Aces of Trades: Nelson Handcrafted Wood Products combines love for drawing, building
NEWARK — He had dreams of taking one path, but circumstances led him to go a slightly different way.
“Growing up,” said Rick Nelson, “I enjoyed building plastic models, HO train layouts and hunting and fishing with my dad. I always enjoyed drawing cartoon characters, cars and trucks and sketches buildings. I guess the desire to draw, as well as build models, piqued my interest in woodworking. As I started seventh grade, I obtained several power tools and had begun making woodcraft-type items as well as wood furniture.”
Today, Nelson works under the name Nelson Handcrafted Wood Products.
“It’s the correct time to focus on my hobby-turned-business,” he said.
Nelson, 54, grew up in Heath, graduated from Heath High School in 1986, then attended Ohio State University to study architecture and earned a degree in architectural design at Central Ohio Technical College.
“I started work in the field of architecture while in my first year of college,” he said, “and continued for the next 35-plus years. In that span of time, I worked for several local architects and was the project coordinator at Ohio State in Newark. I was also employed at a large architectural firm in Columbus for several years as a project manager and a retail site surveyor.”
But there’s more. Much more — which led him to “the proudest years” of his life.
“I also raced motocross from the ages of 13-17,” he said. “This had a huge impact on the direction of my future career path. When my son Quinten, who was born in 1996, was 4 years old he and I began riding motorcycles together. This led him to start racing motocross later that year.”
“With Quinten’s love for racing,” Nelson continued, “we ‘happened’ upon a new sport near Circleville, which ultimately set the direction of his racing career as well as my professional career. This sport was kart racing. We traveled the country with Quinten’s kart racing, competing at the club, regional and national level. We continued until he stepped up to racing cars at the age of 15 at tracks such as Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta and Daytona International Speedway. Quinten immediately became successful, being awarded the 2012 SCCA Rookie Driver of the Year.”
This is where Nelson’s career “took somewhat of a change,” as he put it. To follow Quinten’s racing career, he decided to become an architectural consultant for a design group in Sacramento, California, so he could travel the racing circuit with Quinten and his team.
“My consulting continued each year,” Nelson said, “until Quinten ended his racing to start his family in 2019. Since our racing ended, I’ve continued to do my own consulting and design work for private customers, driving racecar transporters — and woodworking.”
Nelson officially created Nelson Handcrafted Wood Products in November 2022. He sells his products “via word-of-mouth and Facebook.”
“Rick has always impressed me as a hard and conscientious worker,” said Chris Lindner, a Licking County-based CAD technology consultant who’s worked with Nelson at architectural firms since the early 90s.
“Over the years, woodworking has always been an interest of his,” Lindner added. “I wasn't surprised to learn he started producing and selling his art. It’s beautiful workmanship.”
“I couldn’t be any happier with the direction my life’s path has taken me,” Nelson said. “Personally, and professionally, I’m in the best place I’ve ever been. Woodworking is my passion. I love having the knowledge and ability to be able to turn raw wood into a beautiful item for my customers.”
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs — whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at advocate@newarkadvocate.com or 740-328-8821.
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To reach Nelson Handcrafted Wood Products, go to its Facebook page.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Aces of Trades: Nelson Handcrafted Wood Products combines loves
