Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Shelton.
Hi Justin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In the early 2000s, I worked for a fitness company in Tennessee, where I was tasked with increasing the productivity and efficiency of our production processes. After working my way through each position in the company, there seemed to be a clear direction in improving our seat-making process. Our backboards for each pad was hand cut with a jig-saw and template, then had to be hand drilled to locate mounting holes. The opportunity was to outsource this cutting to a company that had a CNC router, create a bulk ordering and inventory process. While calling local companies and discussing timelines, it was obvious that CNC router service was in hot demand as everyone quoted 5+ weeks lead-time. After setting up the process and creating all the necessary files, I set in my mind that one day I would own one.
Several times in the past 20 years, I have inquired and dropped the ball due to pricing, economy, or sheer fear of failure. In October 2020, I made the commitment to myself that now is the time. Searching daily for months, a machine was found on Craigslist in Houston. During my research, the choice was hobby models or production capable heavy-duty framed models. Based on my past history, I knew that the best course of action was to invest well early and not tinker with the frustration of toys.
I refinanced my truck to pull enough cash together for the purchase and we made the drive. The machine, a Laguna iQ 24″x36″, weighed 400 lbs and had a solid steel welded base. I knew this was the one as soon as I saw it. Luckily, I was able to talk the seller down enough to have cash left over for purchasing the CNC Router design and toolpath creation software, Vectric VCarve Pro. With my background in design and fabrication, using SolidWorks and AutoCad, I was able to almost hit the ground running on the design side.
The business officially started in January 2021 as Conceptual Creations. I had already been using this name for my side gig doing architectural remodel designs with Chief Architect and 3D mechanical design with Solid Works. In May 2021, we rebranded to Howling Sawdust to become closely associated with wood and to incorporate our howling Husky for recognition. Today our niche is custom-personalized whiskey and cigar trays with an expansion into family name signs and bar taps. What sets us apart from others? I am committed to delivering designs with details that others cannot match at the same price point. How do I do this? My time is invested in maximizing toolpath efficiency. I spend hours studying techniques and practicing different options to make the same look faster without sacrificing quality. There are several options that I offer, mainly digitizing handwriting, that are undersold based on how long it takes to run the files. Why would I undersell this option? Allowing customers to personalize their products with their handwriting is something no one else is doing. While my machine is running, I’ll be back on the laptop working on the next client. An extra 20 minutes leaves an outstanding remark on people. My end goal is to create smiles and memories, not get rich. This is shown on my Etsy account with 100% 5-star reviews.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The hardest part was making the final decision and saying, “come hell or high water, I’m going to do this!”. Then reality sets in, and as we all know, 2020 was not a year of huge savings accounts. Luckily, I had enough equity in my truck to pull cash and make the purchase. After that point, most everything has been fairly smooth. The time allocated to the business stays fairly full. What weeks are slow are made up with busy ones later.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I grew up in East Tennessee with a dad and mom who enjoyed teaching me things. My dad was tuff and rugged, with callused hands from years of hard work. He raised a family, 3 steps sons, son, and wife, on $13.00/hr job. His ethics and morals poured into me, watching him do things from mowing the lawn to splitting/stacking firewood. We grew up heating our house with a wood stove, so a good part of our summer was dedicated to cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood for the coming winter. Not that Tennessee has bad winters, but 32 degrees is cold no matter where you live.
My mother was very traditional with cooking and cleaning. She blessed me with observations and teachings on how to run the kitchen so that when I was grown, I could help with house chores. We didn’t spend much time together as I was growing up, but now as an adult, we tag team cooking whenever I am in town. Mom took us to church and taught us what it was to be a spiritual warrior. She is my rock and an amazing person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.howlingsawdust.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howlingsawdust
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howlingsawdust
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HowlingSawdust
Image Credits
Personal Photo – Brian Zielinski
Additional photos – Justin Shelton
