Stoneleigh Show

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi all

I travelled down to Stoneleigh with Steve Maskerey and met up with some members from the forum.

In no particular order, Taz Mad who was on the Northants Turning stand, Terry of Chestnut fame and Martin of Brimarc.

I ended up buying the Miller dowels from Brimarc along with some extra walnut dowels. Then I bought some finishing oil from Chestnut along with a couple of Bessey clamps.

Apparently the show had been very busy on the Friday and the Saturday was a lot quieter. We were able to move around quite freely and see everything that was going on.

The exhibition centre is very good but it seemed to have less exhibitors than last year. Jet had a good turn out and I saw an Isaac Lord stand for the first time, but NMA were conspicuous by their absence.

Record Power had a big stand along with DW.

All in all a good day.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Anonymous]

I visited Stoneleigh today (Sunday). I like this show it is big enough to be worth the journey, about 2.5 hours in my case, but small enough to not be too tiring walking around. I don't know how the visitor numbers compared to the other days, but there appeared to be a pretty good crowd whilst still being easy to see whatever I wanted to see. Parking was easy - inside the cattle sheds no less!
I was so impressed with the knowledge of the salesman on the Camvac stand that I placed an order for a Camvac twin motor dust extractor, but I confess that the purchase was pre-meditated. I resisted all the other tempting goodies.
It's good to see Record Power back in force, but SIP were pulling a large crowd and competition in this sector is obviously hotting up. As Neil says no NMA and not a Scheppach or Kity machine in sight - that can't be right!

Wulf

 

[Keith Smith]

I went to the show on Saturday but got talking to the guys at Brimarc and missed the 2.30 appointed time, by the time I got there there was only Terry left.

I thought the show was a bit smaller than last year which is a shame (no MNA ) still gave plenty of opportunity to talk to the exhibitors.

Last year we had to trek in from the edge of the showground but this time parking was in the sheds next door to the hall so much better.

Spent lots of money, the only really impulse purchase the edge trimming block plane from Veritas, kept coming back to have another look and finally bought the last one they had. It's a beautiful thing.

Keith

 

[ProShop]

Hi all but NMA were conspicuous by their absence.

Neil

As Neil says no NMA and not a Scheppach or Kity machine in sight - that can't be right!

.

Very disapointed as they were at the NEC for Woodmex on Tuesday.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi John

Something in the back of my mind tells me they weren't there last year either.


Hi Keith

Sorry to have missed you.

Cheers
Neil

 

[MilkyBarKid]

I must admit that I've never found NMA to be very helpful at shows - I've tried to ask questions about setting up machines or ordering spares and they've almost always told me to call them on the phone. It would have been nice if I could have just have ordered spares by pointing to the component and a knowledgeable person could have said - "Yes that's part number xyz - I can have it to you by tomorrow - or something along those lines" rather than having to struggle to explain the same thing over the phone.

At stonleigh last year I asked them about the terrible play in the chuck of the scheppach pillar drill and they couldn't even be bothered to try the usual - "it's just the setup" routine.

At Woodmex I was hoping to ask NMA about the new scheppach cast iron topped range of tablesaws, and planers, but inspite of them having several people on the stand, and no other customers in sight they still seemed too busy to see me, despite standing around for about 5 minutes.
This was in stark contrast to the Sedgwick stand where the staff were really helpful and knowledgeable.

 

[gidon]

MilkyBarKid
Try and speak with either Alan or John - I've always found them both very helpful. Sometimes at shows some of the Mafell blokes (I think) seem to help out on the Scheppach stand and they tend to know little about the Scheppach kit.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Adam]

It would have been nice if I could have just have ordered spares by pointing to the component and a knowledgeable person could have said - "Yes that's part number xyz

Thats odd 'cos at D&M, someone was asking the same thing - and he said hang on - went off and fished about in a box somewhere - and said "here, have this one". And off went a happy customer.

I wanted to see them thickness veneers down to 1mm - and to start with they were all busy - so the Mafell bloke set the machine up - and called one of the two "experts" over as soon as they were available. He apologised for not being more familiar with the Scheppach kit - and got the P/T "guru" over as soon as he could.

Perhaps it's just luck of the draw?

Adam

 

[Charley]

I think it is just the luck of the draw as a couple of years ago at D&M (when I was looking at the TS2000) the guy was very helpful...

 

[Terry Smart]

there there was only Terry left.

'only'??? There goes my ego! :?

Seriously though, thanks to all of you who came over and said hello, was nice to put some faces to opinions. Hope you all enjoyed the show, it all went very well for us apart from selling out of a few things, which is a double-edged sword and really means I got my sums wrong!
Hopefully we made a few more friends at the show and now we're looking forward to Tools 2004!

Want to do the same there?

 

[Keith Smith]

Terry, of course I was using the the adjective "only" as meaning "unique by virtue of being superior to anything else" rather than "merely or just"

Ego reinstated

Keith