Walnut Ridge Creations IA

05/26/2026

Holiday weekend shop update:

Anyone else start a long weekend with a full list of things you’re going to accomplish… then suddenly it’s Monday night and you’re not entirely sure where the extra day went?

This weekend included pallet deliveries, a lumberyard run, lawn mowing, w**d eating (way too much w**d eating), and 4 gallons of w**d spraying later finally done.

Had the whole family out along with a shop full of dogs supervising operations. There was frisbee time and a lot of treat inspections.

Somehow we still managed to sneak in some productive shop time. One project moved into partial assembly so it can head into finish application before final assembly. A little extra time spent measuring and lining things up now saves a whole lot of colorful language later.

Finishing touches are getting added to a few projects around the shop, and things are slowly starting to come together.

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and found at least a little time to relax, work on projects, or just avoid mowing for one more day.

05/18/2026

Shop weekend update:

A couple different projects moving through different phases this weekend, so the shop currently looks somewhere between “organized workflow” and “mild confusion.” But give it a little time — it’ll all come together and eventually look like it was planned this way from the start.

Got a few add-ons in progress for some planters, plus more work on the ash pieces. Stain is on, finish application is next, then final assembly. Always fun when the grain finally wakes up and reminds you why you spent all that time sanding in the first place.

The shop’s temperature-controlled environment felt pretty luxurious this weekend too, because outside was basically a tropical rainforest with mosquitoes. Between the rain showers and humidity, there was just enough dry time to mow before things got completely out of hand. Waited much longer and I may have needed to hook up a baler instead of the mower deck.

Also made some progress on a few smaller projects that involved a little measuring, cutting, sanding, re-measuring and second guessing. Standard woodworking procedure.

All in all, a good weekend in the shop. Productive, relaxing, and somehow managed to get through it with minimal blood loss and only the normal amount of sawdust in my pockets.

Now it’s back to the regular work week — but hopefully there’s still enough energy left in the evenings to sneak back out to the shop for a few more hours this week.

05/11/2026

Weekend shop update:

A good mix of projects in the shop this weekend. Final milling on some cedar posts, then edge profiling before moving into sanding and finish work. There’s something satisfying about watching rough material slowly turn into a finished piece, even if the shop — and the person running it — end up covered in sawdust by the end of the day.

One project called for a little pipe fitting work too, because apparently woodworking likes to keep things interesting. Some weekends it’s saws and sanders, other weekends you find yourself threading pipe wondering how the project ended up there.

Got some stain on the underside of a piece and more paint laid down on another project. That moment when the grain finally wakes up under stain never gets old. Every board has a little different personality hiding in it.

Also delivered some pallets for a graduation party, then swapped the loader off the tractor for the mowing deck. Spring in Iowa: the grass grows fast enough that mowing starts to feel less like yard work and more like a scheduled weekly meeting you didn’t agree to attend.

Overall, one of those weekends where a lot of small progress adds up. Good shop time, good weather, a little sawdust therapy, and somehow no splinters this weekend for a change. Only needed one bandaid all weekend too, which in woodworking terms probably counts as a highly successful and low-risk operation.

05/04/2026

Weekend in the shop update —

Got a full weekend in the shop… which was nice because the grass has been on a strict “grow like it’s your full-time job” schedule.

Bounced between a few projects — mostly in that phase where you do some work, then stand around waiting for things to dry like you’re supervising instead of just… waiting.

Ash is finally hitting the “this was worth it” stage after what feels like 47 rounds of sanding. Great wood, beautiful grain… but it absolutely makes you earn every bit of it. These pieces are getting steel reinforcement too, which turned into a drilling marathon and a quick reminder: sharp drill bits are faster, quieter, and worth the time to stop and sharpen them.

Dug through the pile and picked out some spalted maple for the next project. Always fun working with wood that spent years getting weird on its own so you can take credit.

Also milled some cedar for planter tweaks to evolve the look with cedar posts. As previously mentioned these planters give two optional depth settings for different size pots. So we have to think about how we make this happen!

And of course, management showed up (pups) to oversee operations. Productivity was briefly halted for frisbee, treats, and a full inspection of whether I was doing anything incorrectly.

Solid weekend overall. Progress was made… eventually… in between drying time and quality control interruptions.

04/27/2026

Shop update —

Not a lot of shop time lately… apparently spring thinks I should also have hobbies like mowing twice a week, washing siding, and questioning past decisions like “plant more grass.”

Progress is still happening, just at a pace best described as careful optimism. Joinery and final assembly have a way of slowing things down — mostly because one wrong move at this stage turns into a “well… that was educational” moment real quick.

Sanding is in full swing. And by “in full swing” I mean it started last week and will likely still be going when the grass needs cut again. Ash is a great wood… if you enjoy patience-building exercises. The grain is worth it, but it definitely makes you earn it.

Also sprinkled in: some very detailed painting work — because apparently we like projects that test patience from multiple angles.

A few progress shots and some finished ash pieces for proof that eventually… it all comes together.

04/20/2026

Shop weekend update —

Stormy, rainy week… which means the grass is thriving cutting into shop time.

The ash pieces are coming along — surfaced, shaped, and sanded… then sanded again… and just to be safe, sanded one more time. Ash has a ton of character in the grain, which is a nice way of saying it doesn’t like to make anything easy, but sure looks good.

Shop prep looks about how you’d expect — clamps everywhere, sandpaper in every grit known to man, and parts resting on old carpet padding (pro tip: never throw that stuff away… it’s more useful than half the tools I own). Especially in the sanding phase.

Flipped these over and inlaid some steel underneath for strength. Because if you’re going to overbuild something, you might as well fully commit.

Supervisors stopped by for quality control — mostly involved frisbee, running, and negotiating for treats. Productivity reviews are still pending.

And somewhere in the middle of all this… some very detailed painting happening on a toy barn.

04/13/2026

Shop update —

Everyday life has a way of reminding you the shop isn’t the only thing on the schedule. Spring rains showed up right on cue, which means it was time to drag the mower deck in for a little “preseason motivation.” Nothing like laying under that thing to get you excited about cutting grass again.

Back in the shop, working with some ash — which is getting harder to come by these days (thanks, Emerald Ash Borer). It’s still one of my favorites though. The grain has a lot of character which makes some really unique looking pieces which one day may no longer exist.

After planing the rough cut pieces, everything goes through the drum sander. If you notice the pencil marks, that’s the low-tech “precision system” — sand until they’re gone and you know you’re flat. High-tech equipment meets low tech strategy.

This piece needed a little extra support, so naturally woodworking turned into a bit of metalworking too. Because why use one skill set when you can over engineer it with multiple skill sets.

You’ll also see some knot repairs and joinery work in progress. And yes… it makes a mess. The photos show about half of it — the rest somehow ends up on me. Pretty sure I walked back into the house looking like I tried to wrestle a tree and lost.

Progress might not be fast right now, but it’s steady… and at least the mower will be ready when the grass decides to grow 6 inches overnight.

04/06/2026

Shop update —

The last couple weeks… a lot of life has happened.

Shop time slowed down a bit. But we have some start to finish photos. Got some rough cut pine slabs straight from the sawmill — and if you scroll through the photos you’ll see the full transformation… from “this might hold up a barn” to “yeah, that’ll pass inside the house.”

Had one evening where the view out the shop window turned into a full-blown episode of National Geographic — counted 18 turkeys and 4 deer.

Shop supervisors also made a few appearances… mostly focused on morale, snack enforcement, and making sure productivity never gets too high. One of them brought a frisbee to a staff meeting, so you can imagine how that went.

Projects are still moving — just at a pace that could generously be described as “spring dictated.” Turns out when the weather finally cooperates, the outdoor project list shows up in a hurry… like LP tanks that suddenly decide they need washed, sanded, and painted right now. The shop understands the trade-off… the supervisors, not so much.

Hope everyone had a great Easter and got to enjoy some time with family.

The wheels keep moving - more milling photos coming soon.

03/30/2026

03/23/2026

Shop update —
Blizzard… northern lights… and 90° by game day. Just a normal week in Iowa.

We started off with below-zero wind chills, chased the northern lights (almost had a show — enough to say we saw them, not enough to prove it), and somehow ended up sweating at an NCAA tournament game… but we got the win!

Back in the shop, started milling some rough cut ash and upgraded the straight-edge jig to be able to handle various thicknesses with the clamps — one of those changes that makes you wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Still have a couple more pieces to run through — got a good project coming out of this one.

In the background:
• One project in a finishing phase
• One in painting
• More getting prepped

Trying to keep everything moving under some control… even if the weather isn’t. Somewhere in all this there’s a day job too.

Anyone else getting all four seasons in the same week?