you should never have been allowed on board.
>
> I wonder if there might not be a job opportunity here for some guy
> willing to stand at the gate and offer to UPS stuff for people ... hmmm.
>
> Bill
>
> --
> I'm not not at the above address.http://nmwoodworks.com
>
> ---
> avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
> Virus Database (VPS): 000760-2, 07/25/2007
> Tested on: 7/25/2007 8:47:38 PM
> avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2007 ALWIL Software.http://www.avast.com- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
> I wonder if there might not be a job opportunity here for some guy
> willing to stand at the gate and offer to UPS stuff for people ... hmmm.
Actually, here in Houston they have a new automated system at the
security checkpoint.
If they find something objectionable, you put it in a packet, put it
in the box, swipe your credit card, and it
gets sent back to your house.
OK, so that's the theory. I accidentally had a little Leatherman
knife attached to my key chain, forgot I had it,
they were very nice about it - I put it in the box, swiped my credit
card, entered my address on the little computer
screen - very slick.
Until it arrived in the mailbox at my home, where I realized someone
had cut a tiny slit in the bottom and
removed the knife. I paid to have an empty package mailed to my
house.
Thank you, TSA !!!
SonomaProducts.com wrote:
> I just attended the AWFS Fair (Association of Woodworking and
> Furnishing Suppliers) in Las Vegas. If you aren't familiar, this is
> the big tradeshow for all the machine, equipment lumber, hardware,
> etc. for the cabinetry and furniture industry. http://www.awfs.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=2
>
> I do wood on the side so this was a vacation for me. It was really
> cool. You do see all of the same guys you see at the retail wood shows
> that go around the country but also, the full spectrum of all the
> other suppliers from small to medium to huge companies and products.
> Some of the biggest equipment was attomated finishing lines that had
> conveyor systems and drying centers and covered a few hunderd feet.
>
> Notable interest.
>
> The Woodworking supply guys had a Woodtek Planer that I felt was the
> best 20" planer I have seen on the market without getting up to the
> $6-10k proce point. It has all the real features for about $3k if I
> recall correctly. It has segmented infeed rollers, spiral (square
> insert) knives, AND fine adjustable bed rollers, just like the very
> high end machines.
>
> Delta\Grizzly\PowerMatic\Jet\Shop Fox\Steel City\General all had full
> completments of their clones. The Steel City guys have started to add
> some small improvements like little wings on the bed rollers of 20"
> planer to assist in setting the ecentric setting (but still the same
> poor set screw concept) and the Shop Fox Drum Sanders had some nice
> features like better clips for holding the sand paper and better
> prices.
>
> I finally got to see a MultiRouter in-person. I touched it (stroked it
> really) and had my few remaining questions answered with the right
> answers directly by the inventor and the guy and his wife are so nice
> I really need to get one now. The action was so sweet. The Woodworkers
> supply guys have some lower end Woodtek horizontal router thing that
> looks about 1/3 as nice and cheaper but couldn't get any help on that.
>
> Finally, I sat through the Snappy quick connector guys complet pitch,
> end-to-end and he convinced me they do have the best made and best
> thought out version of this stuff. I negotiated a great price for a
> full set of quick connect drills, vix type bits, accessories and lots
> of other cool items in a slick black pouch that will (would have)
> lasted a lifetime. However, I was traveling lite with no checked
> luggae and the home land security folks felt I might bring the plane
> down with my drill bits and would even let me just take out the sharp
> pieces and keep the chuck, etc. Oh well, small price to pay for for a
> safe trip home.
>
Thanks for the show review. That Woodtek planer is on my fantasy list
... where it will probably stay.
But what part of giving your tools away at the gate made you feel safer?
After you did that, were there fewer terrorists on board? Or was an
honest man relieved of his legally obtained tools?
Since a terrorist could do his dirty work without an obvious weapon, (a
sharp edge on a credit card, a temple piece from a pair of glasses ...
use your imagination) what did the surrender of your tools accomplish?
They took your tools on the presumption that you could use them to
commit an act of terrorism ... but let you on the plane anyways. Seems
to me that if you are a decent human being, the tools posed no threat
but, if you were a terrorist, you should never have been allowed on board.
I wonder if there might not be a job opportunity here for some guy
willing to stand at the gate and offer to UPS stuff for people ... hmmm.
Bill
--
I'm not not at the above address.
http://nmwoodworks.com
---
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Jon <[email protected]> writes:
> Until it arrived in the mailbox at my home, where I realized someone
> had cut a tiny slit in the bottom and
> removed the knife. I paid to have an empty package mailed to my
> house.
Was someone trapped inside? :-)