Woodworker Nathan Thompson places the steps for a cat tree at his in-home shop in Vancouver March 6.
A kennel Matt Thompson created for his dog.
Woodworker Nathan Thompson creates a mortise and tenon joint with a mallet that he made himself at his in-home shop in Vancouver March 6.
Custom woodwork leads to products you often won’t find at a major retail store.
Such is the case with Mustang Custom Woodworking, where owner Matt Thompson is able to make anything and everything.
“If you can dream it, I can build it,” he said from his in-home shop in Vancouver early last month.
Thompson has been tinkering with wood his whole life; however, he built his first piece of furniture about three years ago when his family was looking for a table.
“We needed a small table and I decided to try it,” he said. “I also got into woodworking because my wife discovered Pinterest.”
Along with his woodwork, Thompson works as a service manager for a diesel shop.
His woodworking was part-time for a while — little things here and there — but soon it started to pick up. About five months ago Thompson started putting in full time hours to meet the high demand for his products.
After a customer shows interest, Thompson starts by asking what their budget is so he can select what materials to use. He will then show examples of different styles, from Japanese joinery to farmhouse joinery. After the design is chosen, Thompson will complete a digital sketch to show what the product will look like and once it’s ok’d by the customer building begins.
Some of Mustang’s popular sellers are the stove top cutting boards, custom boxes, and dog kennels. They offer all kinds of wood types, from straight pine to walnut, and even some unique woods like purple heart or bloodwood.
Thompson partners with other local businesses to sell his kennels, which one can find at All Natural Pet Supply (3425 SE 192nd Ave #108 Vancouver) and Canine Utopia (503 NE 78th St #15) Vancouver.
When asked what his favorite piece is, Thompson joyfully responded, “The table. I’ve always wanted a big table. When people commission them it’s great because it’s such a large piece, you can really make a statement with the legs. They are all so unique. You can play with whatever design you want.”
While Thompson truly enjoys all parts of woodworking, his favorite part is seeing the lasting impact one of his pieces can have.
“The best part of my job is seeing peoples’ face once I deliver the product, the ability to make something that someone can cherish forever,” he said. “They always love the uniqueness of the work, this isn’t stuff you can just buy at a store.”
{{tncms-inline content="<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Email:</span><span class="s2"> mustangcustomwooodworking@gmail.com</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Call: </span><span class="s2">360-909-8476</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Website:</span><span class="s2"> mustangcustomwoodworking.com</span></p>" id="55a10ec6-e077-48b1-b926-8b4a84db0a88" style-type="bio" title="Considering Mustang Custom Woodworking?" type="relcontent"}}
