For Liam, the founder of Stories In Wood, woodworking started from a simple but meaningful idea: why should a beautiful guitar sit on a cheap metal stand?
As a carpenter by trade and a lifelong guitar player, Liam began handcrafting premium wooden guitar stands and accessories from Australian hardwoods. What started in a home workshop eventually grew into a brand that ships handmade guitar stands worldwide.
But one of the biggest turning points came when Liam added custom laser engraving to his workflow. With the help of LaserPecker, he was able to offer personalized names, messages, lyrics, and graphics — and according to Liam, that change helped his business literally double.
From Carpenter to Custom Guitar Stand Maker
Liam started Stories In Wood more than ten years ago. At the time, he was working as a carpenter and spending much of his free time in a small workshop making things by hand.
As a guitar player, he noticed that most guitar stands on the market were made from metal, plastic, and foam. They worked, but they did not match the beauty or craftsmanship of the instruments they were holding.
"I thought to myself, why am I putting my guitar down on these cheap metal stands with plastic and foam? Why don't I make some wooden guitar stands?" — Liam, Founder of Stories In Wood
That idea led him to start prototyping wooden guitar stands. After refining the design, he created the Stories In Wood brand and began selling his products online.
Today, Stories In Wood offers a range of handcrafted wooden guitar stands, wall hangers, and guitar accessories, including products such as single, double, and triple guitar stands, the Timberline Guitar Stand, the Showtime Guitar Stand, and the Halo Guitar Wall Hanger.
Source: Stories in Wood
The Problem Before Laser Engraving
In the early days, Liam's products were handmade and high quality, but they had no branding or personalization on the product itself.
The original workflow was simple:
- Make the product
- Package the product
- Ship it to the customer
Over time, Liam wanted to make the products feel more professional, more recognizable, and more personal. He first tried using a small handheld engraving pen, but the process was slow and inconsistent.
"It would take forever to do just one little logo. Then I would do the next one, and it would look completely different because there was no consistency." — Liam
After that, he moved to a traditional branding iron. At first, it seemed like a good upgrade, but it quickly became frustrating in daily production.
- Long heating time: The branding iron could take around 15 minutes to heat up properly.
- Slow repeat use: After a few brandings, it needed time to reheat again.
- Difficult alignment: It required careful hand positioning every time.
- Limited customization: It could only create the same fixed brand mark, not unique customer designs.
For a small woodworking business making premium products, Liam needed a faster, cleaner, and more flexible way to add branding and personalization.
Why Liam Chose LaserPecker
Liam knew laser engravers existed, but at first, he assumed they might be too large, too complicated, or too expensive for his workshop.
After researching different options online, he discovered the LaserPecker LP1 Pro. What caught his attention was the compact size, portability, and simple setup.
"It looked small, portable, and it wouldn't take up much space. I could tell by looking at the pictures that it was a good quality machine." — Liam
As someone who has used tools his whole life, Liam could tell the difference between a low-cost tool and a reliable one. Instead of choosing the cheapest option, he invested in LaserPecker because he wanted a machine that would last.
Once the machine arrived, the setup was even easier than expected.
"When I first got it delivered, I was using it within ten minutes of opening the box. It was that easy and quick to set up." — Liam
The Light Bulb Moment: Turning Wood Products into Personalized Gifts
At first, Liam used the laser engraver mainly to engrave the Stories In Wood logo on his products. It made each item look more professional and helped strengthen the brand identity.
But soon, he realized the laser could do much more than branding.
Many customers were not only buying guitar stands for themselves. They were buying them as gifts for partners, friends, family members, and musicians. That meant personalization had strong emotional value.
With laser engraving, Liam could offer custom options such as:
- Names
- Birthday messages
- Short quotes
- Song lyrics
- Small graphics
- Personal gift messages
This opened the door to a much larger customer group.
"A lot of people purchase my products as gifts. So personalization is a really big market. When I started offering that, it was instant." — Liam
Because the engraving process was quick and easy, Liam could offer customization at an affordable price. It did not add much extra production time, but it greatly increased the emotional value of the finished product.
According to Liam, this shift helped Stories In Wood double its business.
How Laser Engraving Fits into His Daily Workflow
Laser engraving is now a regular part of Liam's production process. Most custom orders follow a simple and repeatable workflow.
- Step 1: Receive the customer order and customization request.
- Step 2: Prepare the guitar stand or wooden accessory.
- Step 3: Complete rough sanding and finish sanding.
- Step 4: Clean the raw timber surface.
- Step 5: Laser engrave the name, message, logo, or design.
- Step 6: Apply the oil finish.
- Step 7: Match the product with the correct shipping label and ship it out.
Liam usually engraves before applying oil because he finds the results are cleaner on raw timber. However, he has also tested engraving after oiling and found that it can work depending on the project.
"I'll finish the product, sand it, wipe it down to the bare timber, do the engraving, then put the oil finish on it and it's ready to go." — Liam
This makes the whole process streamlined and reliable, especially for a business that ships personalized orders worldwide.
Why Portability Matters in a Woodworking Workshop
For Liam, one of the biggest advantages of LaserPecker is portability.
His workshop already has many large woodworking machines, so he did not want a large laser engraver taking up permanent bench space. A compact machine fits his workflow much better.
The portable design allows him to:
- Move the laser around the workshop easily
- Set it up on different benches or surfaces
- Engrave odd-shaped wooden products
- Store it away when not in use
- Keep more workspace available for woodworking
"When I'm done with it, I literally just put it in the corner and I don't even know it's there. It's completely out of the way." — Liam
Later, Liam also upgraded to the LaserPecker LP1 Plus. He especially liked the adjustable stand and the ability to change the engraving angle, which makes it easier to work on different surfaces and larger objects.
Consistent Engraving on Different Types of Wood
Stories In Wood works with different timber species, including hardwoods with different colors, densities, and grain patterns. Each type of wood reacts differently to laser engraving.
To keep results consistent, Liam uses a simple testing system:
- Test first: Try the engraving settings on scrap wood before engraving the final product.
- Adjust settings: Fine-tune power, depth, and passes based on the wood type.
- Record results: Write down the best settings for each timber.
- Repeat confidently: Use the saved settings again for future orders.
"If I engrave a new type of timber, I'll play around with it on some scrap and get the settings right. Then I'll record the settings, so next time I can just put those settings back in." — Liam
This is especially important because each wooden product already takes time to make. By testing and recording settings, Liam can avoid mistakes and keep the final engraving clean and professional.
Long-Term Reliability for Daily Business Use
Liam has used his LaserPecker machine every day for well over a year. For a small business owner, reliability matters because the machine is not just a hobby tool — it is part of the daily production workflow.
Even after regular use, Liam says the engraving accuracy remains consistent.
"I've been using it every day for well over a year and it doesn't miss a beat. For me, the biggest thing is the quality." — Liam
He also uses the machine for very small detailed work, such as engraved wooden guitar picks and pick holders. These small products require precise engraving, and the machine continues to deliver detailed results over time.
Liam's Advice for Other Woodworkers
When asked what advice he would give to another woodworker or small business owner considering a laser engraver, Liam's answer was direct:
"Stop thinking about it and just get one." — Liam
Looking back, Liam feels he spent too much time trying manual engraving and branding irons before switching to laser engraving.
For him, the biggest benefits were clear:
- Better consistency: Each engraving can look clean and repeatable.
- Faster workflow: Custom engraving becomes quick enough for daily orders.
- More product options: Names, messages, graphics, and gift designs become possible.
- Stronger customer appeal: Personalized products feel more meaningful.
- More business opportunities: Customization attracts a larger group of buyers.
"Having the laser opens up more avenues for you to explore within a small business. There's really no advantage to not having one." — Liam
Where to Find Stories In Wood
If you want to explore Liam's handcrafted guitar stands, wooden accessories, and custom engraving work, you can find Stories In Wood here:
Website: Stories In Wood
Instagram: @stories.in.wood
Final Words
For woodworkers, makers, and small business owners, custom engraving can help you offer more than a finished product. It allows you to create something personal, memorable, and made for a specific customer.
Ready to start your own laser engraving journey? Explore how LaserPecker can help you add personalization, improve your workflow, and create custom products your customers will remember.
