Metal Relic: Welding, Business, and Building a Life in Steel
Hey everyone, my name is Jeremy Werkheiser and I’m the owner and artist behind Metal Relic. Metal Relic started in 2017 as a night and weekend side gig. At the time, it was a way for me to take welding, fabrication, salvaged steel, and industrial materials and turn them into something more creative. What started with smaller handmade metal pieces slowly grew into guitars, motorcycles, flowers, wall pieces, machines, creatures, and eventually larger sculptural work. My background is in industrial maintenance and management, so I have always approached my work from both the hands-on trade side and the problem-solving side. Nuts, bolts, washers, chain, sheet steel, pipe, tools, scrap, and raw steel all become part of the work. I like taking hard industrial materials and pushing them into organic forms while still letting the steel look like steel. A lot changed for me over the last few years. After a house fire, losing tools, losing my father, and having life pretty much force a reset, my perspective shifted. Metal Relic became more than just making things. It became a way to rebuild, refocus, and prove that skilled trades can become fine art when you keep pushing the craft. That shift eventually led me back to school for welding, where I treated the education side seriously. I wanted to sharpen the skills behind the art, not just rely on what I already knew. That path led into SkillsUSA, competition work, project documentation, galleries, exhibitions, media features, and national and international recognition for my sculpture work. My piece The Deep Sleep, a steel Kraken attacking a pirate ship, became a major turning point for me and helped show what Metal Relic could become. On the business side, Metal Relic has grown from a side project into a full-time small business. That has meant learning a lot beyond welding: pricing, shipping, customer communication, inventory, event planning, online sales, marketing, photography, branding, and figuring out how to balance smaller production work with larger custom and fine art pieces. Some days the business side is harder than the fabrication side, but it is all part of building something real. I’m not here to make a sales post. I wanted to introduce myself, share some of the history behind Metal Relic, and show the work that came out of that journey. Everything I make is built by hand, one piece at a time, with the goal of turning raw steel into something that feels alive. Glad to be here and looking forward to connecting with everyone. If anyone has questions about my process, the education side, the business side, or the journey from side gig to full-time work, feel free to ask me anything. Jeremy Werkheiser Metal RelicIs creating a contractual agreement with customers on a fixed income too risky?
We essentially would build a payment plan step by step together explaining every detail and what each payment covers, showing the progress every step of the way ensuring they don’t go broke over a roof repair or drywall patch. I’m trying to start my own handyman business that will give back to the community through the disabled and elderly who can’t always afford thousands of dollars up front.
How do I start a tire shop with limited funds and no supplier contacts?
Hello I’m Devin and I have been working for myself for over three years doing handyman, pressure washing, tree cutting. Pretty much anything outdoors that need to be done and just burnt out and tired of doing it always wanted to start a new and used tire shop doing oil changes as well. Little minor things like brakes and windshield wipers and bolt lightbulbs for headlights I finally bought two brand new machines tire changer and balancer got most of the tools that I need lacking just a few things but having a hard time with funds, of course, and trying to find some way of being visible in the community I’ve tried Facebook and other social media apps haven’t had much luck hardest thing for me is to fork out so much money for used tires at one time and not having the help of knowing who to contact for getting new tires so any insight would be wonderful thank you in advance👉 “Turning My Logistics Vision Into Reality – Lyric Logistics LLC”
Hi everyone, I’m Flo, the owner of Lyric Logistics LLC. I’m currently in the process of launching my transportation business focused on reliable box truck freight services for small and mid-sized businesses. One recent win I’m proud of is completing my grant applications and building out my business foundation, including my services, branding, and operations plan. It’s been a big step toward turning my vision into something real. I’m excited to be part of this community and learn from others while growing my business. Looking forward to connecting!
