Woodworks Show Novi, MI Nov 21-23 - Who's going?

Doug Shepard

In Memorium
Messages
772
Location
Waterford, MI
The woodworking shows have been getting increasingly lame hereabouts and I haven't been to one in probably 5-6 years. I was looking at this years offering as far as the schedule and while I still cant find a list of vendors, the presenters list has taken a turn for the better compared to what the local show has offered in the past.
http://www.woodworksevents.com/seminars_novi.shtml

Anybody around this area planning on going this year?
 
hey doug went to the one there 2 years ago and it was not the same as the one in indianapolis fir grounds maybe it was becasue the folks down there are more into woodworking, but the one grand rapids has left completly the werent gettin the veiwers so went to every other year than not at all..so your show is the last mohican thats in michigan...might be able to gwt awy for it, but i probally am not on your want to see list huh:D:D thanks for lettin us know about the dates,,they usually are in dec..this quit early:thumb:
 
Doug,
I won't be going to the Novi show this year. I went to the show a couple of years ago. The turning demos were pretty good given that they were included in the admission price. However, I was very disappointed that there were very few vendors and some of the vendors didn't have much stock on hand to sell. I was also sorry to learn that the vendors carrying Delta and PM machines didn't offer any special show discounts/perks beyond normal sale prices. I even went on Sunday thinking that they'd sell me the demo machines so they didn't have to transport them home...I had no such luck.

Friends have told me that if you are serious about making a major tool or lumber purchase, you should go to the Johnson Lumber Wood Expo instead. I'd like to go but have never made it (this year's expo was on 09/08).
http://www.theworkbench.com/pdf/Expo Poster Web Dwn Load.pdf
 
Hi all, this is the post that brought me to Family Woodworking, after a Google search for info on this show ;)

Yes, ill be there!
I'm a turner and hack woodworker, but i'm incredibly excited for this show!

I'm pondering getting into the honey dipper seminar, not that im excited about a honey dipper, but more for the learning opportunity.

Anyone have any notes on what to expect at the show?
 
Rich
Welcome to FWW. Cant tell you entirely what to expect as this show appears to be run by different management than previous ones at the Novi location. The roster of folks presenting the classes certainly appears to have taken a turn for the better. I'm holding off deciding on going until I can see a list of vendors. There are some decent deals on tools & supplies to be had at some of these shows. But there are just as many things you could find cheaper online. It's nice if you haven't been to one just for a looksee at tools you might not otherwise be able to touch, feel, and see demo'ed.
 
Rich
Welcome to FWW. Cant tell you entirely what to expect as this show appears to be run by different management than previous ones at the Novi location. The roster of folks presenting the classes certainly appears to have taken a turn for the better. I'm holding off deciding on going until I can see a list of vendors. There are some decent deals on tools & supplies to be had at some of these shows. But there are just as many things you could find cheaper online. It's nice if you haven't been to one just for a looksee at tools you might not otherwise be able to touch, feel, and see demo'ed.

This will be my first at Novi. I've been to other (much smaller shows), thus my enthusiasm.

Sidenote: Small world. I'm just down the street from you. I'm on the border of Lake Angelus/Pontiac/Waterford
 
Cool. That means you're probably off Walton Blvd somewhere. I probably drive past your neighborhood a few times a month chaufering my dog out to the Lake Orion bark park. There's another Waterford member, Brent Grooms tho it looks like he hasn't posted in a while. Maybe as this thing gets a bit closer, it will be possible to get hold of a vendor list and I'll figure out if I'm going or not. Maybe if there's a group of people going on the same day we can arrange to meet up there somewhere.
 
Cool. That means you're probably off Walton Blvd somewhere. I probably drive past your neighborhood a few times a month chaufering my dog out to the Lake Orion bark park. There's another Waterford member, Brent Grooms tho it looks like he hasn't posted in a while. Maybe as this thing gets a bit closer, it will be possible to get hold of a vendor list and I'll figure out if I'm going or not. Maybe if there's a group of people going on the same day we can arrange to meet up there somewhere.

I go to the bark park all the time! We take our lab there to play.

And yes sir, im right off Walton.
I actually live and work within a block of each other. Which can be a good and a bad thing. ha-ha

Actually, maybe you can answer a question for me too...
Is there any place in our area that offers a lathe class?
 
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Is there any place in our area that offers a lathe class?

What's a lathe:huh:

Seriously I'm not too sure. I've got a $30 antique Delta picked up at a garage sale but haven't gotten around to the spinny side of things. I think maybe I've seen classes in the Woodcraft flyers so they may be worth checking.
Maybe we'll bump into you at the bark park. I'll be the one with the spoiled rotten dog.:D
 
Well I've been poking through the list of exhibitors on the Woodworks site http://www.woodworksevents.com/links.shtml. There does not appear to be a vendor list for each location, but here's the outfits I've been able to confirm will be at the Novi show. There may be more that either has no link on that page or just dont have a show schedule on their site for confirmation.

http://www.adjustabench.com/
(I'm assuming this since Geoffrey Noden is one of the presenters but they dont have it actually listed on their site)

http://www.advmachinery.com/ (Hegner, Apollo, Plano, Rali, Nobex, Tormerk, et al)

http://www.kellerdovetail.com/
http://www.lakeshorehardwoods.com/
Lee Valley - noticably absent due to same dates in Chicago for the other Woodworking show
http://www.mannyswoodworkersplace.com/
http://www.microfence.com/
http://www.pswood.com/home.php
http://www.detroitareawoodturners.org/
http://michiganwoodworkersguild.org/

Edited 11/3/08
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I emailed the show this morning regarding a Novi specific vendor list and got an extremely quick response. While it's not exactly a "list", here's the response (partial):
We have virtually all major manufacturers participating, including Fein, Festool, HTC, JET. Delta Oneway from Canada and Steel City, making their only appearance in MI this year.
Woodpeckers, Keller Dovetail, MicroFence and numerous other 'niche companies. BTW- Keller, MicroFence are the inventor owners, not a pitchman. It's the same for most exhibitors at WoodWorks.


I think the Steel City entry may be swaying me into going. While I'm not currently in the market for anything, I would like to check out their stuff in the flesh.
 
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another show

hey doug just got a flyer from wood works show, there dates are in dec so the one your looking at is differnt. the one i went over to previously was the wood works one,, your sounds like more meat and potatoes,,, as for the lathe classes i know woodcraft overs some occasionally...
 
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How is that show? Any comparison to the upcoming Novi show?

The 2nd one is the one that has done the Novi shows in the past.

I included that tidbit as they're the ones that have run the shows that a number of folks have gotten disillusioned with though I think I read something about them being bought out by somebody that was committed to getting them back on track. The vendor list on the Dec show looks like the same old/same old that has been at the Novi show in years past, just moved to a different location. I haven't been to one in maybe 6-8 years (and I'm still not sure if I'm going to the Nov one yet either). I dont think having 2 so close together bodes well for keeping vendors interested in Det. area shows, but I like the fact that there's some competition for the organizers.
 
If you are going to go to a show in Detroit, make it the Novi one. It's a new group that agreed the old show was going down hill fast. They are committed to bringing in a show on a par with the ones 6-8 or more years ago. The one in Gibralter is the same group that have been in Novi for the past several years. I definitely won't be going to that one.

I want to go to the one in Novi but I am already committed to another activity FRI-SUN that weekend. :(

Chip
 
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