Okay, so today I wanted to try something new with some maple timber I had lying around. I’ve seen these “batten” walls and thought, “Hey, I can probably do that!” And you know what? It turned out pretty cool, even if I did mess up a few times. Let me walk you through what I did.

Getting Started

First, I needed to figure out what the heck I was even doing. I had this plain wall in my workshop, and it was just begging for some personality. So, I grabbed my maple timber – beautiful stuff, by the way – and started measuring.

Measure Twice, Cut Once (or Maybe Three Times…)

This is where I messed up the first time. I got a little too excited and started cutting the timber without really planning the layout. Big mistake! My first few pieces were all different lengths, and it looked… well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.

So, I took a deep breath, grabbed a pencil and paper, and sketched out a simple design. I wanted evenly spaced vertical battens, so I measured the wall’s width and height, then did some quick math to figure out how many battens I needed and the spacing between them. I recommend, use a level, I am clumsy and didn’t.

Cutting and Sanding

With a solid plan in hand, I started cutting the maple timber into the correct lengths. I used my trusty miter saw, but a circular saw would work just fine too. After cutting, I spent some time sanding each piece. I wanted a smooth, clean finish, so I started with a coarser grit sandpaper (around 120) and worked my way up to a finer grit (220) for that super-smooth feel.

• Maple timber
• Miter saw (or circular saw)
• Sandpaper (120 and 220 grit)
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Level (optional, but don’t be like me, use one)
• Wood glue
• Nail gun (or hammer and nails)
• Wood filler (optional)

Putting it All Together

This is where the “dancing” part comes in… just kidding! It was actually pretty straightforward. I started by applying a thin bead of wood glue to the back of each batten. Then, using my nail gun (you could totally use a hammer and nails, but the nail gun is way faster), I attached the battens to the wall, following the spacing I had planned out earlier.

I used the level to make sure my initial piece looks straight. I messed up on the first shot.

Finishing Touches

Once all the battens were up, I stepped back to admire my handiwork. It looked pretty good, but there were a few small nail holes and gaps that needed attention. I used some wood filler to fill in those imperfections, let it dry, and then gave everything a final light sanding.

And that’s it! My “batten dancing maple timber” wall was complete. It was a fun little project, and it really transformed the look of my workshop. If I can do it, you absolutely can too! Just remember to measure carefully, plan your layout, and don’t be afraid to make a few mistakes along the way – that’s how we learn, right?