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Using hand tools to bring a piece of wood from rough to smooth helps Afghanistan war veteran Ron Noftall keep his demons at bay.

Noftall — who served two tours with his engineer regiment in 2005-06 and 2010-11 — is now raising money to organize a woodworking class that could help other veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

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He wanted to maintain his creative focus after being diagnosed with PTSD and found woodworking — using hand tools, not machines — was most beneficial, so he fired up his own business.

Inside his shop, Branch Out Woodworking Ltd. at 5807 90 St., Noftall’s skills are on full display. The custom furniture-maker built all of the cabinetry to store his large assortment of tools and tables.

Using hand tools is time consuming but provides the immersion of mind some PTSD sufferers require.

“Hand tools are quiet. It gives you a sense of pride and focus that when you’re planning a piece of wood, you don’t have the demons hanging over your shoulder saying ‘hey, what about me?'” said Noftall.