Twisted Willow Fabrication and Laser Engraving, 5537 Crossett Road, Geneseo, NY (2026)

10/18/2026

WE SPECIALIZE AT SPECIALIZING

That's all capitalized to draw attention to the post because we're posting photos of watches, and we're not watchmakers. But we are a custom fabrication company who has equipment and processes matched to other equipment and processes to provide possibilities that are hard to find nowadays. And that can be hard to explain and understand. We've had people tell us we need an elevator pitch to quickly describe our services. Some have even tried to help us with that. The results are always long pitches that go against having a pitch in the first place. So our opportunity for a pitch often comes after the client has already found us for what is expected, in this case it was engraving.

The client, a local custom watchmaker, wanted a colored stainless steel dial blank engraved. We explained that because we have a commercial grade MOPA fiber laser, he had a lot of options. He decided on a gold colored engraving on the blue sunburst dial. We then told him he had other options. Our process--matching-process description that we just gave you also allows him full color dials as well as raised detail in metals like brass. Describing is never the same as showing, so we showed him. He was blown away and will be ordering more.

We're not watchmakers. But we know a watchmaker who can use our processes and materials to offer unique options to his clients to provide a very custom and personalized product. We're not your standard fabricator or laser engraver. We specialize at specializing.

The photos show examples of gold engraving on a colored stainless steel dial, a full color dial and an example of raised detail on brass, all using the same file.

10/05/2026

When we post, we like to tell you a story that goes along with our projects. This story has already been told.....a year ago. Last year we had the privilege of installing colored insets on the SUNY Geneseo RT. 63 masonry sign. At that time SUNY Geneseo scheduled us to do the same thing on two more masonry signs that were to be installed this year on Park Street and Bank Street. Those signs have been installed and we were able to install the insets before the inauguration of the new SUNY Geneseo president. These signs are a wonderful addition to campus and to our community. As always, we thank SUNY Geneseo for their confidence in us.

08/30/2026

We are always so honored when our farm clients come to us for their fabrication needs. Living in a farming community for 61 years, we are as familiar as we can be with what farmers face every day and every year. And even being familiar with farming, there is still much we do not know about it. But we do know farmers are some of the hardest working people in existence, and running a farm is not easy. So when a farm client brings us something like an aluminum chute to duplicate (shown in the photos), we realize their margins are tight and ours must be tight too. We will always be here for the farming community, working hard to gain their confidence and trust.

As a side note, we had a recent conversation with someone who moved to our area, which is predominantly farmland. There was a comment about noise and dust when working a field near their house. Our answer to this will always be the same. You moved to farmland, it did not move to you. Please respect our farmers, on the road and in the field.

08/16/2026

When should you look for a custom fabricator, or for that matter, anyone doing some form of custom work? The answer is really very simple. Custom work enters your world when you cannot find what you want in the production world. Can a custom fabricator make what a product manufacturer makes? Yes, but almost always at a higher cost. A manufacturer will set up product lines, and that's what they make day-in and day-out. The custom fabricator will do the same thing as a one-off solution. Custom parts are usually two to three times higher than a manufacturers production part.

When we started Twisted Willow Fabrication and Laser Engraving 12 years ago, we formed a mission statement. Something to follow to keep us on the rails. Solving problems and providing solutions while employing fairness. If you break that down, we try to help you with a problem if we can. If we can solve your problem, are we the solution? And can we be fair while providing the solution? "Fair" means fair to you and to us, can we agree on a price.

This past week we had a call from a person needing specialty hardware in quantity. We were very busy but took the time to give a quote using what our numbers told us. When the day was done we researched the cost of the same type of hardware done by an offshore production company. Our quote was twice as much. The next morning we called the customer to tell them what we had found. They could get a less robust solution with a finish (paint or powder coating) at half the price as our commercial grade solution without a finish. We would be more than happy to do the job, but...... He was very appreciative and decided to purchase the production hardware. In this case we could solve the problem. We had a solution even though we were not the solution this time. We solved the problem and provided the solution through fairness; the customer had decided to go with us until we told them of another option. We solve problems every day. Sometimes we're not part of the solution and we are not paid for that, but we are part of our community and we're here for you.

08/02/2026

People often ask us what we do as a custom fabricator. Well, one of the things we do is make what does not exist anymore, or at all for that matter. Vehicles and equipment are only supported by the manufacturer for so long. After that you're on your own or you have to replace it. We specialize in reverse engineering and even improving a problem part, and we do that with one-off and small batch parts. The parts in the photo (including the original) are a solution to a manufacturer's upgrade that would cost thousands. Upgrading the original assembly made much more financial sense rather than replacing an expensive assembly.

07/19/2026

Plaques. If you've been following us at all you'll know we have been doing plaques for years. And in the past few years we have increased the materials and processes that we work with to bring you a multitude of solutions. Those solutions range from the traditional metals that have always been used to modern high tech materials that even include full color and photo quality images. We also have mounting options with included hardware . We have a travel suitcase (literally) full of examples of those materials and processes we use so we can help you select the best plaque for your needs. And we make the process easy because we listen to you, we talk to you. We're here for you, in your own community. We partner with you for your project, and that's something you just can't get online.

The plaque in the photo was recently installed in the Village of Mount Morris. A heavy duty base was also ordered with the plaque. The entire job was done in-house at Twisted Willow Fabrication and Laser Engraving. This was a privately funded project.

07/05/2026

We pride ourselves on our ability to come up with solutions. And we love working with other local businesses who can do the same. Magnum Pest Control is a premier pest and wildlife control business in our area. Like us, they are doing what others in their industry are not doing, and sometimes that requires problem solving. New York State has identified the Finger Lakes region as a hotbed for ticks, which of course brings nasty tick borne diseases. The problem; efficiently and effectively treating hard to access public and private paths and farms. The solution; a small off-road vehicle able to gain access to these areas to precisely treat for and control vector pests.

Magnum Pest Control knew they needed a small off-road vehicle to access areas their other equipment could not. But small vehicles carry smaller loads. A small spray unit would not fit in the back of the selected UTV, so the solution was to break up the spraying unit into two sections and make the UTV one complete tool. We made a custom skid for the motor and pump which was secured in the bed. We then made a custom tank mount for the front of the UTV that can be removed quickly by pulling two pins. A minor modification to the front suspension was also made.

The photo of the tank frame on the bench is a great example of our precision tube forming abilities.

06/28/2026

Custom fabrication is not for everyone. Let's use a gate for example as this post is about a custom gate. Years ago people would look for someone in their area to build a gate. They would find someone, the gate would be built and many are still in use. Today many people will look for available options that are mass produced. They can be acquired quickly and are less expensive because they are mass produced and built to minimum standards. Many are produced offshore. Their lifespan will be shorter than a custom gate but they fill a need quickly.

Nowadays when we talk about custom builds we have to include the word "want", and it is equally important as "need" to the person seeking a custom build. Those looking for a custom gate want something special and lasting. They want the gate to fit its application and match its surroundings. They want to enjoy it, and they want it to last a long time.

The individual looking for a custom build has to realize their journey starts with a conversation. A custom fabricator should want to discuss your ideas with you. They should want to show you examples of their work and style. They should be able to help you design it. You should feel confident that you will get exactly what you want when you choose a custom fabricator.

The photos are of a custom gate we built recently. It matches other custom builds we did on the property. Its simple and elegant design comes from the mind of its owner. It is a special piece of a special property. It was carefully designed with the owner using 3D CAD to make sure we fully understood what the client wanted. It has our own hinge and latch systems. It is quiet, it is strong and it conveys the personality and style of its owner.

06/21/2026

We thought we would take a minute to share parts of conversations that we have had with customers and other local businesses with the hopes it might help you work with your local small businesses better. This post should in no way be seen as disparaging or rude. The following are parts of conversations we have every day, and we know other businesses we deal with have the same conversations.

"At least you answer the phone" - We do when we can. So do other small businesses. In our case we make a lot of noise and sometimes we can't answer the phone because we don't hear it or it's just too loud. If we're meeting with customers in person they have our full attention. The phone has to wait. You can leave a voicemail, but in most cases a text or email will get you a faster reply because we can do those things when the shop is loud.

"I stopped by and no one was there" - Twisted Willow Fabrication and Laser Engraving prefers to meet by appointment. We wear the required PPE for the jobs we are doing. When you stop by unannounced you are walking into our shop without protective gear and that could be dangerous. We also make noise, so unexpected conversation can be difficult. Occasionally we leave to pick up supplies or install custom builds. Sometimes, as the photo suggests, we're doing CAD work in the house office instead of running the entire shop when we don't need to. And very much like you, we have personal appointments. It's always best to call before you stop by.

"That seems expensive", "can you do better", "I don't want to spend too much money on this" - We have a saying here and it's not meant to be rude. What we do, as well as what other small businesses are doing for you cannot be compared to buying fast food or Caribbean T shirts. Most small businesses that we know of work very hard to provide the best of themselves at the best price. We have the same personal expenses as you as well as managing business expenses. Our prices are carefully considered. Estimates and quotes take time from our busy day, time that we could be using doing our work. It might help to provide a budget for what you would like done, but if you have no idea what to expect we will discuss it with you and do some loose estimating to see if you're interested.

We have another saying here. We both have to eat, we will give you a price that's fair to both of us. We're aware of your rising expenses, our expenses are doing the same thing. The one thing that will never change with us is you will always be treated with respect. We will provide an estimate based on a discussion we have with you and we will break that estimate down so you understand where that price is coming from. We're both in this game of life together, let's work together to get things done.

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.

Twisted Willow Fabrication and Laser Engraving

10/18/2026

10/05/2026

08/30/2026

08/16/2026

08/02/2026

07/19/2026

07/05/2026

06/28/2026

06/21/2026

05/31/2026

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