When Scott Trudgeon suits up, puts on his headphones and starts turning wood in his home-based Neenah workshop, there is peace and joy. That’s a feeling that has long been elusive to the U.S. Army veteran, whose anxiety has been a crippling enemy since he returned from a deployment to Iraq in 2009 and suffered a motorcycle accident that ended his military career.
He’s come a long way, Trudgeon says — including turns studying construction, working in wood manufacturing, and becoming a father of three.
He first learned to turn pens, and the therapeutic hobby quickly became a business that Trudgeon says is good for his mental and physical health and affords him the opportunity to be with his family. For the past three years, Another Turn Woodworks has been Trudgeon’s livelihood, and he creates more than just pens. He has found an audience for his custom products primarily through social media, he says, including a market for custom cribbage boards that were especially sought-after during the pandemic shutdown.
A native of the Upper Peninsula who says he grew up around a “jack of all trades” father, Trudgeon has always had a passion for learning new skills — and his work with Another Turn is no exception. He recently acquired two 3D printers and is making lithophane artwork from a blend of plastic and wood. (“The availability of wood has been a little different lately,” he says.) Ultimately, he has gained respect for traditional wood crafting but is also excited about “bringing woodwork into the 21st century.”
Trudgeon’s products are custom — meaning the customer even chooses the piece of wood Trudgeon will use to create each item. He says he takes great pride in producing pieces that bring joy to others, including items for charitable organizations and worthy causes.
“Being a veteran, some of my favorite projects have been in the military area, including flag boxes,” Trudgeon says. “It’s a great honor for me to do something with so much meaning.”
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