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In
1999, Wolfgang Hieckmann, a master craftsman from Germany,
founded
a woodturning
shop he named “DK Woodturning” shortly
after he and his wife, Monika, immigrated to the Phoenix area and
made it their new home. For the first few months after their arrival,
Wolfgang worked for a stair building company in Tempe, but decided
his own shop would be optimal for showcasing his extraordinary talent
and creativity. Wolfgang started out years earlier, however, in metal
turning, operating metal lathes for about 15 years. He decided auto
mechanics would be interesting, and did that as well for 4 years,
and in between enjoyed his ‘hobby’ of woodturning,
and being a DJ. A member of the local government in Germany recognized
his outstanding talent with wood, and was instrumental in obtaining
an apprenticeship in woodturning for Wolfgang, who then went back
to school for about 5 years. He finished in 1988 with a Master
diploma
in Woodturning. |
Coupled
with his talent, he was able to open a shop in Germany, running
the small shop
himself, until
the
late 1980’s when
his wife Monika came to help him. Wolfgang taught a number of
apprentices, who had the good luck to have such a craftsman as
their teacher.
In the shop, they offered all kinds of woodturning, cabinetry
and also drywall and remodeling.
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But they heard the US calling, and in February 1999, the Hieckmanns
immigrated to the USA, returning to the Arizona desert that grabbed
their hearts on earlier visits. Wolfgang brought all his tools and
equipment from Germany, with the idea of opening a shop again soon,
and in December of that same year, it was reality.
Although their marriage ended in 2001, Monika still works for DK
Woodturning, operating an automatic lathe. She is also the designer
and creator of all the fantastic nutcracker clothes, as well as being
the co-designer of the nutcrackers themselves. |
To
view a Flash show about the DKWoodturning shop, click HERE.
Please
be patient while Flash show loads.
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