AWFS Show report

[SonomaProducts.com]

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.

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.

[BillinDetroit]

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

[SonomaProducts.com]

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.

H> S> > I just attended the AWFS Fair (Association of Woodworking and

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

[Jon]

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 !!!

[Maxwell Lol]

Was someone trapped inside? :-)