about
meet tammie bachmeier
I have always had a strong work ethic and learned at a very young age to "get it done, right the first time". I grew up on a five acre farm in Spanaway, with two younger sisters. The three of us girls were constantly helping our parents projects: repairing and building structures, making upgrades on the house and barns, and even help run the family meat cutting shop, where we made hundreds of pounds of sausage in a weekend. While some kids mowed lawns, we bailed hay, cleaned barns, and fed animals: cows, pigs, ducks, chicken, and sheep. In 1984, I took a high school woodshop class, and like so many others, made a cutting board for my mom.
I fell into the IT field, with my "real job” of doing computer support work. In the spring of 2012, I updated my kitchen on a limited budget. I did as much work (refinishing cabinets, building a refrigerator surround, hanging drywall, etc), so I could pay for things I couldn't do: granite countertops and new plumbing. I then looked at my crappy, strip mall kitchen table and without a second thought, took it to the end of the driveway. That moment changed everything for me.
Having no table and a nice kitchen, I decided to build one from a barn door at the family farm. I took a sawzall, and cut it down, while my wonderful family goofed on me, "you're making a what? Out of that?! Bahahaha!” With the help of Google and YouTube, and after dozens of hours, I build a farmhouse table and bench. My family didn’t goof on me when it was finished.
When I was done, a coworker asked what I was going to do next. "Make cutting boards", I said, having no clue at all what I was in for. Within a few days, I had six requests for boards. Despite not made a cutting board since 1984, owning few power tools and no lumber, I found some hardwoods on Craigslist, learned how to use a table saw via YouTube, and once again, figured it out.
As of 2022, I still have my day job, continue to create boards, turn bowls, repurpose and make.... things in my off hours. Thanks to friends and people on Facebook, I've managed to make over 600+ cutting boards. I've also participated in a number of holiday and craft fairs, as well as the Tacoma Night Market.
My future goals are basically the same ones I had when I started back in 2012: challenge myself with new projects and builds, by creating items that just a few years ago, I thought were out of my league. I love getting my work out to a wider audience via organized and word of mouth sales, as well as thru friends and family.
want to help an IT geek who dreams of being a superhero maker and builder?
Contact me for purchase information on available items. Even better, commission a custom build from me that is a one of a kind item, never to be found in Ikea or a mall.
frequently asked questions
No. I have degrees in Graphic Design and Criminal Justice and work in IT. Go figure.
While I still love to create and build, it can be difficult to make a decent living doing woodworking exclusively, at least for me it is. I like to have a balance of being technical as well as creative. That said, I do sell items via organized events (mostly around the holidays), and almost always have a stock of cutting boards and bowls throughout the year.
Please email me directly or fill out the contact form if you are interested in making a purchase.
It depends, but I feel they are quite reasonable. Handmade items are more costly because, well, they are made much better than factory made, store bought ones. If you feel that my prices are not what you wish to pay, then I’m likely not the person for you and I’m sure you will find something or someone else out there. Time, quality, price... pick two.
While I make specifically sized cutting boards, I also make larger countertop boards (18”x24”, etc) and other variations. I’ve made bar tables, worked with live/natural edge slabs, a farmhouse table, as well as some random “reboots”, that are known to others as restorations. I don’t do “shabby chic”, but I love repurposing materials and there are a billion uses for pallets. If you have ideas, I have a way to bring it to life.
Please email me directly or fill out the contact form if you are interested in making a purchase.
Unfortunately, the short answer is, no. Engraving isn't something I'm interested in, and the cost of purchasing and learning how to use a CNC machine is not something I care to do. I make things by hand, using tried and true woodworking equipment and tools: a table saw, lathe, drum sander, planer, etc.,). Using computerized technology to build things, just doesn't inspire me.