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This morning I took a ride up I-71 to Columbus to pay a visit to Wood Werks Supply. It’s the weekend for their annual Fall Expo, and I haven’t been by the store since moving to Cincinnati three years ago. It’s one of the best stores for woodworkers I’ve ever seen, combining stationary and hand-held power tools, hardware and lumber in one location. Since Ron Damon opened the business in 1990, he and his son Todd have expanded every couple of years, and now have about 25,000 square feet of space.
If you’re the kind of woodworker who likes to see tools in person or compare things side by side, this is the place for you. Pick a machine, like band saws, table saws or planers and they have a range of them on display side by side. The employees are all woodworkers themselves and are more concerned with helping you make the right choice than making a quick sale. In addition to a full line of machines, the company also has portable power tools and all the bits and accessories to go along with them. In the back is a complete in-house repair facility.
Way at the back of the photo above you can see a Rockler sign. Wood Werks Supply was the first independent store in the country to become a Rockler Partner Store. Pass through the doorway under that sign, and there is a typical Rockler store in one corner of the showroom. There, you’ll find nearly every item in the Rockler catalog in stock.
The opposite back corner of the showroom holds sheet goods and lumber. The sheet goods range from MDF and melamine board to nice hardwood plywood. There’s also a good selection of hardwoods, and you can pick through the stacks to buy just one board, or you can buy it in 250 or 500 board-foot bundles. Back beyond the lumber room is a 2,000-square-foot classroom.
This weekend has become an annual event in Columbus, attracting about 4,000 woodworkers, and features special prices and visits by a number of manufacturer’s representatives. Among the manufacturers present is Powermatic, and if you wander back to the lumber area the company has some new ideas that it would like your input on.
So, if you’re in the area, take Friday off and join the festivities. If you can’t make it Friday, the event continues through the weekend. The Ohio State University is playing at home Saturday, but Wood Werks is well away from traffic from the game. OSU is still in the easy part of their schedule, playing the team from my hometown, The Kent State University Golden Flashes. Kent isn’t exactly known as a football powerhouse, so this would be a good game to miss.
The store’s phone number is 614-575-2400 if you need more information. Also, look for some very exciting things on the company’s web site. Ask what they’re up to, or watch this blog , I’ll be reporting on it next week.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
This afternoon, I was thinking about the last big bug in Linux kernel and the potential damage in dozens of shared and virtual servers. It makes me think about a loss in Linux reputation, because people likes to blame without thiking in the profit they obtain from using Linux as their main operating system.
I just got home from my first visit at WW. I must say I’m extremely pleased, I had no idea things could go so smooth. I just needed a new saw and there was this guy Bob I think, he just asked exactely what I need it for. I explained and then he just said "Sir, I’d go for a Powermatic". I saw it, customized it, put the order in and now I’m home. It took like half an hour. My guess is, next time I need something for my shop, that’s where I’ll go.
I know how you feel Alex. We will have a similar store opening soon here in Cincinnati, and I hope it will become a trend. I think the fact that Woodwerks has been able to grow and expand says a lot for their business model.
One of the keys may be Rockler. I spoke with one of their representatives on Thursday, and they want to move forward in a big way with their "partner" stores. This is a great way for an existing business to expand their product line and increase traffic. If there is a local tool dealer or lumber seller you might give them a nudge.
Bob Lang
I don’t know if anyone from the Kansas City area is listening, but we need something like this! We have a Woodcraft franchise on the Kansas side, and I’m a pretty loyal customer, but I can only dream of having something on the east side of the KC Metro area of such scale.
WoodWerks is a great store. It’s where I’ve bought all of my stationary machines (and some of the hand helds as well). If you go, be sure to visit the room where they have the industrial machines. Big iron there. Don’t forget to wipe up your drool.