Watching expert craftsmanship in 'Opa’s Garage'

Mike Ballmes is not just a craftsman, he is an artist.

“I’ve done woodworking most of my life,” Mike said on June 28 from the comfort of his kitchen with his wife Pia nearby. The couple, who will celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary in August, lives in a quiet neighborhood in Olympia.

Pia and Mike have been married for almost 41 years. Much of the furniture Mike has crafted over the years shows what love he has for Pia. Mike has also made pieces for other family members, including a crib for his granddaughter. Pia likes that Mike has a hobby and that it makes him happy.

Matthew Neil Wells | For The JOLT News

The retired woodworker, U.S. Army veteran, surfer and grandfather has been hard at work inside of his shop, known as “Opa’s Garage.” Mike’s current project is building a 14-foot wooden kayak with a 23 1/2-inch beam.

The sleek-looking vessel, known as a Petrel “Play” kayak, has a sheen on it that shows the work he has put into it. According to a sheet hanging in “Opa’s Garage,” which shows the dimensions, the Petrel “Play” is “a compact strip-built kayak designed for exploring rivers, lakes and harbors, and playing in races, rips and surf.”

Here's the sign that Mike made years ago just on the door that separates the dining area and Mike's shop. Pia immigrated with her family from former East Germany. Since the couple became grandparents, Mike's known as Ópa, which is German for grandpa.

Matthew Neil Wells | For The JOLT News

Nearby are hand-built, fiberglass surfboards suspended above in his garage. Next to his current project are hand-sewn wallets and coasters. They are all leather. Inside, there are shelves, tables and dressers he has either made or refined, and the work is clearly done with love.

Mike's daughter-in-law Winona and his son Sinclair stand beside Mike's impressive 8-foot, semi-gun Gerry Lopez signature surfboard. "It's great for Sunset in Waimea Bay," Mike said.

Matthew Neil Wells | For The JOLT News

One thing Mike hasn’t built that stood out to a recent houseguest was an 8-foot semi-gun surfboard. It’s surf legend Gerry Lopez’s signature board.

“It’s great for Sunset in Waimea Bay,” Mike said.

It is evident Mike takes what he does seriously. But he also does it with a comic touch. Mike laughs at his mistakes when they happen. He also uses a pencil that says “Measure once, cuss twice.”

The 30 clips shown were used to hold the lip, which looks like a few stacked rods, around the cockpit. It was difficult for Mike to keep them aligned in such a way that it's done correctly. It's a good thing he keeps his frustration level down with a sense of humor and some sarcasm.

Matthew Neil Wells | For The JOLT News

“This is me pretending to know what I’m doing,” he said as he was trying to install a part called the “lip” onto the kayak. Mike explained how necessary that is to have as part of a kayak.

“It has a riser, or a lip that comes up and a lip that goes out, so you can put your skirt on it and it adds a tremendous amount of strength to the kayak,” Mike said. “I’m 220 (pounds) and if I push up to go on a kayak, it’ll crush it. But if you have that lip there, it makes it stronger.”

Without seeing the kayak float on the water, since it is not yet finished, Pia attested to Mike’s craftsmanship on another kayak he built. She rode in his 17-foot kayak that sits securely above his current work. Admittedly not a strong swimmer, Pia was a little nervous when she boarded the kayak. But, she loved it.

“I took this kayak, the first kayak out,” said Pia about her experience on a nearby lake. “I was sitting upright. I didn’t put my feet down because I’m a lousy swimmer and I thought if it tips over, I’d never make it out. So I was sitting in the kayak like this and paddled. It was very smooth and wonderful.”

The new project is even lighter. Mike said the 14-footer is about 44 pounds. It’s less than half the weight of the 17-footer.

Mike would like to sell both, but as a pair.

It sounds like he’s already got reason to feel confident in selling them.

“I went to Port Townsend a couple years ago with (the 17-footer) and I had never gotten so many compliments in my life,” Mike said. “It didn’t hurt my feelings at all.”

Inspiration

Outside of trying to find something to do while retired, Mike just wants to work. He likes figuring things out.

“Most of the stuff I do is (like) ‘Huh, I wonder if I could do that,’” Mike said. “I was looking at some boat kits and I saw some really nice looking kayaks. The one that caught my eye, the shape of the kayak reminded me of an old big wave surfboard. The first kayak I made was 17-feet and the one I’m working on currently is 14-feet. That’s what intrigued me.”

Mike, who started learning to sail when he was 5 years old and who has loved the water since, said he made the longer kayak three years ago.

“It paddles effortlessly,” Mike said. “I don’t even know how to roll the thing. I’m not a kayak guy. But paddling it, oh my gosh, it just cuts through the water. If you’re paddling along at 2 mph (miles per hour), it’ll glide for 20 yards easily and go dead-straight. Shocker. And it doesn’t leak.”

Difficulties

Mike had to take a lengthy break during the current project because he got hurt. And then the winter weather set in. He said fiberglass doesn’t work well in the cold.

“Fiberglass has to be above 65 degrees (Fahrenheit),” Mike said. “I make it above 70 degrees, so if it cools off it’ll still go. Bad things happen when you try to (work with) fiberglass epoxy resin when it’s too cold. It just puddles and it takes forever for it to go off to set. It’s a mess.”

It took a lot of hard work for Mike to get this sort of sheen on the outer surface of the kayak. But, when the vessel is finished, it'll look even better.

Matthew Neil Wells | For The JOLT News

Another one of the difficulties through this project was trying to attach the “lip” on the outside of the kayak. It sort of forms an outer crown around the cockpit — where the paddler sits. The lip is there to help keep water out of the cockpit. While he succeeded getting the lip to bend the way it should, it wasn’t without some frustration. Mike battled his frustration with humor.

“This is where patience comes in,” Mike said. “I told you this would be comical. I try not to take stuff so seriously.”

Pia

Mike also had to take a break in May for Pia. She got sick and she needed surgery. She’s recovering and in good spirits. As any good husband would do, it was important to tend to his wife. The love is clearly a strong one between the two. It’s evident through the house, with so many hand-built or other hand-sanded furniture that Mike has provided throughout. And Pia seems just as loving.

Mike has also made other projects for Pia and other members of their family, including a cradle made out of cedar, paduc and oaken rails for his granddaughter.

Past

Mike, a U.S. Air Force brat with his siblings, was born at Hamilton Air Force Base, north of San Francisco. His dad, O’Dean E. “Stretch” Ballmes, served three times in Vietnam.

“Stretch Ballmes, the world’s greatest fighter pilot,” said Mike, who traveled with his family through Japan, including the city of Misawa. The Ballmes family met his dad’s friend and family there.

That trip in 1964 sparked a “lifelong” friendship.

The families linked up again in 1969 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, which Ballmes calls his hometown. It was where “Stretch” and his best friend’s dad retired. Mike was 14. Mike and his best friend, Jim Yealy, got closer years later.

Along with many of Mike's projects in the garage, he also has this surfing memento from his hometown. Maybe there's something in the water in Olympia, because Mike keeps churning out gems that have astounded people from outside the family.

Matthew Neil Wells | For The JOLT News

“(Jim and I) really became friends after I got out of high school. ... He introduced me to surfing and that’s what got my blood going," Mike said.

"I have eight surfboards here. I made three of them. One of them’s a hollow, wooden surfboard. It weighs 42 pounds and floats like a bubble. It’s amazingly buoyant, more buoyant than any foam board I’ve ever been on. I was shocked. The guy sells a kit, lives in Lacey and I got it from him and made some modifications.”

Before enlisting in the Army, Mike worked in construction for about 10 years. He was a framing carpenter.

Selling

It’s still unclear if he will sell the kayaks, because his son might get them. But Mike explained what has to happen for him to sell the kayaks.

“If I sell them I’m going to ask for $25,000 because it’s a pair, it’s a matching pair,” Mike said. “In a perfect world, I could get that. As far as it happening, it’s just a pipe dream.”

Mike wants to find the right buyer. He’s thinking he’ll find one at a wooden boat show.

“If someone is generous enough to pay it, someone who appreciates the workmanship, I might have a shot,” Mike said.

Supportive words

Pia seems pleased about what Mike does for himself.

“I just like that he works with wood rather than metal, and what he does is usable,” Pia said. “I appreciate that he has a hobby, because especially after retirement, it’s important to have a hobby.”

Pia’s glad when she sees him finish a project.

“He’s always happy when he finishes a project and that’s good for him,” Pia said.