Q & A with founder Jim LaMance

The word most often used to describe Encraft’s 5,000 square foot space in Rossville, GA, is “magical,” which is the perfect descriptor for founder Jim LaMance. Since opening its doors in April of 2023, Encraft, with its 3 CNC machines, has committed to crafting unique and imaginative design elements once made by hand. Think intricate, hand-carved doors and mantels, hand-hewn beams, decorative molding, and historical reproductions. Additionally, Encraft is finding less traditional ways of using CNCs; in addition to having made the custom oak bar rail for the new Appalachian Bistro Elsie’s Daughter, for instance, Encraft has made a series of giant dinosaur puzzles now available at Learning Express. “Honestly, the sky’s the limit,” says LaMance. “No project is too big or too whimsical.”

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CNC, or Computer Numerical Control, is a computer-driven machine tool that creates things from wood, aluminum, and metal and depends on digital designs made on CAM or CAD software. Jim, an aerospace engineer and woodworker, founded Encraft to work with artists, architects, and designers to create unique features that can take design work to the next level.

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Read on to learn about one of Chattanooga’s most exciting new ventures.

 

Q: You’re an engineer and woodworker. What made you take a leap into the world of CNC machines?

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A: CNC machines are the perfect coming together of my skill set. I love working with artists, designers, and builders who want to create something unique. Every time a new project comes our way, it requires a fair amount of technical expertise to figure out how to bring someone’s idea to life. And, of course, I love working with wood.

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Q: You’ve been up and running since April. What have you made in that time?

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A: What haven’t we made? For our first project, we carved 150-year-old beams – 10” x 10” by 7 feet long and weighing a couple hundred pounds each – for a home on Signal Mountain. The beams are the tails of rafters overhanging a porch. Since then, we’ve made everything from millwork and carvings to wooden molds for glassblowers.

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Q: Do you build cabinets?

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A: Yes. We're opening a cabinet shop in January 2024, and our aim is to be one of Chattanooga's premier cabinet shops. Our goal will be not only to build cabinets with careful attention to detail, but to communicate regularly and well with each builder/client, and to deliver/install in a timely fashion.

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Q: How else can Encraft help Chattanooga builders and designers?

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A: We can increase the number and scope of jobs companies can bid on, given that we can make custom profile cuts, custom moldings and railings, custom-fit doors and windows, and unique architectural pieces/features. We also offer inlays for doors and tables, and we make signs. Finally, we’re eager to build partnerships. To that end, we go out of our way to be very responsive and do high-quality work. 

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I love collaborating with my clients, whether I’m building a glass-blowing mold or a custom door. I find great joy in bringing someone’s vision to life, and the only way to do that successfully is to communicate regularly and well and to be wide open to possibilities. I also like a challenge. If someone (my wife, for instance!) comes to me with a seemingly impossible idea, my first order of business is to figure out how to make it possible. Typically, this process requires a lot of communication and brainstorming.

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Q: Do you only do custom work?

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A: We mostly do custom work, though with three machines in the shop, we can easily take on the more time-consuming, repetitive work. If you have work our machine can help you with, bring it!  

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Q: What are you most excited about for 2024?

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A: So many things! Opening a cabinet shop is a huge and exciting undertaking. Getting that off the ground will take much of my time and attention in early 2024. Beyond that, I'd like to enter further into the historical reproduction business. At Encraft, we can copy millwork and carvings precisely so builders can be faithful to the original work. Personally, I'm most interested in making molds for glassblowers, and have been lucky enough to find a wonderful mentor from Sweden who has taught me so much, so fast, about this wonderful craft.