Vintage Industrial Meets Technological Advancement
A scroll through the Instagram of Wettrock Co. would have most believing this company has been a staple of the vintage industrial style for years. The stunning live edge wood paired beautifully with custom cast iron bases boasts details, craftsmanship, and cohesion that appears to have been perfected over decades and thousands of projects. In an absolutely shocking revelation, Wettrock Co. is only around a year old! While the company is still relatively new, however, the skills that produce these beautiful pieces have been coming together for quite some time.
Kevin Whetstone is the sole artisan responsible for these creations. He has had an incredible journey up to this point and doesn't intend the journey from here on out to be anything less. In his college years, Kevin was a glassblower. He then spent 26 years building a screen printing and embroidery business before he eventually sold the company, and his passion for metal and woodworking started to take shape.
About two years ago, after some life-changing health experiences, Kevin decided he was done with corporate life altogether and started building out a woodshop and a metal shop. It started with a project he wanted to do for his home surrounding a vintage industrial look that would use metal and wood. Fortunately, when it came to some legs Kevin wanted, he couldn't find them anywhere. For most people, not finding something would be an unfortunate turn of events. For Kevin, it just meant a new skill set to be learned.
The Foundation By Way of Foundry
Unable to find the legs he wanted, Kevin taught himself computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM). To further streamline the process, he taught himself how to use G-Code, Cope and Drag pattern making, and learned about green sand casting. It took about a year, but then, through a relationship with a foundry that dated back to his grandfather, all the pieces were in a place to pour the cast iron legs. Kevin started making tables with this new skill set, initially out of reclaimed wood and his custom cast iron bases and, eventually, live edge slabs too.
With his background in engineering, Kevin is comfortable fixing just about anything if it has a mechanical or electrical component. This afforded him the opportunity to acquire a non-functional 43" Timesaver for a fraction of a new machine's price. A few hundred dollars in parts later, and labor, of course, the machine was ready to go . What started with a table saw, jointer, planer, work area, and the metal area is now a 12,000 sq ft shop with the Timesaver, iDRY vacuum kiln, Wood Wizz, and more. On the docket for 2021, Wettrock Co. also plans to add a CNC router and a CNC plasma cutter.
The Start to Finish Process
Eventually, clients started asking Kevin about live-edge tables; this is what led to the iDRY purchase. Before the iDRY kiln, Kevin had some struggles trying to find live edge slabs that were high enough quality for his products. He recalls that he never had a table leave the shop when he relied on others for kiln drying. There was absolutely no way he would put his reputation behind something that had started warping before it even left his custody. Fortunately, now, Kevin is responsible for everything but harvesting the tree. From the point it's tipped over on the ground to the time it is placed in the customer's home, he is involved in every step of the process.
Kevin buys the logs and works with a local sawer to cut the logs to size before they go into the kiln stacked and stickered. Each log is serial numbered and tagged, and Kevin records how long each log is in the kiln and tests the moisture content each week. When the moisture content is between 6-8% then, it is ready to be worked with.
Since getting the iDRY kiln, Kevin has been able to exercise more quality control, and his time to market has improved. As of yet, there hasn't been a single day Kevin hasn't used his kiln either. With a highly efficient approach, there is always another load of wood going in as soon as one comes out.
Another essential aspect of Wettrock Co. is that every single part of his products are made in the United States. The wood, the iron, the mold, every single aspect. Kevin also has an entire area for metalwork, cutting, and both MIG and TIG welding in his shop. Lately, he has been becoming a custom fabrication shop for high-end homes and businesses.
The Heart of The Business
Kevin takes an incredible amount of pride in producing heirloom furniture. The running joke with him and his customers is that if they have kids, they need to make sure they put the table in the will or else there will be a fight for it. This vintage industrial style is essentially timeless, and the care, focus, and quality that Kevin puts into his work means these custom pieces will exist much longer than any of us will. Ultimately that is the goal and something Kevin is always trying to educate people about.
Many people buy green slabs and try to make a table, then they are confused when it splits or warps and question how Kevin's products will really last generations. In his experience, you have to focus on education.
"You can't tell a customer what they want. You won't get anywhere that way. Instead, you need to teach them about your product and about your process. Show them the moisture meter, explain the difference between green lumber and dried wood, and what those pieces will look like years from now. Educate them and send them off with the information. If they get it, they will come back and understand the price, time, and benefits."
One massive benefit from leaving the corporate world has been that ability to interact one on one with his customers. The education, collaboration, and ultimately reaction of someone seeing their piece completed for the first time makes all the difference. As Kevin says, the greatest satisfaction is being able to deliver a 50" by 10' black walnut table on a custom foundry poured base and see the owners stunned by how gorgeous it is, jaw on the floor, completely thrilled.
What's Next for Wettrock Co.
With new equipment on the docket for this year and a return to his glass blowing roots imminent, the real question is, what isn't next for Wettrock Co.?
Kevin Whetstone is an innovative artisan with an entrepreneurial spirit, fuelled by a love of his craft and customers. His appreciation of classic, vintage industrial style coupled with his passion for innovative technology, new ideas, and electronic advancement means that the sky is the limit for this small business owner and artisan.
This year Kevin intends to be working back in the glass studio to combine hand-blown glass, wood, and cast iron metals to provide another unique combination of elements to his creations. He also hopes to be able to attend some of the high-end art fairs and home shows he did pre-covid to continue sharing his passion for this industry and love of accentuating the natural beauty of wood, glass, and metal.
When asked about advice he'd offer others interested in this industry, he says it breaks down into two essential components. For the makers, he says they need to understand their own skills, learn the processes, and embrace their creativity.
For producers, it's all about knowing the product, knowing the wood, educating your customers, and focusing on the quality processes like drying.
To see more incredible work from Wettrock Co., check them out here: