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Events like the Woodworking in America conference are an incredible way to recharge your woodworking batteries and take your skills to a new level. There is a collection of tools in the marketplace that you simply can’t find anywhere else in a single location. If you want to get your hands on some new drool-worthy tool you’ve been reading about you can. And you can walk down the aisle and try another and another. While the tools are impressive, it’s the people, both the presenters and the attendees that I enjoy the most.
It’s a good chance for us on the magazine staff to connect and reconnect with our readers and authors, see old friends and new friends we haven’t met yet, like the winner of the Mario Rodriguez look-alike contest seen above.
Ron Herman, seen above in one of his hands on sessions is a walking encyclopedia of saws, and is one of the most entertaining presenters at the show.
Infill plane maker Konrad Sauer’s booth is a favorite stop among attendees. Several people mentioned that getting their hands on one of these was worth the trip to Valley Forge.
It’s very cool to be able to see a piece of furniture you’ve read about in Popular Woodworking and meet the author. Arts & Mysteries author Adam Cherubini brought along the Philadelphia Chippendale chair that was featured in the last several issues.
You can read more about the show on several woodworking forums and blogs, including Wood Central, Woodnet, Sandal Woods and The Renaissance Woodworker among others. Look for more coverage of this event next week. I’m off to enjoy the final day of the show.
