Today's world is technology driven and manufacturers rely on machinery and production lines to do more and more. Woodworking is no exception as many shops are becoming automated. Most of their attention is focused on repetition and quantity which is what you will find in most retail venues. They utilize materials such as MDO (Medium Density Overlay) and MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) that have a thin veneer on the surface. Most products available in the marketplace use these materials. It is getting increasingly difficult to find craftsmen that utilize only genuine hard woods.
At if-its-wood, all of our projects are custom made using only solid hard woods. These include both domestic and exotic. There are literally hundreds of wood species available out there and in our opinion, there is nothing on the market that can compare to something that is made out of solid wood. We started our small business making custom furniture which included blanket chests, jewelry boxes, bathroom vanities, kitchen islands as well as some built-ins such as bookcases, etc. Our niche was building heirloom quality furniture using only conventional joinery techniques such as mortise and tenon, half-blind, through and sliding dovetails. See the archive folder (under the "More" tab for a few of the projects that we have created over the years for our clients.
Today, we are more focused on providing our clients with heirloom quality woodworks in the form of wall and desktop style art, outdoor signage and specialty items. We do not mass produce any piece. Everything we do is made to order based on your parameters. This includes the wood species, size and subject matter. We feel that our customers deserve the absolute best quality at an affordable price. Once a piece has been commissioned, we will generate a rendering of the product for your review and approval prior to proceeding with the work. During the milling process, we also provide you with progress photos of your project throughout the construction process.
You don't have to settle for mass produced retail products. Our goal is to provide you with an "Heirloom" quality piece made especially for you that will last for generations at an affordable price. This has and will continue to be our business model since we started in 1998. Every piece of wood has a story, and it deserves to be told and proudly displayed. If you are in the market for something special whether it be for you or a loved one, please reach out to us. We sincerely hope that you will give us an opportunity to serve you.
We stay in constant communication with our customers throughout the process from start to finish. To get a free quote, or if you have questions or special requests, just drop us a line. If you are local or in the area and want to visit my shop, reach out and we can set up a date and time. We are happy to be of service!
Open today | 08:00 am – 05:00 pm |
Please reach us at bruce.ifitswood@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
We work with a variety of woods including but not limited to Oak, Hard Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Ambrosia Maple, Purple Heart, Sapele, Padauk to name a few.
Our turnaround time for custom pieces varies depending on material availability. This is based on the type of wood species requested. It typically takes 6-8 weeks from the time of order if we have to source from an out of state supplier. If we can source the lumber locally it usually takes 2-3 weeks. Once the materials are secured, we allow a minimum of 5-7 days for the wood to acclimate in our shop before we start. Ideally the range for kiln dried lumber should fall between 6% to 8%. This minimizes the potential of warping, twisting, cupping, etc. At the end of the day however, wood movement can be expected. It will react according to the conditions it is in. Proper storage during the acclimation/curing process is absolutely critical.
Our CNC has the capability of producing items up to 48"x 48". Please keep in mind that the smaller the project, the more detail it will have. Our experience is that the more you try and stretch it the less detail it will have.
NOTE: Not all files available online are created equal! If you are planning to have someone make a project for you, do not purchase a file directly from any vendor unless you plan to or have the ability and a CNC or laser yourself. In most cases they do not allow this, and you could be subject to legal action! Please read the entire description including the fine print!!!!! These designers work hard and need to be paid for using their designs. Let whomever is going to be doing the project for you to purchase the file (s) directly.
A word of caution: There are also a select few that will not allow you to sell physical products commercially on any of their designs. Again, please read the entire product description before you proceed.
if-its-wood is a custom oriented business that provides products that are made to order. Pricing cannot be provided until such time as an order is requested by the client. Pricing will be determined by several factors including but not limited to: Subject matter, wood species, size, etc. All projects will be billed to you individually via invoice by email.
NOTE: We do require a 50% deposit on all orders (non-refundable). Balance is due upon completion and prior to the product being shipped, delivered or picked up locally.
Carve times vary based on several factors:
1. Size of the project.
2. Complexity of the project.
3. Modeling Resolution.
4. Bit Selection (s).
5. Router/Spindle size.
Our software allows us to set the resolution specifically for each project. These range from 1) Standard, 2) High = 3x slower than standard 3) Very High = 7 times slower 4) Extremely High = 20 times slower 5) Maximum = 50 times slower.
These selections will determine the length of the carve time. We recently did the eagle portrait shown in the Client Request folder. This project was 24" wide x 18" high. We used an ultra-fine 3D detail bit at 0.015 Radius with a 10-degree tapered ball nose endmill. The settings were on Very High (#3). Including the roughing pass that took almost 2 hours by itself. The actual finish carving took 28 hours for a total of 30 hours. After the carving is completed, you still have many hours of detail sanding and finishing.
1. Reach out to us via the email provided in the contact us page. Please include as much information as possible to include your telephone number as well. We check our email frequently.
2. Once the information is provided and we have discussed the project in detail, we will prepare a cost estimate based on the parameters you have provided.
3. When the estimate is completed (usually 1-3 days), we will forward it to you for your review. If accepted, we will discuss payment terms as it relates to both the deposit and final payment.
4. Once the deposit has been received, we will immediately begin with sourcing the materials and getting it delivered to our shop. You will be kept informed on the status of your project as details emerge. This will include verbal (when necessary), written and electronic photos of the project as we begin from start to finish. Please feel free to contact us at any time before during and after the project is completed. We want the experience to be as seamless as possible, and we value your input.
5. Your project can also have an inscription engraved on the back of it should you so choose. You would need to provide that information to us ahead of time. We would then send you a template of the inscription for review and approval before proceeding.
6. Once completed we will provide you with photos of the project. Upon receipt of final payment, the project will be carefully packaged and mailed. A tracking number will be provided to you once it has been shipped.
We specialize in 2.5D or 3D relief carving CNC wall art and crafts as well as laser engraving and laser wall art utilizing our CO2 laser. The laser has the capability to engrave a large number of materials including but not limited to a) Wood, b) Leather, c) Acrylic, d) Plastics, e) Metal f) Glass, g) Aluminum, h) Brass, i) Ceramics, j) Slate, etc.
We produce both wood and laser engraved products based on specific file types. The files are designed by others. We do not provide design services at this time.
We do not typically stain or paint any of our pieces. What you see is wood in it's natural state. We do apply several coats of polyurethane after all of the sanding and detail work is complete to provide UV protection. If a customer wishes to purchase a piece that they would like to paint, we will apply a coat of shellac or lacquer in lieu of polyurethane. This can be lightly sanded, and paint can be applied directly over it.
The most popular sizes include picture styles (framed and frameless) include 8"x10", 8.5"x11", 10"x12", 12"x12", 11"x17" & 18"x24". We have the capability of doing wood pieces up to 48" x 48".
Yes, the projects you see on this website are one-off prototypes made in house for display purposes to give you an idea of what it is that we do. Most of these items shown are nautical themed with exception of the flags as these are very popular in our area due to our location. If you see something that you like and would like to purchase it or want it in a different size and /or wood species, please reach out to us for pricing. Once the items shown have sold, we will not be replacing them on the website for purchase. They can however be ordered separately. Should you decide to purchase an item we can custom engrave it to your specifications. We would send you a template of the engraving for your review and approval before proceeding.
NOTE: Once a project has been completed, we reserve the right to add it (anonymously) to our client requested items.