The morning of Halloween eve and it's time to think about your weekend Patriot Woodworker plans. I know there may be a few spooks and goblins around and even one or two hidden in the scrap lumber pile that is ever growing, but let's think about woodworking.

 

Last week was a busy week and weekend as we finished and delivered the Custom Green Egg table. It was a quite fun and challenging project to build and it was great just getting to deliver it and spend time talking with my friend Gary Baker about Muscle Shoals Music.

 

But now we are on to this weekend and the projects just keep piling up. Last night I got five cutting boards glued into the first glue up. Tonight we will cut them and glue them into the second glue up. While my wife starts them through the drum sander I will start another batch of five, getting them into the first glue up. We have our November 1st Friday show next week so we will be in the push mode to get inventory back up and ready.

 

The ground finally dried enough I could get to the wood stash and pick up the other church pew I needed to finish the glue up for the breakfast table top. That project will move to the top of the list now and we will try to get it all finish in the construction and ready for the finishing room.

 

Also putting the final touches on the store sign so we can get it hung the first of the week.

 

We have picked up orders for several more shadow boxes, Green Egg Tables and a blanket chest so we will be keeping the Dust Collector busy!

 

So what's on your agenda this Halloween weekend? Will you be in the Trick or Treat mode tonight and then getting into the saw dust mode over the weekend? What new or old project are you working on. You know the rest of us here at TPW love to see and hear about the projects you are making. So come on and don't be bashful, post the pictures, you might just inspire someone else to give it a try.

 

What are you waiting for? Post those Project!!!

Gotta work on a bunch more of the honey dippers and figure out what else to make for Christmas presents.

I don't have anything specifially planned at this time. Right now I am sitting in my truck waiting for them to open up the doors to the Woodworking Show that stars today and runs through Sunday. I don't have anything specific that I am looking to buy, but I am sure that I will find a few odds & ends to take home with me.

I don't have anything specifially planned at this time. Right now I am sitting in my truck waiting for them to open up the doors to the Woodworking Show that stars today and runs through Sunday. I don't have anything specific that I am looking to buy, but I am sure that I will find a few odds & ends to take home with me.

Arrrgh, the Woodworking show! Always seems at a bad time for us Allen! My Toyota is shot, in the shop, and we are driving the kids around today in the only vehicle we have left and this weekend for special school events. Someday we'll make it! Hope you have a ton of fun man!

John,

From the time I walked into building until I walked out and headed to my truck was 45 minutes. The show used to be held in 2 large buildings and a covered open area. But now it is down to just 1 building and very few merchants. A full 1/3 of the building alone was Peachtree Woodworking. The only major power tool displays were by Powermatic-Jet, Saw Stop and Bosch and they all had very small displays. Woodline had a descent display of their bits and such as well as a couple of CNC dealers. There were a few tos that I played with and chatted a bit with the reps, but nothing spectacular enough for me to pull out the Visa Card and then have to lie to my wife. ;-)

I did pick up a few small things from Peachtree for $50 which will come in handy in the shop, but nothing else. They had scheduled a lot of demos but there was nothing that really interested me to hang out any longer.

Finishing up last minute stock for a Christmas show in a couple of weeks.  I turned a few cheese boards for a glass dome today.

I got the shop moved!!!

Now I have to get it set up with electric, & internet.

I also have to get a chimney on it.

 

The caboose stove is in pieces, I have a few parts of it to repair before I can recoat it in Stove Black and reassemble it.

 

We had our first snow yesterday morning.

I'm not looking forward to winter.

John,

From the time I walked into building until I walked out and headed to my truck was 45 minutes. The show used to be held in 2 large buildings and a covered open area. But now it is down to just 1 building and very few merchants. A full 1/3 of the building alone was Peachtree Woodworking. The only major power tool displays were by Powermatic-Jet, Saw Stop and Bosch and they all had very small displays. Woodline had a descent display of their bits and such as well as a couple of CNC dealers. There were a few tos that I played with and chatted a bit with the reps, but nothing spectacular enough for me to pull out the Visa Card and then have to lie to my wife. ;-)

I did pick up a few small things from Peachtree for $50 which will come in handy in the shop, but nothing else. They had scheduled a lot of demos but there was nothing that really interested me to hang out any longer.

Thanks for the update Allen, that is strange they are so thin these days, well at least here in the southwest show they seemed thin from your description. I wonder what the heck is going on. It can't be economics, or is it? Seems during the height of our economic mess they were rolling along with jammed packed shows, now that we are inching ever so slowly back up, they are thinned down, hmmm.

Those are some cool goodies you got though Allen.

I was looking for our supporters on the list at the Woodworking Shows site, and I found none of them.

I got the shop moved!!!

Now I have to get it set up with electric, & internet.

I also have to get a chimney on it.

 

The caboose stove is in pieces, I have a few parts of it to repair before I can recoat it in Stove Black and reassemble it.

 

We had our first snow yesterday morning.

I'm not looking forward to winter.

That's awesome Larry! Sounds like your able to get back doing the things you love. I know there is a big difference between a caboose stove on a platform that is not moving, and one on a train that is moving, and I am not inferring that you'll have any issues with yours because you won't I know, but I remember a really neat documentary I saw on death trains on the History Channel. They stated the number one cause of death on the old trains were fires caused by the heating stoves they kept on the cars. They'd tip over and it'd be all over for the passengers. Your stove just brought that up out of my memory banks, it was a really well done show.

John and Allen, our woodworking shows here are thinner each year.  I really believe the cheaper prices on the internet is partially to blame.

John and Allen, our woodworking shows here are thinner each year.  I really believe the cheaper prices on the internet is partially to blame.

Hmm, that sounds about right Ron, it's sad though as those shows have been tradition for many for years. But we still need a venue for convention type shows right? Practically every industry has one, so perhaps Woodworking Shows need to sit down and revamp their format? I have not idea, just spoutin here. MHO is we need those conventions though.

Here's what I just finished up.  Four turned cheese boards.  2 walnut and 2 maple.

 

 

Nice work Ron! Love em, are they for the big show or Christmas gifts?

That's awesome Larry! Sounds like your able to get back doing the things you love. I know there is a big difference between a caboose stove on a platform that is not moving, and one on a train that is moving, and I am not inferring that you'll have any issues with yours because you won't I know, but I remember a really neat documentary I saw on death trains on the History Channel. They stated the number one cause of death on the old trains were fires caused by the heating stoves they kept on the cars. They'd tip over and it'd be all over for the passengers. Your stove just brought that up out of my memory banks, it was a really well done show.

John,

The caboose stove that I'm redoing is an actual caboose stove.

It has holes in the feet to secure it to the floor.

It is actually a coal burner, but I'll be using small pieces of wood to fuel it.

I've been running the parts through the electrolysis tank so I can find all of the defects that need to be repaired.

I'll also be replacing all of the hardware, as most of it was beyond saving.

I've also been filing the parts to get a nice fit between the sections.

Some of the castings had quite a bit of flash that was holding the parts from fitting together well.

 

If I wasn't allready close to D.O.T. maximum height for a trailer I think I would add a lookout capola to the roof.

John,

The caboose stove that I'm redoing is an actual caboose stove.

It has holes in the feet to secure it to the floor.

It is actually a coal burner, but I'll be using small pieces of wood to fuel it.

I've been running the parts through the electrolysis tank so I can find all of the defects that need to be repaired.

I'll also be replacing all of the hardware, as most of it was beyond saving.

I've also been filing the parts to get a nice fit between the sections.

Some of the castings had quite a bit of flash that was holding the parts from fitting together well.

 

If I wasn't allready close to D.O.T. maximum height for a trailer I think I would add a lookout capola to the roof.

Larry, I have always dreamed of a wood burning heater in my shop, it would just add that aura of warmth and old timey that I love.

Larry, I have always dreamed of a wood burning heater in my shop, it would just add that aura of warmth and old timey that I love.

John,

We have 2 in the house, an 1880's parlor stove and a 1920's wood/coal/gas kitchen range that the wife cooks on everyday.

Thanks for the update Allen, that is strange they are so thin these days, well at least here in the southwest show they seemed thin from your description. I wonder what the heck is going on. It can't be economics, or is it? Seems during the height of our economic mess they were rolling along with jammed packed shows, now that we are inching ever so slowly back up, they are thinned down, hmmm.

Those are some cool goodies you got though Allen.

I was looking for our supporters on the list at the Woodworking Shows site, and I found none of them.

I really didn't talk too much with any of the vendors there at the show yesterday, but I have talked to a number of venders over the past couple of years, at the AWFS event in Las Vegas (2011 & 2013 as they are there in Las Vegas every odd year and every even year in Atlanta, GA which is geared more towards the manufacturer/contractor/builder than the typical woodworker). The biggest reasons that the shows are so much smaller is the cost of doing the show VS. the income generated by doing the show. First of all the internet is now the primary venue for the research and purchase of tools and materials for most woodworkers. Consumers can go online and get all kinds of information, specs, reviews and comparisons while sitting at their computer in the comfort of their home. When they purchase online many times there is no sales tax depending on the state the manufacturer is in as well as free shipping or very cheap shipping. Also the prices on the internet are many times lower than was you can get in a "Brick & Mortar" store as they have to raise their prices to cover their overhead and expenses in order to make a profit. For a vendor to go to a show the costs for transportation are high and the return is low.

I was not surprised in the size of the show and lack of vendors overall. But I was surprised in some of the regulars that have always been at this show were not there. I have always seen reps there from Rockler and Woodcraft at the local shows as they have stores in the area and would have some of their staff there making connections. Also some of the larger local woodworking clubs, scroll sawing clubs and wood turning clubs were a no-show. I did not see any really good "Show Pricing" this time around. I know the prices of things that I see online for some of the vendors that were there that I have on my "Wish List" of things to buy and their prices were pretty much the same as their online prices. But since some of these vendors are outside of California they have no sales tax on online purchase so buying from them at the show here in California you have to pay the additional 9-10%.  

Made em for the show in two weeks John.

 

Here's what I just finished up.  Four turned cheese boards.  2 walnut and 2 maple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those look really good. Not what I was envisioning when you were describing them to me.