“At Highland Manor Wood Products, every design begins as a carefully planned vision. From selecting quality materials to hand-finishing each detail, we ensure every piece reflects craftsmanship, durability, and timeless beauty.”
Design & Development
Every part starts as an idea. That idea is carefully translated into a drawing, guided by more than 40 years of industry experience. We understand which designs have truly stood the test of time and which styles reflect today’s trends. Just as important, we listen closely to our customers- your ideas and feedback help shape a product line that meets today’s design standards while remaining timeless.
Precision Turning
We use Mattison rotary lathes to turn our legs and feet, ensuring consistency, strength, and clean profiles. Every set of knives used in production is ground by hand in-house. This allows us to control every detail, resulting in parts that are sharp, crisp, and visually stunning. Each knife set is also meticulously harmonic and static balanced for smooth, accurate cuts.
In-House Knife Maintenance
When knives need sharpening, they never leave our shop. All grinding and sharpening are done by hand in our grinding room. Some of our knife sets were originally built many years ago, and we carefully maintain them to preserve their exact profiles. Because these tools stay in-house, you can order the same part 10, 15, or even 20 years later and receive an identical product. Every production run is set up and tested against an original reference part to guarantee consistency.
Finishing & Inspection
Each part is hand sanded with 150-grit sandpaper to ensure a smooth, uniform surface. Every piece leaves our shop ready to be stained or painted. Before shipping, all parts are thoroughly inspected for quality and defects.
Our Commitment
We stand behind our work. If you are not satisfied with your order for any reason, contact us and we will work with you to make it right.
This is our process- a proven method that ensures every part we produce, whether a stock item or a fully custom design, receives the care, precision, and inspection it deserves.
Step One: Drafting
Every part begins with drafting. Using CAD software, we take an idea and turn it into a precise drawing that defines the shape, proportions, and character of the finished part.
Designs are developed from current market trends, custom customer requests, and refined adaptations of historic turnings. Each drawing is carefully edited and reviewed to ensure lines, transitions, and details are exactly right.
Because this drawing becomes the foundation for grinding our knives and producing the final turning, it sets the standard for accuracy, consistency, and craftsmanship throughout our entire process.
Step Two: Grinding
Every knife is ground by hand to ensure it matches the drafted pattern with absolute precision. We rely on manual grinding so our craftsmen can visually inspect each knife as it is shaped, catching any burrs, chips, or imperfections immediately.
This hands-on approach allows us to correct even the smallest issue before the tooling ever reaches the lathe. By the time production begins, the knives are clean, sharp, and perform exactly as intended.
Step Three: Balancing
Before wood ever touches steel, we verify that each set of knives matches the drafted pattern exactly. Just as critical is balancing the knives to ensure perfect weight distribution.
Proper balance is essential for safe, accurate, and consistent turning. If a knife set is even slightly out of balance, it can lead to vibration, poor performance, or damage to the machine. By carefully balancing every set in-house, we protect our equipment and ensure smooth operation and precise results on every part.
Step Four: Turning
Each part begins with a carefully turned prototype, ensuring the shape, contours, and details match the drafted pattern exactly. This initial piece allows us to catch and correct any imperfections, guaranteeing that the final product will meet our highest standards.
No production run begins until this crucial step is completed and any issues are resolved. This ensures every part coming off the lathe meets our strict standards for accuracy, finish, and quality.
Step Five: Sanding & Finishing
Each finished part is carefully compared to its original sample to ensure that every production run matches perfectly, maintaining consistency and quality across all pieces.
From this point, each piece is hand sanded with 150-grit sandpaper, creating a smooth, even surface ready for staining or painting. This careful step ensures that every part not only meets our high standards of precision but also feels and looks exceptional.
Step Six: Shipping
Before shipment, every part is thoroughly inspected and packaged to ensure it arrives in perfect condition. We ship our products all over the United States, and each part arrives ready for the customer to apply their final finishing touches before installation.
Step Seven: American Made
Every part we create is proudly crafted in Jamestown New York, by skilled American craftsmen. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality, durability, and precision, ensuring that every piece that leaves our shop meets our exacting standards.
Being American made is more than a label; it represents a dedication to craftsmanship, community, and tradition. From selecting the finest materials found in the Northeast to the careful attention in every step of production, our products reflect the heritage and pride of American manufacturing. When you choose Highland Manor Wood Products, you are supporting local artisans and a long-standing tradition of excellence that spans generations.