About Woodman Creations

One workshop, one craftsman, and the timber of the Pacific Northwest.

Woodworker sawing a plank in a sunlit workshop

The Beginning

I moved to Astoria in 2014 for the same reason most people end up here: the river, the fog, and the pace of life that gives you room to think. I had been working desk jobs in Portland and spending weekends in my garage building furniture. Eventually the weekends won.

The first real commission came from a neighbor who wanted a replacement for a kitchen table that had been in her family for decades. The original was beyond repair, but she wanted the same proportions, the same wood species, and the same worn-in feeling. That project taught me more about craft than any class could.

Materials

The forests around Astoria provide most of what I need. Big-leaf maple from the Coast Range, Douglas fir from Clatsop County, and occasionally madrone or myrtle wood when I can find it. I also work with black walnut and cherry sourced from small operations in the Willamette Valley.

Whenever possible, I use salvaged or reclaimed wood. Storm damage brings down incredible trees every winter, and local arborists know to call when they have something worth saving. There is a different quality to wood that has lived through a hundred Pacific Northwest winters.

Close-up of rich wood grain showing growth rings and natural patterns
Wall of hand tools in a woodworking workshop including chisels and planes

The Shop

My workshop is a converted garage on a residential street. It is not large, but it holds everything I need: a small table saw, a planer, a bandsaw, and a long bench lined with hand planes and chisels. The hand tools belonged to my grandfather, a carpenter who built houses in the Midwest his entire life.

I keep the shop open by appointment for customers who want to see their project in progress or discuss details in person. There is something valuable about standing in the space where your piece is being made, smelling the sawdust, and seeing the grain up close before a finish goes on.

Custom Work

Every commission starts with a conversation about how the piece will be used, what wood speaks to you, and what dimensions fit your space. I sketch, build a small prototype when needed, and keep you updated throughout the build. Turnaround varies by complexity, but most projects ship within four to eight weeks.

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