On May 5th, 2012, rod builders with an eye on learning wood turning met at the RodMaker Offices and Shop in High Point, NC. With one exception, all were first timers at the lathe. And with that one exception, none of the others even owned a lathe.

 

Master wood turner and wood turning teacher Morris Schlesinger instructed the students on a multitude of the craft’s aspects including tool sharpening, spindle turning, sacrificial morse taper mounts, boring, sanding and more.

Each student had access to a lathe for the entire 7 hour session (45-minute lunch break). Two were still turning as we began the clean up that afternoon. To say the students enjoyed the class would be an understatement.

There are few things more valuable in terms of learning a craft than hands-on instruction from a master at the craft. Morris is more than just a master wood turner, of course, he understands and enjoys people and his easy going demeanor and pertinent quips and tips added an additional and valuable element to the class.

As testimony to the quality of the turnings produced by these mostly first time turners under Morris’s instruction, many of the turnings didn’t require sanding – Morris’s instruction on the proper use of the tools produced surfaces that were butter smooth. Some students even spent time practicing their “bead and cove” work – not usually something a first timer would attempt nor succeed at on their first day at the lathe.

Expect to see Morris at the 2013 International Custom Rod Building Exposition next February. And there is some possibility, that we may stage another wood turning class here at RodMaker later this Fall.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

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Spent the day in Winston-Salem visiting the Benton Convention Center again. We have set out the floor plan and have included a casting lane this year.

 

I also spent some time touring the main hotels and have to say they are very elegantly appointed and well equipped with about every amenity you can imagine.  Great restaurants, pools, spas, workout rooms, valet parking, etc.

 

Much more to report, but I’ll save it for later this week when I have time to write a more detailed account of the many new and exciting things that will be a part of Expo 2013.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

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There is a saying to effect that success breeds success. Certainly there is some truth to this and the most recent string of highly successful International Custom Rod Building Expositions bears this out.  On Saturday of the most recent edition of the Expo, I was visited by no less than three representatives of city visitor/convention bureaus who made it quite plain that they wanted the next Expo to be held in their city and would do whatever they needed to do to make it happen.

After careful consideration of all those who threw their hat in the ring, I have chosen Winston-Salem, North Carolina as the site for the 2013 International Custom Rod Building Exposition.

Winston Salem has long been considered the cultural center of the Southeast. The loss of its huge tobacco and hoisery industries in the 1980′s could have sent the city into a downward spiral. Instead, the city reinvented itself in many ways. It now features a vibrant downtown with dozens of restaurants, nightclubs, cafe’s, restaurants and shops, all within walking distance of two immaculate and full featured hotels, The Embassy Suites and Marriot (there are many, many more in the immediate area if neither of these strikes your fancy.) The center of the city’s convention life is the M.C. Benton Convention Center, which is located directly across the street from these two hotels and connected by an underground walkway. Parking is plentiful both at the hotels and in no less than three large parking decks within three blocks of the Convention Center. One of them is directly across a side street and connects to the Convention Center by an enclosed pedestrian overpass.

If you previously left your spouse at home thinking there was nothing to do in High Point, well, Winston-Salem changes all that.  There is plenty going on here 365 days of the year.

The downtown area is filled with shops, cafes, art galleries and museums.  Old Salem is one of the most unique areas in the U.S. It is true living history – an authentic mid 1700s town still just as it was over 200 years ago. It is within walking distance of downtown.

So what differences can the attendees expect? Plenty. For starters, the number of restaurants and shops within a stones throw of the hotels cannot be counted on two hands. And we’re not talking greasy spoons! Everything from inexpensive cafes to five star dining can all be had within a few blocks of the hotels and convention center.  You will not need a car – everything is right there. Shopping, theater, art galleries, etc. You name – it ‘s here.

What about the exhibitors?  Well, for them there will be some changes that may be just a tad uncomfortable. You see, the Showplace spoiled a lot of people. It eliminated the “middle man.” At the Benton Convention Center, we’re back to standard convention show protocol with a decorator who receives shipments, brings them to the convention center and handles table and chair rentals. However, this is no different that what they experience at ICast, Efftex, Affta, etc. Standard convention show protocol, that’s all. And… they and their personnel will enjoy the same increased amenities that a vibrant and colorful city such as Winston Salem can provide.

In addition, for the first time ever, we’ll have a roped off casting lane in the midst of the exhibit area. This will give exhibitors the ability to allow customers to test prototypes or built blanks before making a buying decision.

More information and actual dates will be available later this week. Until then, get ready for the largest International Custom Rod Building Exposition in history.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

PS Did you know that Empire State Building was modeled after the original RJ Reynolds headquarters building in Winston-Salem? It still stands today and is in the process of being converted into an upscale hotel.

 

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Most folks will recognize the building in the photo below as New York City’s Empire State building.  What few know, however, is that the architectural firm that designed the ESB, had previously constructed what they termed a “prototype” for the structure in a southeastern city.

Each year, the owners of the Empire State Building send a “Fathers Day Card”  to the staff that continues to operate the prototype building. According to knowledgeable sources, this is done to pay respects to that building’s role as the model for the New York City version.

 

Find the city containing the forerunner to the Empire State Building and you’ve discovered the location of the 2013 International Custom Rod Building Exposition!

 

 

Compared to the general fishing population, custom rod builders are few and far between.  This is why an event like the Expo, which must support anywhere from 40 to 50 manufacturers and dealers exhibiting in 85 to 90 booths, will only work in a handful of possible locations here in the U.S.

 

There just aren’t enough rod builders in any particular region to support an event the size of the Expo. Put the event in the wrong place and you wide up with a regional event which at best will only draw a few hundred builders. This leads to financial losses for the exhibitors and precludes them exhibiting in the future. In other words, the event dies.

 

The International Custom Rod Building Exposition has enjoyed tremendous success these past 9 years. Luck, however, has had nothing to do with it. You don’t get lucky 9 times in a row!

 

Others have attempted to emulate the Expo but none have succeeded. Not for lack of trying or sincerity, but for a failure to understand the demographics of the craft and therefore not being able to locate their event in a place which meets all or at least most of the necessary criteria required in order to successfully stage something like the Expo.

 

The RodMaker Magazine mailing list provides a good general overview of rod building demographics in the U.S.  When you look it over, you see that well over half of all the rod builders live east of the Mississippi River. If you want the event to be within a single day’s drive of the greatest number of rod builders, you’re faced with the fact that the event must be held in the eastern third of the Country.

A nearby international airport is an absolute must – we’re talking about it being within 15 miles or so of the event facility. Amtrak is nice, but not altogether required. Major interstate highways should run within a very few miles of the event facility and lodging.

 

Weather is your next concern.  Northern winters, along with the similar harsh winters of the Southern Appalachian Highlands, put any such event at huge risk. So, you need to stay south of the Mason-Dixon line for the best weather luck. But not too far south or you’re no longer within that single day’s drive for most of the builders.

 

Only a few locations then become apparent. Atlanta is one of the top convention towns in America. It has almost every single thing going for it in terms of being a great place to host an event like the Expo. There’s just one catch – the bulk of the rod building industry is made up of mom-and-pop type companies. Only a handful could afford the cost to exhibit in a place like Atlanta.  So, regretfully, scratch Atlanta. While it would be great for ICast or AFFTA, it’s just a tad bit out of the ICRBE’s reach.

 

Further south than Atlanta takes you out of that single day’s drive of most of the rod builders. So now you turn and look north of Atlanta, but not too far north – remember that the chance of a bad winter storm increases the further north you go.

 

So now you come to Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville or Charlotte. All have a lot going for them.  But the high altitudes of Knoxville, and particularly Asheville, put you back in danger of major winter storms. The other two are still very much viable.

 

Raleigh just built a new convention center in its downtown. It’s one of a few cities that could make an outstanding location for the Expo all the way around. It certainly meets just about all the necessary criteria involved. I like Roanoke and Richmond too, but they miss on at least a few of the criteria needed.

 

And of course, High Point isn’t the home of the world’s largest trade show for no reason – the International Home Furnishings Market has been here since 1911 and neither Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco nor Atlanta have been successful in their many attempts to lure it away.  Imagine that.

 

Sister city Greensboro isn’t half bad but presents a few logistics problems for out of towners – it has convention facilities galore, but most are single hotel/convention complexes. Nice as they are, they can present logistics problems when your crowd prefers more than one hotel.  The city’s large coliseum complex, is nowhere near walking distance of any hotel.

 

The bottom line is that everyone would like to have the Expo in their backyard. The reality is that such a thing just isn’t possible – not if you want something the size of the Expo to succeed. There are only a handful of places where this particular event is possible and tomorrow I’ll give you a great hint/riddle as to which one I’ve chosen.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

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TTW has just published their post-show review of the recent International Custom Rod Building Exposition. Copy and paste the following URL into your browser’s address window to read it:

 

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=&refresh=rN04H9m150Ff&EID=edecec92-e556-414c-a9d0-481765e81cbd&skip=true

 

Navigate to page 26 for the specifics.

RodMaker Volume 15 #2 is in the mail, now. Most subscribers will receive it towards the 3rd week of April. Enjoy.

 

It was about this time 15 years ago when I published the very first issue of RodMaker. Several of the trade publications have made note of this fact and given us some nice comments recently. Here’s the latest:

 

Renowned wood turner Morris Schlesinger will offer a day-long turning seminar on May 5th at the RodMaker Magazine offices and shop.

Topics covered will be specifically aimed at custom rod builders. Expect to learn not only basic wood turning and sharpening skills, but how to turn and shape reel seat inserts, handles and grips from a variety of materials including wood and cork. Special techniques for working with acrylics will be on tap as well.

 

The cost for the day long seminar is just $35 which includes lunch. In order to offer some level of individual instruction, class size will be limited.

 

If you wish to attend, please remit $35 payable to RodMaker Magazine and remit to:

 

RodMaker

PO Box 1322

High Point, NC 27261

 

Location:

RodMaker Magazine

2420 West English Road

High Point, NC 27262

 

Date and Time:

May 5th, 2012

9:30AM until 4PM

 

What you can’t see in this panorama, are the folks sitting in the chairs lining the back wall from one side of the hall to the other, nor the people seated at the tables set at the back right and far left hand side of the room. One other thing you can’t see is the look of relief on my face as I realized that once again, we wouldn’t exceed the 450 person carrying capacity of the room.  But it was close, very close.

 

I never know beforehand just how many folks are going to show up – there is no registration required. So there’s always a bit of apprehension as subscribers start pouring into the hall. I never relax until I can see the end of the line and can then do a quick mental check to make sure that those remaining outside, will all fit, inside.

 

The RodMaker Reception has become a staple of the International Custom Rod Building Exposition. Held every year since since the 2nd Expo, it offers an opportunity for the magazine subscribers who are in town for the Expo to relax, meet and talk with other rod builders. They eat, drink, and have fun while hoping to win one of about 100 free door prizes. The door prizes for 2012 included a large assortment of high end rod lathes/wrappers, blanks, components, tools, etc. The odds of winning something are about 1 in 4. Not bad at all, and there is no cost to enter. Everybody gets a chance, the same chance, to win. About 100 people did just that.

 

There are no speeches nor presentations. Just a few quick words concerning the Expo’s opening time and perhaps a few mentions of other pertinent items. That’s it – food, fun, fellowship and lots of free stuff. RodMaker is the only entity in custom rod building that does this for it’s customers. I hope to be able to continue doing it, for a long, long while.

 

Tom Kirkman

 

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