Posts by Mike at Baileigh
A Quest to Create: Pete Watkins and Dexterous Engineering
Look up the word “dexterous” in the dictionary, and you’ll see that it means nimble and skillful with the hands and the mind. It’s an apt description for Pete Watkins’s work—and a fitting name for his shop, Dexterous Engineering. From Watkins’s perspective, “metal is metal.” Which means he tackles all kinds of projects without allowing…
Read MorePassionate About the Craft: Mike Wagner and Cornfield Customs
Mike Wagner of Cornfield Customs Ltd. has made a name for himself with masterpieces on wheels. He’s a metal shaping star on social media. But the craft is its own reward for this self-described introvert. “I like to work, but the only time I really feel free is when I’m shaping metal,” he says. “I…
Read MoreHungry for Success: Josh Romaker and Caged Crow Customs
Just looking at Josh Romaker’s handiwork might make your stomach growl. At Caged Crow Customs in Saint Germain, Wisconsin, Romaker builds stylish, attention-grabbing food carts and trailers that fit the flavors and personality of the eatery. Caged Crow also creates one-of-a-kind concessions trailers and pop-up shops. “We’ve never built the same thing twice here at…
Read MoreKeeping the Craft Going: American Metal Customs
Hot rods. Motorcycles. Whisky. Rock and roll. American Metal Customs builds, modifies, and services epic bikes and cars while celebrating the mystique that goes with them. American Metal owner Chris Bishop and lead builder and shop manager Josh Allison have teamed up to exemplify the best in American craftsmanship and, as their website promises, “build the…
Read MoreFrom Tree to Table: Luke Frisch and Hazel Burr Design
Woodworking is Luke Frisch’s livelihood. At Hazel Burr Design, he supports his family by creating high-end wooden tables, countertops, charcuterie boards, and much more. “It’s not just important. It’s vital,” explains Frisch. “This is how we feed the kids. It’s how we pay the bills.” This Baileigh Biography video offers a fun peek into Frisch’s…
Read MoreWheel Guy: Austin Paruch and Paruch Automotive Craftsmanship
“I never have any days where I’m worried about getting up or not going to work and enjoying what I do,” says fabricator, restorer, and coachbuilder Austin Paruch. “Life and work are one and the same. This is what I do. This is what I was intended to do, I believe.” At Paruch Automotive Craftsmanship,…
Read MorePunk Rock Spirit: Bob Bleed and Midwest Fabrication
“I never once when I was a little kid thought, ‘I want to be a fabricator.’ I just wanted a hot rod,” explains Bob Bleed. “Everything about life is perspective. And my perspective on everything is through this car, through this windshield.” The car love goes way back for Bleed. He tinkered on his first…
Read MoreBobby Walden Puts Baileigh Metal Shaping Tools to the Test
In a 14-episode video series, the great Bobby Walden of Walden Speed Shop tested a shop full of shiny Baileigh machines against his arsenal of legacy tools. Walden was curious to try our equipment, since, as he said, “People ask me all the time… ‘What tools are better? The old tools, the Yoder? The new…
Read MoreSteven Barfield Builds a Mandrel Bent Frame Business
Time is money, and Steven Barfield bends custom frame rails like butter in a matter of minutes on his MB-4×2 mandrel tube bender. At Sschassissworx, the Baileigh bender lets Barfield cash in on increased productivity and help his customers get their jobs done faster. It’s a win for everyone involved. Barfield is the kind of…
Read MoreInez Escamilla Builds a Family Business in Texas
Inez Escamilla started Loose Cannon as a one-woman repair company; since then it’s grown into a thriving family business, serving the greater Austin, Texas area. She and her husband, Nick Josyln, co-run the fabrication shop, which they live next door to, while raising their son, Jace. “It’s a dream come true,” says Escamilla. “We searched…
Read More