who's the one of the best fabricators out there these days

White....Jimmy White.
Circle City Hot Rods, Orange, Ca.
No cookie cutting here!


Terry

 

I will add three Michigan guys who stay under the radar but who kick out fantastic work.
Garrick Opie of Suttons Bay, currently building an ultra trick bike for Michael Jordan.
Denny Leskie, Ionia Rod Shop, ch***is design and execution with the best of them.
Darin Irvine, Northport, body and paint for the Pebble Beach crowd but reasonable enough for the rest of the world.

 

I think one of the undiscovered truley talented fabricators is Paul Wright from Pflugerville Texas. The car that he built for me is getting a full feature in Street Rodder in the next few months. His attention to detail and his deep understanding of the history of hot rodding is amazing. I think he should be known as "Mr Period Correct"

 

there are some true craftsmen in Oregon, the list could go on for days. Russ Meeks and Donn Lowe are just a couple friends that I admire for their dedication

 

B***

 

I agree there, bob is amazing with sheetmetal.
Also would like to mention Max Fish from bio kustoms...the guy does amazing work and is pretty much a suspension genious! Im also a big Bill Hines fan.
In the end, the guy you dont know busting his *** in the garage daily or on the weekends to put out a bad *** homebuilt ride is the man.

 

........Kevin Perry........aka Kiwi Kev........is the king!

 

Steve Sellers

 

Thank you for the compliment... I do my best!

 

i gotta put plowboy on the list. not only because of his fab skills, but design skills are off the chart.

 

Right On! I'm struggling with trying to weld 2 pieces of a fender together without warping it, wihich didn't work, and then trying to fix the warpage with self taught (almost taught) heat shrinking. It's now worse than ever. But a friend of mine says it's still salvageable. I don't see it, except by somebody like Paul Bragg, who hasn't been mentioned. I'm not sure about fabrication skills from scratch, but he sure throws some mean lead on top of some mighty good sheetmetal work. Has anyone seen the 49 Merc with the 51 quarter panel he's doing (in bare metal at Paso?)

Admittedly, if I could afford any of the guys mentioed, I wouldn't be struggling trying to teach myself. But it sure is satisfying when something does come out right.

This thread has been very encouraging to me. Thanx.

I think ol' Henry is right on (see quote below.)

 

Sellers

 

Little appreciated & not as well known.....out of the atlanta, ga. area - a former Patrick Racing Alum ala Indy fame - Mike Saligoe.
Mike's recent works can be seen, but not credited from, Fuller Customs (Brian Fuller's shop in atl.) Hank Young's shop also in atlanta area - both have taken wins in Biker Build offs with Mike's hand fab'd frames, oil tanks, gas tanks (even in copper), controls & manya braket.
His work in the past was indy cars for "Mario", lots of midgits in his former haunt - the Indy area.
I've celebrity guest welded for Mike over the last few years & have thanked him for the tricks I learned from him - I'm sure his spotlight is coming!!

Paco

 

Depends on what you are looking to have fabricated. Fay Butler is a VERY cool guy- and knows alot -GO EAST COAST!!

 

Most of you fabricators have great hair. That really pisses me off.

It's a freakin' conspiracy I tell ya, that's it(!), a conspiracy.

Kipst'r, where ya been?

 

I think people are confusing fabricating talent with internet popularity.

Most people on here haven't seen the work up close and personal of the guys they are stroking.

I mean, some guys build some really cool ****, but don't even come close to being what I consider a "fabricator"... me included.

Fabricators are guys who can weld with all types of welders and make their welds strong and pretty. They can run all the various sheet metal tools, english wheels... shrinkers, stretchers, breaks, sheers, hole punchers, iron workers, files, sanders, riviting tools, foundry equipment... you name it, they know what they are, and know how to use them.

I'm sure there are guys who are the "best fabricators" out there... but are real *** holes to boot.

The "best" may not frequent messageboards or get their **** in yoiur favorite traditional hot rodding magazine either.

And here's a thought... guys who are the "best fabricators" may not even build hot rods, let alone automobiles period.

I've seen some guys who build airplanes, for instance... who you would marvel at their capabilities.

To even think you can name the best out there is a naive statement.

Boy, I'm in a pissy mood this morning... I better go have my coffee.

Sam.

 

And what about the guys who fabricated the Indy Cars in the 60's and 70's... when they were made out of metal? Sprint cars? Formula one?

Sam.

 

If we're talking hero's, then mine are my Dad first of all. He can fabricate is *** off. Another are some of the old guys I work with down at the railroad. And yes, they build hot rods too. They work in their garages late at night with a limited amount of tools and do the best that they can with what ever they have. Now thats impressive.

 

just about everyone here on the HAMB. each and everyone one of you guys brings something to the table....

 

Exactly what I was gonna say.

Press & the spotlight means nothing.

I know of work done that the person is content not to be a headline or self-promoter, that those names couldn't hold a candle to their work.

You can't tell the real quality of someone's work from pictures. I've seen so many things on here and in magazines, with ****py welds, panels that were done wrong, easy tricks that appear to the unexperienced as magic, mediocre paint work,etc., by people everybody thinks are so good.

It's like people think if someones work is in a magazine, then it must be the best because "those magazine guys see it all and they wouldn't have picked it to feature if it wasn't".

Best ? There's no way to know.

 

garricck is a good friend of mine and he,ll be on the radar very soon he's doing some killer work

 

I almost forgot. there is this dude names Chris Thompson in San Diego. He can do ANYTHING when it comes to sheet metal. He did the flat black and gloss red 35 3w. That wason the cover of Streetrodder last year. He also tought Jimmy Benitez, who is also pretty incredible, and Chris taught me, if that counts for anything.

 

That's Paul Wright for sure... and a real nice guy also

 

I'll 2nd that ( or is it thirded that?)- there are sooooo many guys out there who are talented. I have a guy who works for me who is one of the best Ive seen and he doesnt even do it full time.- Amazing work.

and some of us fabricators have almost NO hair bwaaa haaa haaa


Guess all the people out there who dont builkd their own stuff should be happy there are somany talented guys (and girls) who can do this stuff- helps keep the rods on the roads.

 

Mr. B***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It amazing how many "hacks" manage to get on TV!!!

 

Gotta agree with ya Sam. I've worked on a few cars that were "professionally" built by some pretty big names and, under the paint, the workmanship was horrible. Design and execution were, quite often, way off the mark but a little plastic goes a long way in covering things up.

(when the weld breaks and you discover that there wasn't any penetration but the finished job looked great because the joint was "expertly" scuplted in body filler afterwards, it makes you wonder whether their product liablity insurance premiums are paid up.)

Craftsmanship goes all the way to the bone, not just in the glossy paint and pleasing shape.

Too many "professionals" are under the mistaken impression that body filler has structural characteristics.

...and then there are those who can make the perfect weld joint every time but their engineering is way off the mark. i.e. **** welding torque arms (radius rods) to the front edge of an axle instead of below the axle (just to keep them out of sight). One good stab on the loud pedal and they snap off. Yup, been there, done that (helped the guy get it back on the trailer)

 

TV and magazine appearances give credibility;justified or not.
Frequently not.

I know a guy who has had his work appear in many magazines.
Every single on of them,he wrote the article and sent it in.
They never sent anyone to check out his stuff.
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The subject line reads "... one of the best fabricators ...."
Not "who is the best fabricator ?"

 

i been here jimmy where you been?