With a background in the metal industry, a fitter by trade, Jim Whitaker was introduced to the timber industry in 1991, operating trucks, excavators and chainsaws. Purchasing his first mill in 1998, and only milling part time, Jim soon realized that milling would become a full time career. Subsequently, Jim has now been milling full time for the last three and a half years with his Lucas mill. In May 2007, Jim purchased a Peterson 10” ATS with a 27hp Kohler motor, and has

never looked back. “The only thing wrong with the mill, is that we didn't buy it twelve months earlier,” explains Jim “We chose the mill because of the 10” cut and the ability to double cut without turning the mill - makes it easier to fully utilize the log in the best way possible.”

With their love of timber in mind, Jim with the help of his wife Karen developed their own business - JW Woodworks.

Their biggest passion is the outback timbers, which they cut, mill, dry and dress. Boards are sold for furniture, turning blanks and pen blanks for woodturning, and the unusual pieces are made into unique clocks, thanks to Karen. Unfortunately, outback timbers are hard to source and the availability of each species varies. Budgeroo, Mulga, Iron Wood and Eastern Dead Finish are just some of the timbers that Jim and Karen admire so much, “the colour and grain in these timbers are unreal,” explains Jim.

Karen & Jim at the Farm Fantastic Show in Caboolture, Qld 2007

Whether he is spending days on end in the bush milling logs into building grade and landscaping timber, or custom milling for a client in their own back yard, Jim Whitaker can be seen with a smile on his face and is never scared of a hard days work.

Jim and Karen are also agents for Ecowood Oil and Organoil, all natural products for treating raw timber. This has come about from needing a good product to use on their handmade pieces, when they have time to make them of course.