Name Jim King Iquitos, Peru

DOB 1945

Physical description
Old and a bit fat 5 foot 11 inches. 230 pounds.

Location
My wife and I have lived in the Amazon for over 20 years and before that 8 years in West Africa. We were both raised on farms in a small town in Northern Wisconsin.

(Editor's note: The Amazon? I don't think that is in Arkansas, is it? )

Family information
Married 40 years to the same one. One son lives on our farm in Northern Wisconsin and we have one Grandaughter entering medical school. As for dogs we have about 40 and in total usually about 80 to 100 animals. My wife accepts any animal that is dying or abandoned domestic or wild and we release in a resort as many of the wild animals as we can so they can readjust to life in the jungle.

Vocation
We have spent more time living outside of the States in strange places than living in the States. Spent several years selling turnkey factories for whatever product a customer wanted to make anywhere in the world and then by accident got into the exotic wood business about 25 years ago. It is difficult to call what I do work, it is fun just about every day.

Website
www.exoticwoodworld.com

Equipment Overview
Everything I use for turning is home made. As we are hundreds of miles from the nearest road and only have ship service once every six weeks it is easier to make things when possible than import. Just the thought of importing and going thru Peruvian Customs can make a person very creative. Iquitos, where we live is 2500 miles from the ocean up the Amazon and a seaport. Largest city in the world that has no road going to it.

How many lathes - Tell us about 'em.
Just one and you can see it on the web site under our turning process. Scrap iron from an oil drilling company, some bearings, a used motor, no idea how many rpms. Total cost $280.

How many turning tools
The turning tools also can be seen with the lathe. A bunch of old files, car springs, a machete for a parting tool etc. In order to replace all the tools it would be difficult to spend $25.

Tell us about your shop
As you can imagine the shop is very simple (but well used and dirty) as you will see on the web site.

How long turning?
Off and on for 20 plus years.

What got you into turning?
I started turning the last time in order to take photos of our woods for advertising as we sell unique and unknown species for the most part the customers needed to see what their purchase and work would turn into. The first time was to show my employees that Gringos could do anything.

What do you enjoy most about turning?
Every piece of wood is a surprise and you forget the world exists.

What was your first completed turned project?
An end table base of mahogany- really ugly.

What is your favorite form that you turn?
Covered bowls. Most of my turnings are good sized as we don’t have any sophisticated tools to do small items. Car springs and old rasps do not lend themselves to miniature works. I like to turn things that can be used for something.

What is your favorite form someone else turns/has turned?
To many to mention.

What is your favorite wood to work with and why?
As we live in the wood candy store there are to many to mention and we are continuously finding new species. This is actually what I enjoy the most is the constant search for new species and identifying them. We now have our own lab and work daily with the University of South Carolina plant research dept. who in turn work with the USDA Tropical Lab in Wisconsin. It is always exiting to find an unknown species but the one or two years of research to determine if it has been discovered before and then finally the naming is exiting but a lot of patience is required. I am still looking for the elusive blue wood.

Have you met or hung out with any turnin' Creekers? Tell us about it.
Have never met anyone but everyone is sure welcome to come on down to wood heaven. It would be a very interesting vacation if a group got together and came down. The beer is cold and an endless supply of rum. We even have in town a Texas bar and restaurant that serves wonderful old fashioned fried foods, mashed potatoes etc.

What is your favorite individual piece that you have turned, and why?
A spalted blood wood vase about 20 inches tall and like an idiot I sold it.

What is your favorite piece someone else has turned, and why?
With the quality and variety of works showing up on the turning forums there are so many incredible works who could make a choice. I would not want to be a judge at a turning show.

What do you not turn now that you want to - or plan to - in the future?
Larger pieces , but we have to build a heavier lathe. Right now we are limited to 24 inches dia..

What brought you to SMC?
Found it on Google

Got any nicknames? How'd you get it?
Been called lot of things but none stuck.

Now let's get a little deep... If you were a tree, what tree would you be and why?
Wouldn’t everyone like to be iron wood instead of being a humble human that deteriorates with time and doesn’t even spalt?


If you want a photo this is myself and my wife in the center - the old ones. The others are shop and office employees at Christmas.

Jim