These carvings are cool, but a machine is making them. How can they possibly cost that much?

CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machines are truly amazing. They can repeat moves within a thousandth of an inch or so. Here is a list of what they can not do.

• They can not go out and select, buy or haul the wood they cut

• They can not hand pick each piece that goes into a carving

• They can not straighten, flatten, or glue individual boards together to create the blanks that makes every single carving

• They can not create the artwork and generate the code that makes them do their magic

• They can not stain and highlight each carving. Nor can they apply and hand rub the finish

• They can not box, pack and ship their creations

• Most importantly, they can not make wood a perfect material to carve. Wood, in all its glory, is a perfectly imperfect material. Just the process of carving will reveal flaws and irregularities in the wood. Sometimes this makes for spectacular results. Other times it destroys the piece. It’s like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get. No carving EVER comes off the machine ready to sell. Every single one of them require hours of clean-up with tiny hand and power tools. These carvings could be made by hand but would take days to complete rather than hours. This is why you can get an heirloom for a couple of hundred dollars instead of several thousand, it’s still a lot of work.

Is walnut the only wood you use?

This has a bit of a complicated answer. I admit that walnut is a personal favorite of mine, but that’s not really why I have chosen to use it for so many of the pieces you see here. Even though walnut is a moderately expensive wood, part of the reason I use it is to hold down expenses. In general I have found that darker woods clean up more easily after carving. Maple for instance, a beautiful, but much lighter wood in color, usually takes about twice as long to prepare for finish. Quality wood is expensive, but like everything else today, labor is the largest expense. The longer an item takes to clean up after carving, the more it will cost. I can make you whatever you want out of whatever wood you prefer, but I have found that walnut is usually a cost effective and beautiful choice.

How much do you charge to make a custom carving from my own idea?

I charge $30 per hour for design work. I have found that design usually takes between two and three hours after we come up with a basic plan. Unless you have an extreme idea in mind, I stop charging for design work at $100. Simple signs usually can be designed in a few minutes and I don’t charge for anything less than thirty minutes. If you budget $100 for the initial design, it’ll be enough. After that it really depends on how large your project needs to be. I’ll estimate how much wood I’ll use and how long it will take to carve, clean up, and finish. You’ll have a firm price, before I ever start. I will NEVER charge more than you’ve been quoted, unless you make changes after work has begun. Email us today to start something special. rj@kardocustom.com

What does Kardo Mean?

My daughter, clever girl, came up with this. My wife’s name is Kathy (I call her Katie Kaye) and my daughter calls me Wardo. It’s a combination of the two names. Kardo. Three people in the world can call me dad, One of them calls me Wardo. Geez

I see your email address is rj@kardocustom.com. Who the hell is RJ?

Well, I’m also RJ. Some quiet night if you run across my son, who is also a pilot, you can ask him how that came about. I know he’ll tell you the true story. If you ask me to confirm it, I’ll lie.

Why do I have to pay tax just because I live in Iowa?

All merchants who operate business’s in Iowa and sell their products in Iowa (like Kardo Custom does) must charge state and local taxes. Iowa state tax is 6%. Some, but not all counties have an additional 1% sales tax. All states, including Iowa, have a nexus threshold that allows vendors from out of state to sell their goods without charging or paying sales taxes until they sell a certain dollar amount or a certain number of items. With your help, we could reach nexus about six days before the sun explodes.