ScoGo Woodworking, Hilliard

Scott Gordon still has the wooden lamp he created in the shape of a chess pawn during a junior high school shop class in Bexley almost five decades ago. Little did he know back then it would serve as a preview of the artistry to come from his ScoGo Woodworking.

Gordon went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology and a Master of Science degree in computer science at The Ohio State University, followed by an MBA from Capital University. But he never forgot the satisfaction he derived from working with wood.

“There’s a certain joy in watching wood take shape when you’re turning it,” he says. “And I love the fact it is so organic. Nothing else compares.”

Six years ago, Gordon decided to rekindle that passion. By day, the Hilliard resident is a data analyst at JPMorgan Chase. But at night and on weekends, he’s in his basement studio crafting a variety of wooden objects.

“My studio is my place of Zen,” Gordon says. “I can be down there for what seems like only a minute, look up, and I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. I can’t believe it’s already time to eat.’ The clock and my mind say two different things.”

During his travels throughout Ohio, Gordon is always on the lookout for wood lying by the side of the road, including oak, ash, maple, cherry and walnut, which are ideal for his purposes. After shaping a piece, Gordon carves away the excess wood and polishes it with a food-safe finish that’s a mixture of organic oil and beeswax. He estimates that most of his art takes three to four hours to complete, but ones with very intricate designs can take up to 50 hours to finish. Although Gordon makes a variety of objects, ranging from snack trays to business-card holders to Seder plates, bowls are his favorite.

“Working on a bowl is an instant reward,” he says. “When I start out, it looks like a log or half a log, but as you continue to work with it and strip away the bark, you discover what’s underneath, which sometimes leads to new challenges and a new blueprint.”  

Visit scogowoodworking.com for more information.