Nick G Sawdust and Slingers

01/16/2026

After a busy season, we take time to go through the shop and verify that everything is still dialed in.

This included checking the laser camera alignment. While it was still performing well, we noticed it was slightly off from where we want it, so we recalibrated it.

Nothing was impacted. This is about keeping everything in tip top shape so we can deliver the best results with speed and consistency. Accuracy matters, and small adjustments behind the scenes make a big difference in finished work.

Great results don’t happen by chance. They come from paying attention to the details.

12/02/2025

11/30/2025

Just a little behind the scenes. Even our tags we are making.

11/24/2025

It’s officially the season of “I need a custom thing… for an event… who can make it?”

Makers everywhere brace themselves… because this is usually followed by:

No photo.
No size.
No material.
No timeline.
No budget.
Just vibes.

Look we love making cool stuff. But “mysterious custom project with unspecified details” is actually 10 different projects until proven otherwise.

So here’s a fun cheat sheet to make your maker’s life 100x easier (and get your quote way faster):

When asking a maker for something custom, start with:
✔️ What the item is
✔️ Size
✔️ Material preference
✔️ Quantity
✔️ Deadline
✔️ Example photo or sketch

The sooner we know what you actually want… the sooner we can start making it.

Help us help you — and save everyone from playing “Detective of the Mystery Project: Holiday Edition.

11/20/2025

Behind the Scenes at Sawdust & Slingers LLC 🪵🎄

You ever roll your mouse wheel in… then out… then back in… just to make sure nothing in the file is touching?
That was me today. 😅

Packed 166 ornament pieces into one sheet laser-cut Tetris at its finest. It took way more time than I’d like to admit, but maximizing every inch of material is part of the fun… and part of the chaos.

No dramatic “lift the sheet and everything drops out perfectly” moment coming on this one — this run is going to leave behind confetti-sized scraps. 😂

Now we hope the digital world behaves in the real world. Fingers crossed. 🔥

11/08/2025

Lasers? Running.
3D printer? Screaming.
Me? Wondering if I need more caffeine or an intervention. ☕⚡

Sawdust & Slingers LLC

11/03/2025

Even the best-laid laser plans have a little oops baked in!

While cutting out a full sheet of snowflake ornaments on the Thunder Nova 51, I realized (a bit too late 😅) that I’d forgotten to switch from the engraving nozzle to the cutting nozzle. At that point, the only choices were:

1️⃣ Scrap the whole sheet, or
2️⃣ Swap nozzles mid-job and try to save it.

We went with option 2, crossed our fingers, and kept running the job — and somehow only lost one! 🙌

Not every run goes perfectly, but that’s part of the creative process — learning, adjusting, and pushing through. After a serious cleanup session (and a few very yellow fingers from all that residue), we got it done. Sawdust & Slingers LLC 💪❄️

10/28/2025

✨ Sneak Peek in the Shop ✨
Here’s a look at one of the charcuterie boards I’m currently working on — mountains engraved and filled with epoxy. It still needs some sanding and finishing touches, but it’s already shaping up to be something special! 🏔️

You’ll be able to see (and maybe take home!) this piece at the market on Nov 8th at the American Legion Post 5 in Colorado Springs, right after the Veterans Day Parade. Sawdust & Slingers LLC

Come by to check out this board and other handcrafted pieces — or chat with us about your next custom project! The holidays are coming fast, so now’s the perfect time to get those unique, personalized gifts started. 🎁

10/24/2025

🪵 The Small Shop Reality: Why It’s Not as Simple as “Just Sell on Etsy.”

We hear it all the time — “You should sell on Etsy!” or “Your stuff would do amazing online!”

And while that sounds great on paper, the reality for many small makers is a bit more complicated. Platforms like Etsy often take a big cut of each sale, add listing and transaction fees, and shift the customer relationship away from the maker. You can’t build real connections when you’re just another listing in a massive digital marketplace.

On top of that, we’ve all experienced the “rush order” requests — the “Can I get it tomorrow?” messages that come minutes after finalizing an order. It’s rarely about unwillingness to hustle — it’s that craftsmanship takes time. Quality takes time. Communication takes time.

Then there’s the brick-and-mortar challenge — markets and boutique spaces that want 12-month commitments, $400+ monthly rents, and even a cut of your sales — all while offering little protection against theft or damage. Corporate retail can absorb that kind of cost. Small shops like ours can’t.

We share this not to complain, but to help shed light on what goes into every handmade, local, custom-crafted item you see from a small business. Behind every laser engraving, woodcut, and design is time, planning, and passion — not a warehouse or an algorithm.

So when you support a local maker — when you message, share, or buy directly — you’re helping keep this craft alive and personal.

❤️ Thank you to everyone who’s chosen to support Sawdust & Slingers and other small makers like us. It makes all the difference.