(03-18-2017, 11:14 AM)jbmaine Wrote: My local Woodcraft is only a couple of minutes from work. Real nice to stop over on my way home.
The change to the new software here deleted everyone's location information.
Where is your local Woodcraft?
The WC in Norfolk VA is anywhere from a 20min to a 2hr drive for me depending on traffic and whether or not there are any accidents in the bridge-tunnel area. The couple that own that franchise are active woodworkers (they are both excellent turners and he is almost done rebuiding a Chris Craft Runabout) and they spend lots of time at the store. Rhet host the monthly meetings for both the local woodworking club and the woodturning club. They also have woodworking outreach efforts for vets and for women. They typically have 4-5 classes a week that are taught by either employees or a member of one of the 2 clubs. There is also an occasional out of town instructor. I have taken classes there from Alan Lacer and from Richard Raffin.
Their staff are good and they are well enough trained that they will call over a different employee if you have a question that they do not really know the answer to.
It seems like the only person they have truly ticked off if LOML because of some miss-communication between the staff. As a result, I only got b'day presents from there once.
The brand of drill bits that the owner used to swear by for drilling pen blanks got phased out there. I believe that that change of brand was beyond the control of the local store. I did do well stocking up during the closeout of that brand, though.
On the other hand, they do stock some high end woodturning tools that are not offered on the WC website. They do not keep many in stock, but they are higher end and relatively low turn over items.
The also give discounts to club members on meeting night and to students after a class.
The onlu other WC that I have visited was the one in Tampa. I stopped in because of the big promotional ad about their close-out sale on their website. It was false advertising. The employees pretty much could not have cared less if the nephew-in-law or I were in the store. They were busy talking to each other and leaning on the counter. The classroom was dinky, poorly equipped, and dingy.
The Rockler store in Denver looked interesting as I cut through for a woodturning club meeting in their basement. Their meeting room and their classroom were both excellent. The store showroom seemed a bit small but densely stocked.
