CUSTOM WOOD TURNING
Glacial Wood Products can meet the needs of even your most complicated custom wood turning designs. Whether it’s tight tolerances and fast turnarounds, our craftsmen create accurate and high quality wood balusters, newel posts, finials, columns, base blocks, stair parts, cabinet components, furniture parts and an unlimited variety of wood turnings for our clients.

STOCK WOOD TURNING COMPONENTS
Glacial Wood Products also offers a line of stock wood turning components featuring standard sizes for stair parts, novelty items, cabinet components and furniture parts. For exact specifications and dimensions, please go to our stock product catalog. Whether your project needs custom wood pieces or stock items, make Glacial Wood Products your wood component supplier of choice. We offer a large variety of wood species for:

Balusters
Stair Parts
Newel Posts
Finials
Cabinet Parts
Furniture Legs
Table Legs
Columns
Post Caps
Rosettes
Millwork
Base Blocks
Novelty Items
Specialty Items
Store Fixtures
Construction Projects

Glacial Wood Products now offers a complete line of wood blanks specifically for stairs. We offer Stair Baluster Blanks and Stair Tread Blanks (with or without bull nose) in a variety of sizes. Stair blanks are available in three different wood species (Maple, Cherry, Oak) and Paint Grade.

Visit our online store now to see the complete line of blanks for your craft or construction project.

Glacial Wood is proud to announce that we recently expanded our product line to include over 250 Wood Blank options. The blanks are offered in a variety of wood species and styles including:
• Square Turning Blanks
• Blanks for Stairs
• Blanks for Crafts
• Butcher Block Blanks
• Flat Panel Blanks.

“In recent years, there has been a growing demand for wood blanks,” said Dick Johnson, President of Glacial Wood Products. “For years we’ve been making high-quality blanks for our own manufacturing needs, now we’ve made them available to everyone.” For furniture manufacturers, cabinet makers, builders and crafters, half the challenge is starting with good pieces of wood. Now our high quality and convenient online ordering allows you to save time in pre-production work and focus your energy on creating.

The entire line of blanks can be found on our online store at glacialwood.com/store.

Glacial Wood Products is one of the largest custom wood turning manufacturers in North America. Through the use of the latest software and machinery they are able to accommodate custom orders, no matter the quantity or level of detail, to various industries and clients all over the world. Glacial Wood Products is also proud to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

In the July 2011 of CWB Magazine, Glacial Wood Products was featured for our collaborative project with European artist Andrzej J. Olejniczak. See the article below or link to it here.

“CNC Gets Wood Ball Turning at Glacial Wood Products”

International artist, Andrzej J. Olejniczak, and wood turning manufacturer, Glacial Wood Products (GWP), recently completed a unique geometric work of art that will be displayed in a European art show in November of 2011. Images courtesy Andrzej

European artist Andrzej J. Olejniczak and Glacial Wood Products, Brooten, MN, have completed a unique geometric work of art for a November 2011 European art show — a 10-inch wood ball (and matching box) turned on a CNC lathe, using laminated slabs of maple and walnut. The project, says Olejniczak, results from “searching for the unexpected within simplicity in the world of geometry.” Olejniczak, based in Lodz, Poland, says his approach merges applied arts to fine arts. His precision-styled work is a natural for a custom woodworker, but Olejniczak said it was hard to find a woodshop to do it.

“Many times the collaborating party would show little interest in production of a single piece that required so much attention to detail and precision in execution,” he said. “I’m known to be very particular,” he adds, so “it was a very new experience for me to work long distance without the ability to oversee every stage.”

Johnson says Olejniczak’s art “utilized many of our skills in high tech wood turning capabilities.”

Johnson notes that his firm is well equipped to handle unique and short run projects. “We cater to the custom world; we do a lot of short run things,” Johnson says. “But it doesn’t mean we can’t do long runs.” One example of a long run: the official Harry Potter wand.

“We supply a lot of large companies,” Johnson says. “Cabinet manufacturers are our core. Cabinet companies are going more to furniture-like items.” Adding custom-turned or specialized wood components “add that furniture look.”

For Olejniczak’s project, the ball had to fit precisely in the convex box, yet spin freely. Glacial Wood Products first made a laminaed box from the maple and walnut boards, then turned them precisely into the 10-inch ball.

Olejniczak said the final piece “not only met all my expectations, it surpassed them. It was peerlessly executed.” Glacial will show Olejniczak’s work online in November. It also has launched techniques for using multiple species in one part and laser engraving and square post design.

More pictures will be available after Olejniczak’s European Art show this coming November and will proudly be displayed on both Olejniczak’s website and Glacial Wood Products’ site.

With the many species of domestic hardwood available, it isn’t always clear which species will be right for your project. Now Midwest Hardwood Corporation offers a great guide on their website that provides details on 24 species of hardwood from Alder to Yellow Poplar. Detail include: Grade, Color Specifications, and Common Uses such as flooring, millwork, baseball bats, table legs, etc. Click here to visit their site and learn more.

Brooten, MN (June 16, 2011) Designers in the construction, remodeling, furniture and cabinet making industries continually challenge wood-turning manufacturers to create unique, custom designs, however their options have been limited. Now Glacial Wood Products (GWP) has developed new techniques to create more intricate designs and innovative looks.

Among the new techniques GWP has developed are: using multiple species in one part, laser engraving, and square post designs. “We take the challenges we receive and new design trends seriously,” explained Dick Johnson, President of Glacial Wood Products. “These techniques can take a wood turning project from average to stunning.”

The new techniques open up an array of new options for designers to create custom, personalized looks for their customers. From engraved faces of family members on a column to multi-species staircase spindles. “We pride ourselves in doing what most turning companies can’t do,” said Johnson.

With their work being recently featured on the nationally syndicated television show, Hometime and recognized on WoodworkingNetwork.com, it appears that the innovative GWP is making strides in the wood turning industry. To see GWP’s portfolio, visit their website’s photo gallery www.glacialwood.com.

“Instant custom pricing is something that is unheard of in the custom wood turning industry because of the complexity of designs,” said Dick Johnson, President of Glacial Wood Products. He and his team have developed an online calculator to make custom estimating not only immediate, but easy.

“Our pricing structure is very simple. The same size piece in the same species is the same price, no matter what design you need,” explained Johnson. “That allows designers to be as creative as they want in customizing the look of a home”.

The straightforward pricing structure has made it simple for Glacial Wood to develop their Instant Custom Price Calculator. The formula takes into consideration the wood species, quantity, diameter, and length. The only real differences in pricing occur in optional multi-piece construction, turning options (fluted, reeded, roped), and notching options. Once selected, the system immediately calculates an estimate including shipping. “We value our customers’ time and this is a great way for them to price out options quickly and easily,” said Johnson.

To try Glacial Wood’s new instant custom price calculator, visit their website at www.glacialwood.com.

International artist, Andrzej J. Olejniczak, and wood turning manufacturer, Glacial Wood Products (GWP), recently completed a unique geometric work of art that will be displayed in a European Art Show in November of 2011.

Olejniczak has been an artist for over 25 years. His success is rooted in his ability to simultaneously merge his imagination between applied arts and fine arts. When asked what his inspiration for the project was, Olejniczak described it as a, “result of searching for the unexpected within simplicity in the world of geometry.”

Olejniczak explained how hard it was to find a wood turning partner to work with. “Many times the collaborating party would show little interest in production of a single piece that required so much attention to detail and precision in execution,” he said. “I’m known to be very particular about the execution of my projects and it was a very new experience for me to work long distance without the ability to oversee every stage of development.”

GWP has a reputation of inviting designers to challenge them with their most unique and intricate turns. Dick Johnson, owner of GWP, seized the opportunity. He said the unique piece of art that Olejniczak had designed, “utilized many of our skills in high tech wood turning capabilities.”

Olejniczak is looking forward to continuing his collaboration with GWP. While describing his experience in receiving the final piece, he said, “it not only met all my expectations it surpassed them. It was peerlessly executed.”
Pictures will be available after Olejniczak’s European Art show this coming November and will proudly be displayed on both Olejniczak’s websites (www.generativevision.com) and GWP’s (www.glacialwood.com).

Glacial Wood Products is the largest custom wood turning manufacturer in North America. Through the use of the latest software and machinery they are able to accommodate custom orders, no matter the quantity or level of detail, to various industries and clients all over the world. GWP is also proud to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Brooten, MN (April 13, 2011) Master wood carver and wood turning manufacturer team up to create breathtaking pieces of architecture.

Konstantinos Papadakis, Minneapolis, MN, is an old world master wood carver. His woodcarvings have graced homes, offices, churches and public buildings throughout the world. Starting at the early age of 9, Papadakis has mastered several styles including Byzantine, Barocco (Baroque), Gothic and Greek folk styles and the traditional Cretan form of Kritieptamsiaco.

His latest project is to create an iconostasis (the wall of icons separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church), which will be featured in a church in Rochester, MN. When asked about what inspires these beautiful works of art, Papadakis replied, “I am guided by my faith for my carvings…it has never failed me.”

With a goal completion date set this summer, Papadakis reached out to Dick Johnson of Glacial Wood Products in Brooten, MN. The two have worked on several projects together in the past and Papadakis says it is unlikely that will ever change. He enjoys working with Dick and will continue to work with him as long as he is carving.

“[Glacial Wood Products] does what I ask them to do. You see I’m an old man with an old tradition. I like the old traditional way. I like things to be done the correct way. Glacial Wood Products communicates well with me and they do what I’m asking for. They do my job well,” said Papadakis.

“Working with Konstantinos is a privilege. It is rewarding to see the intricacy of his hand-carved pieces paired with the precision of our work. He is a very talented man and we enjoy working with him,” said Johnson.

Once the project is completed, photographs will be proudly displayed on both of their websites (www.konstantinospapadakis.com and www.glacialwood.com). For more information, please contact Dick Johnson.

Glacial Wood Products is an FSC certified wood turning manufacturer. Through the use of the latest software and machinery, they are able to accommodate custom orders, no matter the quantity or level of detail, to various industries and clients all over the world.

Columns as decor
Where and how are you using columns in your work? We like to see our pieces used in new ways, not just in the usual places. One of our clients is using some of Glacial’s columns as décor in shelving and fireplace mantles. Columns are also great to define living spaces in open floor plans. What species are you using for your columns? If you are going to paint them, consider using a less expensive species like poplar. We have a variety of species to choose from. Fluting reeding, roping and caps can complete your look. Play around with Glacial Wood’s column builder for some ideas. http://www.glacialwood.com/products/columns-and-capitals/column-builder

Columns as room dividers