First, a little about me to help you understand my process.

Before entering the world of fabrication, I obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in machine design, and subsequently worked as an accident reconstructionist for a decade. During this time I primarily did vehicle dynamics analysis as well as 3d modeling and animation. I created the court exhibits, which were eye candy, but they were also physics-based recreations of an event that we could use to study positioning, lighting, line of sight, and timing during the accident. I have testified in court as an expert in accident reconstruction, and also as an expert in computer graphics, which includes photogrammetry.

Photogrammetry is the science of recreating a 3d world from photographs, which is how my design process starts. Let’s say you want a custom-built winch bumper for your VW Superbeetle offroad project. Not a lot of those off the shelf. You bring me your vehicle and I take photographs and measurements in a specific way that’s useful for photogrammetry.

I create a 3d model of your vehicle accurate enough to do CAD/CAM work on. You tell me what features you want, what style, maybe provide some photographs of similar things you like that I can pull ideas from and tweak to fit your vehicle.

I model what you say you want, and in a way that is structurally sound and safe. This is where I get to apply my engineering skills, maybe even run some Finite Element Analysis, and create something which will take the load of a winch line or recovery rope. I send you renderings. We go back and forth until you’re happy with the design (and I’m comfortable with building it). If we’re both happy, you get a quote. If you’re OK with the quote, you pay a deposit and I get materials and build it. Depending on what we’re doing I may need to keep your vehicle for a day or two to finish fitment and installation.