Wood Show Season (Vic)

It’s wood show season in Melbourne, a fortnight of events.

Starting next weekend with the Oktober Woodfest, held at the Woodworking Warehouse in Braeside. (11 Citrus Street)

Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 3:30pm.

Woodfest

Not sure who will be there this year, Woodworking Warehouse (obviously), and Professional Woodworkers Supplies (definitely).  I’d assume like previous years that Australian Furniture Timbers will be there as well.  I got some nice pieces from them last year.  There is the BBQ, and as Mel has just had a new bub, another friend of mine will be manning the grill.

There is no entry fee and street parking (and free BBQ), so you can save your coin for the specials inside., and not feel like having to spend it just getting to, and being there.

Be interesting to find out what is happening with Jet, given that Carbatec have been given national distributorship.  Personally, (from Woodworking Warehouse’s perspective) I’d be dropping Jet (why be forced buy from your competitor), and bring in a new brand, such as Grizzly.  The Grizzly range looks to be made in similar factories as the original Carbatec range (including my discontinued TS10L), and as Carbatec may be dropping that range in preference for Jet (time will tell), there is definitely a market.  I’d also be getting Gabbett to provide some of the SawStop range – might as well have it on the shop floor in one of the retail outlets in Melbourne.  That’s my 2 cents.  I have a few Jet tools (jointer, lathe, bandsaw) and currently have the lathe and bandsaw stored – not because I want to, but I am simply out of room.

Anyway, back to the day – there will be specials, there will be new products (Professional Woodworkers Supplies have a number definitely worth seeing).  Check out PWS’s Zhen knives – I have a Nakiri blade, and it is brilliant for chopping up vegetables (you’ve seen ads about slicing tomatoes to reveal how sharp a blade is, but the real demonstration for me is just how easy the blade can cleave and skin a pumpkin.  Tomatoes are soft, and any half-sharp blade cuts them easily).
The following weekend (Friday – Sunday) is the Melbourne Timber and Working with Wood Show, and Stu’s Shed has a small stand there, but more on that later.

The weekend after that is the Stitches and Craft show, and along with ManSpace magazine, a few of us will be setting up a men’s break corner.  Few demos, comfortable couches, bunch of ManSpace mags to flick through etc.  Again, more details closer to the day, but if you are going to be heading along (penance for attending wood shows perhaps?) drop on by!