Back From Shopbot Camp So-cal 2005

[Erik Sine]

My wife and I made our way our to Venice from San Diego on Friday afternoon a day before the camp in Venice Beach.  Due to spring break all we could get was Econolodge two and a half miles away.  My wife loves to go shopping o­n the boardwalk but since traffic was terrible we did not arrive in Venice until almost 5:30pm, 4 hours in traffic.  We must have napped for 20 minutes and quickly rose for some beach store activity, in other words she wanted to get her nails done.  She went in to get her thing done and I waited across the street at Finn's Irish Pub.  A new pub o­nly been around since the 02', the menu tells the story of a local girl who ships her father's remaining decor and antiquities from his pub in Ireland to start  anew in Venice Ca.  Great food and drinks, my wife joined me an hour and a half later for a few more where we then went off to a hole in the wall bar o­n Washington Blvd next to the beach.  A late dinner in a Mexican Food restaurant, then back off to the hotel for a early rise the next morning. 

The camp was held at Ilan's Design Studio where Ilan manufactures furniture among other things.  Bill Palumbo was the speaker for shopbot, a very entertaining speaker.  Ilan had the very nice 5'x10 or 12' shopbot bulked up o­n double C Channel railing supports, it looked solid and with dual spindle and router head.  A very broad spectrum of shopbotters attended, everyone from sign, furniture, cabinet makers to arts and crafts makers along with surfboard & play backdrop makers.  I still don't understand how he holds that surfboard down. 

Everything said and done I learned a lot, it made me feel real small to the use's I've been using it for.  But, that's a positive way to look at it, the possibilities are endless where o­nly imagination can know no bounds.  What caught my eye most of all was the 3D production that can be made. 

Thank you Ilan for holding the camp at your amazing shop and Bill for speaking to us, it was fascinating and enlightening.

[Lance]

Gooday Erik,

Sounds like you had a very productive and enjoyable weekend.

From flicking through various forums (only jokin, this is the only one I read) it seems as though the sign, promotion, display industry over there is well catered for with seminars, expos and the like.

I am very new to it here in Oz so as yet I don't know a great deal about what is offered in the field of expos etc.

That pic looks pretty informal and free going so I guess you had plenty of time to mingle and get the feel of the place and people. Doesn't seem like a big turn out but that is not a bad thing.

Is there such a thing as an agenda, notes or program offered at these functions, it would be interesting to see what went on.

Apart from all that did you get a pic of the wifes nails, they prolly cost more than the trip so should be remembered in a visual display.

Good to chat, back again soon

Best

Lance

[Erik Sine]

Actually that Pic did not do any justice, there were probably about 25 people or so who attended. It went on from 8:30 am till 5:30Pm. Ilan had Boxes of donuts and Lots of coffee waiting for everyone when we first got there. My wife had just missed Paris Hilton getting her nails done by 5 minutes. As for an agenda it was pretty much an exchange of ideas for the CNC Router table. Hold down methods, substrates choices, software and business aspects. I was just REAL lucky I didn't have to travel very far for this one. I planned on going cross country to the huge annual company camp on the east coast.

Here's a pic of the wife with her nails done laughing at me in one of the bars we were at.

You can even see the back of her head form the first pic with her head hair pulled back. She told me never to invite her again to one of these, she was bored off her ass. But she sat through it. Next time I'll send her shopping or something... as long as she doesn't spend :D MY Money

[Kgirl]

Your wallet and everything else you have on you, shake you upside down boy! :D

I thought it was something I would be walking around in like a convention, I wasn't told I had to sit in a room like I was in school again. The coffee was good though, and he's lucky they had some there too otherwise I'd make him drive all over until he found me a Starbucks :hammer:

It was interesting though, it's just to much of a guy thing

[Jet_wen]

Your wallet and everything else you have on you, shake you upside down boy!  :D

I thought it was something I would be walking around in like a convention, I wasn't told I had to sit in a room like I was in school again.  The coffee was good though, and he's lucky they had some there too otherwise I'd make him drive all over until he found me a Starbucks  :hammer:

It was interesting though, it's just to much of a guy thing

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

:banana: :banana: :hammer: :groupwave:

[Lance]

Just as an aside Erik, I assume Paris had nothing to do with the discussion on Hold Down Methods?

:whip:

[Marekdlux]

For surfboards they clamp at the nose and tail. It just rough cuts the blank, then the shaper will finish sand. I remember the contraversy when they first starting using them. Lots of people didn't think it was good for the industry. Now they are used all over.

-Marek