Shopbot Camp So Cal

[Erik Sine]

Bill Palumbo Speaking at Shopbot So-Cal. Kirstie at lower right

March 26th, Shopbot Camp Venice Ca

By WCSG, The Sign Industry

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.