Polish & Power Tools

I’ll never take for granted the opportunity to build something beautiful for those who trust me to do so. Loved making these walnut vanities!

This project started last Spring with a dream, a set of architect drawings, and a reality check when pricing came back. From there, it became a balancing act of figuring out what made sense to hire out, what we could tackle ourselves, and how to turn a big idea into something that was actually achievable.

I’ll continue sharing the process as we go—the costs, decisions, lessons learned, mistakes made, and everything I’d do differently if I were starting from scratch. If you’re considering building a shop or taking on a project like this yourself, I’m always happy to answer questions along the way!

The shop—it’s happening! If you’re new here, happy to have you! And if you’ve been around for a while, you already know this has been a long time coming.

We’re doing this the right way where it matters—grading, the shell of the building, and electrical are getting handled by pros. And everything else, we’re figuring out 🤓

I work a full-time job, I’m not a contractor, and this is all happening in real time, with real decisions and probably a few questionable ones along the way. I’ll be sharing what it actually costs, what we’d do differently, and everything I wish I knew before starting.

Step one in getting ready for the shop build: installing a new utility pole so we can add a separate panel and run power directly to the shop. Ended up saving a couple thousand by renting a compact loader and tackling it ourselves (with a little help from friends) 💪

on that 📷

I may not receive restitution, but I can speak up so others in this community don’t find themselves in the same position. Trust is foundational here, and accountability should follow. This isn’t the standard of integrity I expected from someone so established in this area.