About Joey

After graduating from college, having dedicated most of my time there to competitive running, I found myself with a degree but no concrete idea of what type of career to pursue. I began working at a running shoe store in the Santa Cruz area, hoping that an opportunity would pop up. One day, my grandfather suggested that I try milling the logs of dead and fallen trees on an old family property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. My great-grandfather had purchased 100 acres in the 1930s and I spent my childhood running around and exploring the undeveloped land. Coming from a family of resourceful people who have built their own homes, it felt natural to take a chance. I purchased the equipment I needed, read a lot of books and watched a lot of YouTube videos, and soon began milling the logs.

I had originally intended to sell some of the slabs and use others to make basic picnic tables, but after researching the wood I had (madrone, tan oak, and redwood), I realized I had to expand on what I learned in Woodworking class in high school. I contacted a local woodworker and asked to apprentice with him. After six months of brushing up on my old skills and learning so many new ones, I felt prepared to start working on my own and Kochlacs Wood began. It started in a shed in my backyard, then graduated to a rented shipping container, and has found its final home in a true woodworking studio on the Westside of Santa Cruz. 

In the past few years, Kochlacs Wood has expanded and I no longer use only the wood from the property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I also mill fallen trees from residential and urban properties and purchase slabs from sustainable lumber companies throughout California. The core values I began with remain the same: I only use sustainably sourced lumber from California trees and am dedicated to working with clients to create the most beautiful piece possible. If you are interested in visiting the wood shop in person, please contact me. I am passionate about what I do and love sharing it with others.

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Policies
 

1. A deposit covering the cost of materials and some initial labor (TBD) is due before commencement of a project.

2. Deposits are non-refundable. Specific materials cut to specific sizes can't always be used again while retaining their value.

3. Samples of stains and finishes on a particular project have a base price of $25 per sample, before shipping costs.

4. Finishes are not warrantied. No finish is completely impervious to scratches.

5. The remainder of a project's cost is due upon completion. I encourage coming to view the piece or at least approving pictures before delivery. 

6. There may be a delivery charge on top of the project cost, which can be highly variable depending on size, weight, distance travelled, fragility etc. 

7. Prices bid are then subject to sales tax, which is currently 9.25% in Santa Cruz.

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