Short answer
What does custom metal fabrication include?
Custom fabrication takes an idea, a sketch or a drawing and turns it into a finished metal part: measuring, cutting, bending, fitting, welding and finishing. It's the right choice for one-off parts, replacements for parts you can't buy, prototypes and small batches.
Start with what you have
A napkin sketch with key dimensions, a photo of the old part with a tape measure in the shot, a PDF drawing or a CAD model all work. The more we know about how the part is used (what it holds, what it bolts to, whether it lives outside), the better we can pick material and thickness.
If you're not sure what the part should look like, describe the problem. Some of the best parts we build start as "I need something that holds this here."
Material choices, explained plainly
Mild steel is strong, affordable and easy to paint or powder coat. Stainless resists rust and cleaning chemicals with no coating. Aluminum is light and doesn't rust, but needs thicker sections for the same strength. Chromoly tube is for strong, light frames. We'll suggest the material that fits your use and budget, and explain why.
What you get with every job
Design help
We work from sketches, photos, PDFs or CAD.
Cut, bend, fit, weld
One shop, one set of hands from start to finish.
Small batches
One part or a short run of matching parts.
Finish options
Raw, brushed, painted or prepped for powder coat.
Why TIG for fabricated parts
TIG welding gives small, precise welds with little spatter, which means less clean-up and a better-looking part. It's slower than MIG, so on heavy structural pieces we'll be upfront if another process makes more sense. For visible parts, thin material and stainless or aluminum, TIG is the right tool.
Small parts and fittings get fixtured so every piece in a batch comes out the same.
Finishing and install
Parts can leave raw, brushed, painted or ready for powder coat (we coordinate with local coaters when needed). For larger items we can install on site, including anchoring and final welds in place with our mobile setup.
Custom Metal Fabrication: common questions
Do I need a formal drawing for a custom part?
No. A sketch with key dimensions or a photo of the old part with a tape measure is usually enough to start. We'll ask about anything that's unclear.
Can you make a copy of a broken part?
Often, yes. Bring or send the original, even in pieces. We measure it and build a new one, sometimes stronger than the original if we can see why it failed.
Do you do powder coating?
We don't powder coat in-house. We can prep parts for powder coat and coordinate with a local coating shop if you want it handled.
Do you build large structural steel?
Our focus is precision TIG work and small-to-medium fabrication. For building-scale structural steel, a structural erection contractor is the better call.