Blue Torch FabWorks and Rock Crawling

Some visiting this website may have found their way here from my days in the rock crawling industry.  I started a little shop in 2001 called Blue Torch FabWorks.  Bluetorchfab or BTF started out as a part time business around my full time career as a pharmaceutical rep. Yes, I know I sold drugs for a living, but legal ones.  When I first bought the domain name www.bluetorchfab.com I was in the middle of building a Jeep for a good friend, Derrick Bracewell in my father’s barn.  The barn was located in the middle of no where south Alabama.  The shop area was very small, but it was just like the old days.  I built a lot of stuff in the barn during my college years.  A little history. My dad moved to this home after I left for college.  I grew up and learned fabrication in the shop behind our home at 509 Thunderbird Drive in Dothan, Alabama.  Who says you have to be from So Cal to make big waves in the fabrication world? I never listened to that crap.  If you want something… go get it.

Derrick Bracewell and another friend Gaither Holley went in on splitting rent with me on some shop space in Dothan.  We moved all of my tools to the new shop and things took off.  Boy did they ever.  Within a few months I received a telephone call from the producers of Monster Garage asking me to head out to California and help build the rock crawler project they were about to start.  I would like to report that I did the Monster Garage show but I could not get off from work during the week they were to film the rock crawler episode.  Bummer right?  A few weeks later I got a call from Original Productions that would forever change my life.

The producers called to ask if I would be interested in being a normal cast member on a new fabrication related show they were working on.  Without thinking I said I was in.  I hung up the phone and then it dawned on me.  if I could not get off of work for a week to do Monster Garage I was never going to be able to get off of work to stay in California to film a series of television shows.  I called them back to talk about the problem.  I mentioned that I could not leave my job for the money they were willing to pay at the time.  I was told to think about what I would need to come out.  So, after talking it over with my wife I decided to leave my drug rep job and head to the west coast.  I called my manager at Forrest to give my notice.  I don’t think Hank believed me when I told him I was leaving to go out to California and be on a tv show.

I would like to point out leaving my job was difficult to do.  For a long time I planned to start a shop.  It just happened the tv show deal was on the table at that time.  It was an educated chance to take.  I had been watching other companies in the offroad industry.  One of the major brands at that time split into two different companies.  It was time to make my name heard.  People were wanting to build things for themselves so it was time to offer a solution.  A lot of things have since changed, but in 2001 – 2002 rock crawling was seeing some major shifts in technology.  It was time to take the leap.  As Eminem said in a song, “One Shot, One opportunity”.  So I took it, I left my job to go drop bombs in the offroad industry.

I packed my bags and grabbed my welding helmet to head off to the west coast.  The television show I was headed out to film was called Driveshaft.  Driveshaft aired on the FX network on Friday nights for a while.  Then again on Speed for a while.  The show was a blast to film.  I met a lot of great people.  It does not seem like 2002 when all of this went down.  I still talk to a couple of the guys from the shop on a regular basis.  Pops and Ghetto Bob are a riot.  Ghetto Bob was working at a little shop in LA that some of you may have heard of, West Coast Customs.  West Coast Customs would later do the tv show Pimp My Ride for MTV.

I should note that Troy Johnson and I became friends from the show.  Troy was on the sand car episode with me.  Some of you may know Troy from his business in Riverside, CA.  He owns a school there called The Fab School.  If you are wanting to learn to weld Troy is a must call.  If you want to learn how to bend tube, form sheet metal, and how to go fast in the desert Troy Johnson is a must call.  Troy is a true master at what he does.  A big thanks to Troy for the helpful insight over the years.

While working on the television show I removed “Blue Torch is not a business.” from the website and the calls started coming.  I had to turn off my phone while on the set.  As soon as the show wrapped up I headed back to Alabama and never looked back.  Before leaving I went by West Coast Customs and bought a shop truck from Ghetto Bob.  Yeah I drove it back to Alabama.  I was tired from the long hours working, but the drive was something I was ready to get completed.

As soon as I returned from California Blue Torch FabWorks was my full time focus.  In those days it was a one man business. I did have some friends and future employees helping me out.  Gaither Holley helped me just about everyday when he got off from his day job.  James Schofield came by in the afternoons to help turn wrenches.  James and Gaither both transitioned to the shop full time.

Within a couple month after returning from California I leased a larger shop on Reeves Street in Dothan, Alabama. I can honestly say it all seems like a blur from that point forward.  My wife and I had our second child soon after the move.  I feel like I missed the first 5 years of her life.  I worked around the clock with a seemingly unstoppable drive to make Blue Torch FabWorks a world leader in the offroad industry.  I was not going to be happy with a small town shop bolting on lift kits.  I wanted to manufacture product and change the paradigm in which people viewed the offroad world.  Before Blue Torch not too many people were building chopping up their vehicles and hand building them back again.  The dawn of the DIY generation was kicking off.  Because of shows like Monster Garage more people viewed fabrication as an art rather than a red neck mechanic thing to do.  Businesses like Home Depot and Lowes were popping up in every town reaffirming the fact that more people were willing to engage in DIY tasks.  BTF was built on the idea of providing the at home fabricator quality parts and knowledge to build a custom project at home.  Most of the BTF product line required welding to install.  In the end the customer could step back and have ownership in the project because they had to think and work to install the BTF part.  Because the products gave people power the industry began to change.  I am not saying that I am the person who changed it all.  There were some other shops who offered a couple parts to fabricate with, but I will say BTF products lead the way for many other shops who are now doing very well.

Leading the way and being an innovator was the thing that drove me from within.  It is the thing that still drives Blue Torch FabWorks to this day.  I sold part of the company to a like minded person in 2007.  Jason Carner came in as a partner and we moved the company to Birmingham, AL.  Jason took over day to day operations which allowed me to focus more on creating in the shop.  As of September 21, 2009 I sold the remaining shares of the company to Jason.  I wanted to return to a more simple life closer to family.  My wife, son, and daughter needed me around more.  I do not regret leaving the business.  Jason Carner will carry the shop forward to new heights in 2010 and beyond.  I am looking forward to seeing what he and the rest of the BTF staff can do with the company.

Blue Torch FabWorks, Inc is now located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama.  If you would like to contact BTF here is the current contact information:

Blue Torch FabWorks, Inc

3211 11th Avenue North

Birmingham, AL 35234

tel: 205-521-7333

fax: 205-521-7343

email: info@bluetorchfab.com

President: Jason Carner

Website: www.bluetorchfab.com

I guess you can say this is my farewell to rock crawling as a business.  I am sure I will make my way back out on the trails to bang around with friends.  For younger people thinking of getting a job in the rock crawling industry you need to realize something.  There are easier things to do to make a living.  If you still want to get involved you must live it.  Your girlfriend better understand also.  When it comes down to completing a project you push until it is done.  In the end it is one of the greatest things I have ever decided to do in my life.  I have zero regrets.

For more reading on Rock Crawling be sure to check out Pirate4x4.

Dan DuBose