Okay, so “keel dancing pine timber” – sounds like a weird art project, right? That’s kinda what it felt like when I started. I had this idea to make a… thing. I didn’t even know what it was, just that it involved these three elements. I guess you could call it a sculpture, or maybe just a glorified pile of wood. Whatever it was, I was gonna build it.

Finding the Stuff

First, I needed wood. “Timber” – that’s the easy part. I went to the local lumber yard, you know, the kind of place with sawdust everywhere and guys in flannel shirts. I found some decent pine planks, nothing fancy. The smell of fresh-cut pine is incredible, by the way.

• Pine planks: Got ’em. Check.

Next up, “keel.” Now, I’m no boat builder. But I figured a keel is basically just a long, sturdy piece of wood, right? So, back at the lumber yard, I looked for something a bit thicker, something that could be the… backbone, I guess, of my… whatever-this-was.

• Got a solid 4×4 post, hoping that will act as a “keel”.

The “Dancing” Part

Now the “dancing pine” part is where it gets interesting and also hard. My thinking and plan: The pine planks would be like… dancers, I guess? Arranged around the keel, somehow. I had no real plan. I just figured and hoped I’d wing it. It’s more fun that way, sometimes. So, and wing it I did.

I started by cutting the pine planks into different lengths. No measuring, just eyeballing it. I wanted it to look… organic, you know? Not too * I began propping them against the “keel” (the 4×4 post), trying to get them to stand * and they were keep falling over.

So here is what I did, I got some wood glue and some screws. I started attaching the planks to the post, one by one. Some straight up, some at angles, some overlapping. It started to look like… something. Maybe a weird, wooden explosion? A pine tree that had a very bad day? I don’t know, but it was taking shape.

The wood glue was messy, and I got it all over my hands. Note to self: wear gloves next time. The screws were a bit easier, but I still managed to strip a few. My power drill is probably older than I am.

The Finish Line (Sort Of)

After a few hours of this, and a lot of sawdust, I had… something. It stood up on its own, which was a major victory. It definitely looked like “dancing pine timber” arranged around a “keel.” Mission accomplished, I guess?

It’s not pretty. It’s probably not art. But I made it. And that’s kinda the point, right? Taking some random idea and turning it into a real, physical thing. Even if that thing is just a pile of wood that looks like it’s having a seizure.

Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I’m wearing gloves. And maybe using a newer drill.