Twisted Willow Fabrication and Laser Engraving

05/31/2026

Plaques are used to recognize, memorialize and identify. We've been doing plaques since Twisted Willow Fabrication started. Back then our plaques and signage were all metal and often layered to get the desired effect. We then got into tagging and marking parts using fiber laser engraving. That opened us up to single layered plaques. We could not do traditional cast copper based plaques, and we actually considered getting into casting. When we were considering this we took note of the rapid increase of materials and cost of doing business. We instead added a CO2 laser that allowed us to do multimedia products. That led us to the purchase of a CNC router, and we now have the ability to work with many different professional sign grade materials. These materials can take the place of traditional materials used to make plaques.

There are times when you want or need traditional materials like brass, bronze or stainless steel. Plaques made of these materials come at a higher price, especially when we consider the secondary processes associated with them. Secondary processes include brushing, sanding, and finishes. We still do plaques made of stainless steel, aluminum and steel. But advances in sign grade materials provide the opportunity to offer traditional looking plaques at a price that might better fit budgets that don't seem to go very far these days. These materials are highly engineered plastics and aluminum. We call them "one and done" products because we receive them as a finished base product, process them and then apply them. The secondary processes are eliminated, saving time and money. These materials can be applied in a number of different ways. The photo of the plaque on the brick wall duplicates the look of a bronze plaque. The same material with brushed stainless steel look was used to cover the slot in a deposit drop.

05/03/2026

This is a job we did awhile back and another first for us. This carriage that is used in competition was involved in a bad accident. It is an all aluminum carriage that had extensive frame damage. New aluminum parts had to be fabricated and welded in place. Ornamental features had to be repaired. We also made upgrades for the operator and navigator. After all repairs were made the carriage went into our paint room for painting and paint corrections.

04/26/2026

It's that time of year. This is when we get all those phone calls for mower decks in need of repair. We just want to provide you with some quick information regarding your mower decks.

There are two types of mower decks, welded and formed. Welded decks are on higher end and commercial mowers. Formed or stamped decks are on the typical homeowner mower, usually sold in big box stores. Commercial mower decks often have thick sheets of metal welded together with reinforced areas throughout to handle the amount of mowing they have to do. Homeowner mowers are built to meet the price point of the average homeowner. They have formed (stamped) decks and use thinner sheet metal. Formed decks are more prone to rusting through and damage compared to welded decks.

When you call us and ask about repairing your mower deck, we're going to ask you what type of deck you have for a reason. We can almost always repair a welded deck. We cannot always repair a formed deck, at least at a decent price point. Sometimes it is more economical to purchase a new formed deck shell rather than having us repair it. We will warn you about this on the phone, but we will take a look to see what we can do at no charge. And just a warning, we're going to poke at it with a big ugly awl to see if we have anything left to weld to, which often causes the same customer facial response as a horror movie.

04/19/2026

As a custom fabrication shop we have had clients tell us that they have been looking for a year or two for the right company to do a custom build. This one holds a new record. The owner of this motorcycle trailer has been looking for 10 years to have his trailer customized to match his motorcycle. He travels North America, you would think he would have found someone to do the customization. But he is very specific about what he wants, and that's why we're here. This client was having work done at Full Throttle Finishes, another Livingston County Specialist. He was sent to us to see what we could do for him. The decision was made to use a wheel matching his motorcycle on the trailer, which required a custom swing arm. By using 3D CAD, we were able to explain exactly what we were going to do and show him what it would look like. We fabricated the custom swing arm and fender mounts. We then worked with Tripp Plating Works for the required decorative chrome plating. The wheel was sent to Full Throttle Finishes for powder coating that matched the motorcycle wheels that they had already done. The long wait is over.

A special thank you to Full Throttle Finishes for sending a valued client our way. Also, another special thank you going out to Tripp Plating for being so easy to work with. It's nice to have another business relationship with another area company who believes in excellence.

03/22/2026

If you have visited our website (twfab.com) you have noticed a list of services we provide. There are two lists, one under metal processing and fabrication services and one under laser, router and sublimation services. You will also notice some identical services on both lists. Both parts of the business can operate independently or we can bring them together to support the client's needs. This allows us to specialize in problem solving and solutions. We have over 40 years of experience working with mobile and stationary equipment. We have decades of experience working with Design and Civil Engineers, Professional Engineers and Structural Engineers. When you call us with a need or problem, we know what you're talking about. And we'll work with you to provide the solution you are looking for. We employ 2D and 3D CAD, CAM, 3D scanning, CNC processes and forming and welding processes to get that one-off or production part you need. It starts with a discussion and an idea. It then moves to design, proofing, final design and hard part. We can even engrave your part numbers.

The photo is of an adapter plate that we helped a client design. We can't tell you who it's for or what it's for, and this is only part of it. We can tell you that it is a proprietary part that will be used as a solution in an industry that cannot wait for bottlenecks to clear or manufacturing issues to improve. It is our client's answer to an issue, and we're proud to be able to assist.

03/13/2026

Sign Blazer Signs.........we refer everyone to Dan, and we tell them to just let him do his thing. He's a true artist.

02/22/2026

A huge thank you to 436 Customs for helping us update our uniforms. This business is great to work with and they do great work. Take a look at their page. They're into more than you think.

436 Customs

Jeremy and I would like to say Thank You to Doug & Mandy of Twisted Willow Fabrication & Laser Engraving for coming to us for their t-shirt and sweatshirt needs with their logos. We appreciate your business!

02/15/2026

If you haven't noticed, we believe in supporting local businesses. Some are businesses we have done work for or have worked with. And we tell you a story about these businesses, what they're doing and why you should support them. We pass their story and our relationship along because we believe in them. We share a commitment to our community, and we know you can rely on them. These are businesses we know you can trust and we'll stake our reputation on it.

This week's storytime is about Magnum Pest Control, a full service pest control business dealing with bugs, rodents and wildlife issues. They handle commercial and residential properties and have nothing but 5 star ratings. With many years of experience, Magnum designs their own spray rigs. We build their skids and help set them up. The skids have multiple tanks and valving options. We also help to identify tanks and valving options so technicians can work efficiently. In the photos you will see the skid, tank identification, valve options and photo quality instructions on valve options. All of this ensures Magnum Pest Control's customers receive the best service, which the 5 star ratings prove. If you are looking for pest control and are not currently getting it, you'll want to call them. If you are getting pest control and are not satisfied, you need to talk to them. Give them a call, you'll be talking to an actual person.

02/08/2026

The investments in equipment that we have made in the past few years has opened us up to new materials and processes. We like to describe these new materials and processes as a "one and done" answer to high quality products. "One and done" refers to materials that are intended to be worked and then used, requiring no secondary processes like sanding or painting. This allows us to use high quality modern materials to replace traditional materials and processes to save on costs without sacrificing quality. We have used these materials and processes extensively when making plaques, markers and multimedia signage. A great example of replacing modern materials with traditional materials is when a customer wants engraved brushed metals in their project. Traditional choices might include stainless steel, aluminum, and copper or copper alloys. These materials will need to be cut to shape, but they will not be ready to use. They will need to be brushed to get the desired look. Then they will need to be engraved, but we're still not done. There is often a finish applied to control oxidation and maintain the vibrant finish of the metal. When this is compared to modern professional sign grade materials like modified acrylic, you can quickly see where the savings come from without sacrificing quality. This material comes ready to process, and once processed it's ready to use. It is not brushed metal, but looks just like it. It is intended to be used outdoors and has a projected life that is greater than finishes applied to metals. It has a color core with different colors available. If it matters, it weighs less than many metal options. When we use this material we remove the protective covering and place it in our laser. It is then engraved and cut. When we remove it from the laser it is ready to use. The savings comes from eliminating expensive secondary shop services.

This modified acrylic can be used in place of brushed or polished metals, woods and colored panels.

A special thank you to the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester (BCCR). They have relied on us several times for their projects. A recent plaque we built for them is shown in the pictures.

01/18/2026

This post looks at customer service and customer support. They are different things, and we're going to tell you about a local company that excels at both, and how we worked with this company to resolve a major issue for their customers.

Customer service is defined as the service you offer your customers from the moment of contact to the sale and even after sale services. It can be hard to find these days, but good businesses practice good customer service.

Customer support is defined as the service you provide a customer with product problem solving, technical issues, trouble shooting and product use. Customer support requires special skill sets. Any business providing both customer service and customer support should be highly valued.

Large corporations are notoriously horrible for customer service and customer support. They're simply not equipped to handle them. They leave it to their vendors or distributors where customer service should happen. But what if there is an issue with the product with no immediate answer from the manufacturer? Solutions are where you notice excellence in customer support, and this is where Kerr's Service Center comes into our story.

Kerr's Service Center is a one stop shop for automobile and truck service, equipment sales and service and even Spyder (those three wheel motorcycles) service and repair. They are a highly rated small business known for taking care of their customers. A recent issue with a part on snow removal equipment that Kerr's sells left distributors without replacement parts until March or April. You might notice that's after winter. Most vendors of this equipment will tell their customers they have to wait for a redesigned part. If you know Dave Kerr you'll know that's not a solution. Dave sold snow removal equipment, his customers should be able to use that equipment this winter. Dave contacted us to see if we could reverse engineer and improve the part. He knows this is part of our business model. And that's exactly what we did.

Kerr's Service Center had a solution for a manufacturers defective part within a few days. We want to draw attention to the fact that this is new equipment. It is under warranty. The expense is absorbed by Kerr's Service Center. We made sure the manufacturer didn't get credit for this by putting Kerr's name on the part. This is customer support. This is small business making things happen.