Thank you for checking out Rodak Garage! A little about me: my name is Dave Rodak, and I created Rodak Garage with the support of my (now) wife, Donielle, in 2021. I was born and raised in Rochester, New York and continue to reside here with my family. I am a car enthusiast, a sucker for 80’s Toyota’s and Mazda’s, and anything with flip ups and square body style.

Rodak Garage was never initially planned. I was an Automotive Locksmith, building one of my dream cars, a 1984 Toyota Corolla AE86. When I was building my Corolla, I wanted a nice, classic looking wood shift knob. I searched site after site looking for one that was what I wanted, and I could not find one. While looking at all these wood shift knobs, I thought “why can’t I make one?” I bought a cheap Wood Lathe, some random pieces of wood, found some threaded inserts online and went to work trying to create what I had in my brain. After countless hours of YouTube videos, along with a ton of trial and error, I finally was able to create a knob I was content with. I say content, because as time went on and I learned what processes work best, my quality has drastically increased, and I can now say I can build a knob I would love to be in my Corolla. I can’t say I have one specifically for the Corolla currently, as I am constantly changing it out with the newest idea that comes to mind.

Not too long after deciding to create a knob for my Corolla, I decided to open an Etsy store and sell the wood shift knobs I began creating. Knowing how hard it was trying to find one for my car, I wanted to help others who may be in the same boat. What started as just wood shift knobs, quickly expanded into more. I began playing around with two-part epoxy and started creating Galaxy Resin knobs. Once I got the hang of the two-part epoxy, I tried creating Character Shift knobs and well, here we are.

All of my shift knobs, both wood and resin, are turned on a Wood Lathe in my garage (sorry cars) by me. Since they are hand turned, I can create a variety of shapes and sizes. I pride myself in creating each knob by hand and while there are a variety of machines that can pump out knobs over and over again, a lot quicker than me, doing it by hand means that you will never have the exact same knob as someone else. I never ship any of my products unless I am 100% happy with it. I am a perfectionist, and my work shows this.

The mission of Rodak Garage is to create the absolute best handmade shift knobs. I am constantly coming up with new ideas whether it be with wood, resin, and even automotive décor. Not only do I now have a variety of creative shift knobs, but I also have created key hooks, reusable air fresheners, and more recently, ornaments. As someone who is in the car scene, I know how hard it can be to find anything car related, especially something that is cool and handmade.

I say this time and time again. Without the support of everyone, Rodak Garage would not be where it is today. I thank each and every single person who has supported us from the beginning and continues to support us as we continue to grow.

-Dave Rodak
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