The Maker
Built by Hand. Rooted Here.
Branching Thoughts started as a personal obsession with puzzles and a love of working with wood. It grew into something shared.
The Story
How It Started
I've been making things with my hands since I was a kid — first with whatever scrap wood I could find in my dad's garage, later with better tools and a clearer sense of what I was after. Puzzles were always the thing that held my attention longest. The logic of them, the way a good one resists you just enough.
Branching Thoughts came out of a simple question: what if I made puzzles I actually wanted to own? Not mass-produced plastic, not novelty items — but something with weight and grain and a little mystery to it. Something you'd leave on the coffee table because it looked good there.
The first few pieces went to friends. Then friends of friends started asking. That's still mostly how it works.
The Craft
Precision Meets Patience
Every piece starts as a sketch — sometimes on paper, sometimes just in my head while I'm doing something else. I work out the geometry before I touch any wood, because a puzzle that doesn't work is just a pile of sticks.
I use a combination of hand tools and a laser cutter. The laser gives me the precision I need for tight-fitting joints and clean etched details. The hand tools give me everything else — the chamfers, the finish, the feel of the thing in your hands.
I work mostly in walnut, maple, and cherry — local hardwoods where I can get them. Each species has its own character. Walnut is serious. Maple is bright. Cherry warms up over time.
Tight tolerances
Joints that fit without glue. Pieces that move smoothly.
Local materials
Hardwoods sourced regionally when possible.
Hand-finished
Every surface sanded and oiled by hand before it leaves the shop.
Original designs
No kits, no templates. Each puzzle is drawn from scratch.
The Community
Made for Here
I sell locally — at markets, through a handful of shops in the area, and by request. I like knowing where my pieces end up. A puzzle on a shelf in someone's home, a game on a table at a family gathering — that's the point.
If you're looking for something specific, or want to talk about a custom order, get in touch. I'm a one-person operation, so responses take a day or two, but I read everything.