Woodworking stuff to do in Chicago?

[JunkCan]

I'll be in Chicago the week before thanksgiving. Any good shops, shows, etc. for a fanatical woodworking "tourist"?

[LRod]

If you're going to be in the 'burbs at all, there are three Berland's House of Tools locations (Palatine, Lombard, Joliet), any one of which is worth spending some time at. I can't imagine a bigger tool store anywhere, and probably none as interesting, with the possible exception of Seven Corners Ace in St. Paul, MN.

In Villa Park (another 'burb) is Owl Lumber which is an excellent example of what a woodworker's lumber yard is supposed to be like. No tools.

If you can get way out in the sticks, there's The Hardwood Connection in Sycamore (west of town; wood and tools), and the Kirkland Sawmill in Kirkland (west of Genoa; much closer to Rockford than Chicago - just wood).

There is a Rockler and a couple of Woodcrafts in the 'burbs, as well, but they're no more special than your local Rockler and Woodcraft.

There's a place called "R.A. Ness" or something like that in the north 'burbs, but I've never been there, and don't know anything about it.

About two miles south of Morris (halfway to Bloomington; I-80 and SR

47) there's a Woodworkers Store, that has wood and some tools. It depends on where you're starting from; I wouldn't drive out from the Loop to visit it.

LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[Anonymous]

[LRod]

There's a blast from the past. Craftsman Wood Service. I don't know how I ever found Mary St. in the days before computer maps. It's only about 100' long off Archer Av.

Yeah, Craftsman moved from there a long time ago; maybe late '70s or early '80s? They moved to an industrial park not too far off North Av. somewhere out by Villa Park. Addison, maybe? I just can't remember. I only visited that location once, I think.

Anyway, when the mail order woodworking revolution really took off in the late '80s, they sort of dipped below the radar. I don't really know if they are still there or not.

Another place that disappeared was Craft Patterns. They were a great resource for clock movements and had a nice store on the corner of 64 and 83, but they disappered, too. I still saw ads in the paper for their patterns in the '90s from a St. Charles addy, but I never tried to find if there was a brick & mortar associated with them.

LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[Andy Dingley]

You can shop anywhere.

Get out to Oak Park and take the walking tours either inside Frank Lloyd Wright's house, or around the neighbourhood to see the exteriors of the other houses he designed there. If you're downtown, the skyscraper walking tours are good too.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

[Leslie Gossett]

That pretty much sums up all the places I know of. If you go to the Berlands in Joliet (Berlands is truly Heaven) there is a fairly new Rockler store in Tinley park There is also a place called Wood World somewhere on the North side of Chicago. I havn't made it up there yet myself.

Leslie

[lex]

Thought Owl was in Des Plaines on Graceland

LRod wrote:

[Bob Gramza]

There are 2 Owl's. The second is in Lombard

[David J Bockman]

There is also a healthy culture of custom furniture, cabinetry, and other highly skilled woodwork in Chicago. Check in the yellow pages when you get there under Furniture, Millwork, Cabinetry, etc. Many of the shops have lovely studios.

Dave

[Dan Valleskey]

No B.S. posted in the last 24 hrs. Now, let's all cross our fingers.

-Dan

[Phil Crow]

Yeah, well, somebody likes big hairy something and the Puppy Wizard changed my life. In addition, some kind of something is the best for developing something and The Crazy Boys are doing some kind of paratrooper thing this weekend. What kind of table saw should I buy? Also, what does SWMBO mean?

-Phil Crow

[Manny Davis]

[e-mail] (Phil Crow) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

[Steve]

And if the BORG are here does that mean that the Enterprise will come back from the future and save us?

Steve

[Keep it to Usenet please]

There's also the Robie House near U of Chicago.

[Keith Carlson]

Sorry, this has nothing to do with woodworking, but if you're in Chicago, why not go see a couple of good blues shows? If you haven't been there, the museum of science and industry is fascinating.

[Keith Carlson]

Sorry, this has nothing to do with woodworking, but if you're in Chicago, why not go see a couple of good blues shows? If you haven't been there, the museum of science and industry is fascinating.

[Brian Siano]

I might as well ask everyone the same question for Philadelphia.

[Howard Ruttan]

Just south of Philly in Wilmington, Delaware is the Winterthur Museum with the reconstructed Dominy Workshops and a very nice furniture display. To the north of Philly is the Henry Chapman Mercer Museum on Doylestown. They have a very large collection of antique tools. West there is a Woodcraft store in Downingtown. Philly also has a good furniture show once a year but I don't know when the next one is.

[Keep it to Usenet please]

...

This museum has the people slices in one of the stairways. That had to be done with a bandsaw. That's at least semi-wood working related. Also, IIRC, there's a steam lumbermill in there somewhere too.