Okay, here’s my blog post about working with batten basketball beech timber, written in a casual, personal style:

So, I finally got around to that project I’ve been putting off – messing with some batten basketball beech timber. I’d seen a few cool things done with it and wanted to give it a shot myself. I’m no expert, just a regular person who likes to tinker, so this is my story about it.

Getting Started

First, I had to actually get the wood. Found a local place that had some decent-looking pieces. I was choosing, to be honest and It wasn’t anything fancy, just standard beech timber, meant for, I guess, gym flooring or something. I picked through the pile to find some that were relatively straight and didn’t have too many knots or weird marks.

Then I hauled it all back to my workspace. It’s always heavier than you think! Got it all unloaded and laid out. At this point, I was just staring at a bunch of wood, wondering what I’d gotten myself into.

The Plan (Sort Of)

I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do. I was thinking of making a kind of… feature wall? Something to add a bit of texture and warmth to a boring room. I didn’t have detailed blueprints or anything, just a general concept in my head. That’s usually how I roll – more “winging it” than meticulous planning.

Cutting and Messing Up

Next up: cutting the timber into the lengths I needed. I used my trusty old circular saw. The wood sliced quite smoothly. Beech is pretty dense, so it took a little effort, but nothing too crazy.

Of course, I messed up a few cuts. Measure twice, cut once, right? Well, I definitely learned that lesson again. Ended up with a few pieces that were shorter than I intended, but I figured I could use them somewhere.

Putting It All Together

The real fun (and frustration) began when I started attaching the timber to the wall. I used a combination of construction adhesive and some finishing nails. I wanted to make sure it was really secure, so that took a bit of work.

• First, I applied some glue on the wood.
• Second, I started nailing them.

Getting everything lined up perfectly was a pain. I’m not gonna lie, there were some gaps and imperfections. But, you know, that’s part of the charm of doing it yourself. It’s not going to look like it came out of a factory, and that’s okay with me.

The Finished Product (For Now)

After a few days of work, I finally stepped back and looked at the wall. And, you know what? It actually looked pretty good! The beech timber has a nice, clean look, and it definitely added some character to the room. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine, and I built it.

I’m probably going to add some kind of finish to it later, maybe a clear coat to protect the wood. But for now, I’m just enjoying the fact that I took a pile of lumber and turned it into something kinda cool.

I have shared all the processes for this project. I hope my little project can help you.