Finding a Niche

By the middle of 2022, the work coming into the shop had clearly changed. What started as simple signs and small custom pieces was turning into something more personal and more meaningful. Customers weren’t just asking for décor anymore; they were trusting me with memorials, tributes, and one-of-a-kind pieces meant to honor real people and real stories.

Projects like this pushed me to refine every part of my process.

This particular build started as a glued-up blank of 1.75" poplar. After surfacing, the base thickness was brought down to about 1.25", while key elements of the design were left raised to around 1.6" to create depth and separation. The carving itself was a long, deliberate process that took roughly 8–10 hours of machine time.

I began with a 1/4" end mill for the roughing pass to remove the bulk of the material. A 1/4" ball nose followed to start shaping the contours, and then a 1.5 mm tapered ball nose handled the fine finishing passes to pull out the detail in the emblems, lettering, and figure. Once the carving was complete, I oversized the design and cut it to final shape on the table saw.

Finishing was where the piece really came to life.

I carefully taped off the three carved logos and applied Minwax Special Walnut stain to make them stand out from the background. After letting that dry for a full day, I retaped those areas along with the nameplates and sprayed the surrounding field with Rust-Oleum Universal Antique Pewter to create a stone-like base.

The initial paint was too glossy for the aged look I wanted, so after a few hours of drying I knocked the sheen back with 1500-grit sanding. From there, I dry-brushed layers of acrylic green, black, gray, and white into the textured background to simulate weathered, timeworn stone and brick. Each layer was lightly sanded again to soften and blend the colors until the surface looked naturally aged rather than freshly painted.

Once all the tones were dialed in and any touch-ups were complete, the entire piece was sealed with a generous coat of Minwax Polycrylic for protection and durability.

This kind of work marked a turning point.

Customers were no longer asking for generic pieces; they were asking for something built specifically for them, for their families, and for the people they wanted to remember. These projects took more time, more planning, and more care, but they also carried far more meaning.

Around this time, word of mouth really started to drive new orders. Not because I could make things quickly, but because each finished piece was unique and personal. No templates, no mass production—just deliberate, detailed craftsmanship built around a specific story.

That was the moment the niche became clear:one-of-a-kind, deeply personal builds designed to last.