American Craftsman: Charles Peterson

Peterson's love for wood began when he was a kid building furniture alongside his grandfather. In college he worked for a curmudgeonly flooring installer whose only advice was "Shut up and keep working!" Nevertheless, when Peterson quit his career as a nuclear engineer, he decided he'd rather deal with floors than repair power plants.

Shown: Working with a simple scroll saw and carefully selected pieces of wood, Peterson hand-fashions a decorative border.