Seminars at Woodworking Shows?

[Marilyn]

I am hoping to go to a woodworking show(my first!) to be held in Collinsville Ill., about 110 miles from here. However, I am wondering if youall have taken any of the seminars that are offered at these shows and what your opinions are of them. I am sure that they differ with whoever hosts them, but was wondering if they have been a worthwhile investment of time and money generally or not. The two I was interested in were beginning/intermediate woodworking and a class in building cabinets. Thoughts, anyone??

[PastorPaul]

Marilyn,

I have never been to a woodworking show, but in other areas I find a mixed bag. Some of the seminars I sign up for turn out to be repeats of what I already know, while others teach me a bunch I never knew. My suggestion would be to read the description of what the seminar is going to cover, then take those that are of interest to you. You may still get some rehash of what you already know, but it never hurts to go over territory again.

BTW -- When and where in Collinsville is the show? That's just a little over 2 hours for us.

Pastor Paul

[Lou_williams]

I go to these shows every year. I have been going for about 12 years. I took a couple of seminars about 5 years ago and both were OK. The shows started to go down hill a few years ago. Two years ago they changed management and Fine Woodworking got involved. They have some of their editors and contributors teaching classes. I have not had time to take these but, based on what I know about the quality of the people they hire, I bet they are better than what was going on before.

How effective the show itself is I can't say. There are two shows going on each week with two different sets of people. The one that comes out west is getting better. I always find something that makes the trip worth while. But then I only have to drive about 20 miles to go to it.

A lot depends on which vendors have booths and we have a few locals that always show up and have a few good deals. I have found it a great place to see things demo'ed. To be able to pick up and play with some nice tools. I have found some real good deals on factory referb tools.

I was talking to one of the DeWalt Reps at the last show. The factory referbs are mostly tools that people by at the box stores, use for the job they wanted that day and return it for a refund. It is cheaper than renting...

They take the tools run them through a complete manufactures test sequence, repackage and sell them as referbs. Full warrentee and a great deal. There were three such deals at the last show.

[Marilyn]

Pastor Paul,

The show is February 8 - 10. I am at work so don't have the directions to get there but I think it is off exit #11 (I-70). If you like, I can give you the complete info when I get home (and after I sleep!!)

[PastorPaul]

Marilyn,

I am beginning to wish I hadn't asked. That is just a few days after my surgery. If I'm not still in the hospital, I'll be confined to home. Well, you go and take a seminar for me.

Pastor Paul

[Marilyn]

Pastor Paul,

It is in the other end of the state but Overland Park KS(a suburb of KC) has the show the next weekend. It seems to focus more on finishing and woodturning. If you are game to try that maybe that one would work out. I think given the kind of surgery you are going to have you will be better off hanging out at home or in the hospital instead of trying to make the St. Louis one. My son is going with me and we hope to take several courses. I understand they are not participant based but are demos/lectures/slides. If you don't mind me asking where are you having your surgery?

[PastorPaul]

Marilyn,

If I am back up to speed, I am going to be so busy that next weekend that I won't have time for drive to the KC area. I'll just wait until another show comes to St. Louis -- or maybe Columbia.

My surgery is at Crossroads Hospital (I think I got that name right) in Wentzville. My ENT wanted me to have it done locally, but my internist suggested I go to a surgeon who specializes in laproscopic surgery -- a Dr. J. Steven Scott.

My visit with him, and his discovering my diverticulitis, convinced me that making the trip was worth it. He can do both the hiatal hernia repair and colon work at the same time, instead of me having to go back a few weeks later. And since both are laproscopic, I can probably still wear my bikini. :P

BTW -- The call I mentioned to you in my e-mail didn't happen. It went to someone else. I was disappointed, but it probably would have been a bad idea to have two surgeries, consider a new church, and move, all during Lent. If the one they called declines, maybe my shot will come later.

Pastor Paul

[Marilyn]

Pastor Paul,

I think that a lot of time, things like that happen for a reason. I agree, two surgeries and all the work involved in moving and getting a new church would have been too much. It may have caused your neuromuscular problem to exacerbate, too. Laparascopic surgery is definetly the way to go for the types of problems that can be cured with it. Because of the small incision much less "down time" is needed. Surely there will be another St. Louis show this year; hopefully when the weather is better. Take care and remember...as I tell my patients... you don't get points for suffering!(instead of taking the pain medicine)

[Sonny Edmonds]

>I was talking to one of the DeWalt Reps at the last show. The >factory referbs are mostly tools that people by at the box stores, >use for the job they wanted that day and return it for a refund. It >is cheaper than renting...

Yeah, and we were looking at a 48" X 48" window this weekend that had been installed (nailed) AND caulked that someone took out and returned the damn thing. Talk about unmitigated gall!
Maybe I'm just too old fashioned, but if I break open the wrapping I figgure I own it.
We ordered the winder we needed.

Sorry to horn in Marilyn, I never been to no shows myself.
Been to manufactures schools, several work related seminars. But no wood seminars, not even a Home Depot class.
I'm a natural self taught a$$hole.
Generally folks will retain >10% of what is presented. BUT, any is better than none. I would encourage you to go and see for yourself.
If it helps you and your son out, or helps make something clearer for you, great!
If not, well, you'll have had that hands on experiance for yourselves.
Try it and you might like it.

I got to get back to my knitting....

:D

Sonny Edmonds
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
http://home.earthlink.net/~sonnypie/
God Bless America !

[GBates]

Hey Sonny, Don’t knock the a$$holes who buy and return too hard. They saved me a ton of money on the first house I rebuilt. Seems that someone ordered a bunch of Anderson slider windows 4wx5h. Cut and framed all the openings BEFORE the windows arrived. Yup, rough opening of 4wx5h.. Windows wouldn’t fit. I got them cheap.
Anyhow, I’m with you, if I had screwed up I would have kept them and re-framed. Guess we were raised better. Or just have more integrity.

Gary