We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tommy Kay a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tommy , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

A big risk I took was right after I went to school for commercial diving. I had about a month left, sold everything I owned, and was gearing up to move to Texas to work as an underwater welder. Then COVID hit, in-person classes shut down, and I suddenly couldn’t finish the program.

I wanted to stay in Santa Barbara, so I pivoted and found work as a marine mechanic. I ended up living on a boat, working hard for a couple years, and saving every dollar I could. I’ve always loved building things, but that job really took my skills to another level. I started picking up welding jobs on the side – random projects here and there – and eventually realized I wanted to go all in. I quit my job and formed my first LLC doing boat repair and welding.

About a year and a half in, I got a call about a project that completely changed my direction: turning a vintage speedboat into a drivable car on a diesel gator chassis. It was my first true creative fabrication job. Bringing that vision to life opened up a whole new world for me.

Through that project I met a veteran fabricator who had been in the creative fabrication industry for 30 years. He took me under his wing, and I’ve been working out of part of his shop ever since. From there things took off. I now make a living building imaginative, boundary-pushing pieces for clients ranging from Disney and Universal to local pizzerias. That original risk reshaped my life.

Tommy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Growing up, my dad always said I’d take things apart, put them back together differently, and somehow they’d still work. I’ve just always been a builder with a creative mindset. Now that’s basically my entire business model: people come to me with wild ideas, and I figure out how to bring them to life, adding my own touch when it helps elevate the project.

My path has been interesting: underwater welding student, marine mechanic, welder, to full-time creative fabricator working with both major brands and local clients. That mix of technical foundation and creative problem-solving is what makes my shop a little different.

My process is very collaborative. I spend time with clients going back and forth, drafting designs, really trying to get inside their heads so I understand what they’re imagining. From there I handle everything: design, research, sourcing, fabrication, and final build. I like giving clients something physical to react to early on so we’re on the same page before going into the heavy lifting. Communication and clarity are big values for me.

In terms of capabilities, I’m a one-stop shop for bringing any ambitious idea to life: stainless and aluminum fabrication, custom art installations, cutting, wiring, mutant vehicles, you name it. Quality is always the priority.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Honestly, the business started scrappy. After working as a marine mechanic and living on a boat to save money, I took the $2,000 I had and used it to source tools. I bought a shipping container to work out of, hunted down equipment from shops going out of business, and rebuilt or modified a lot of older machines so they’d run better than they originally did.

I rebuilt an old cnc router table into a combo plasma cutter, and over time I Frankensteined together a really capable setup. Every tool I use I either built, repaired, or bought outright. It forced me to understand my equipment inside and out. That combination of resources and my own creative touch is a big part of what shaped my style of fabrication today.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My business has grown almost entirely through returning clients and word of mouth. I put a lot into those relationships, and I think the work itself ends up speaking the loudest. I try to either meet expectations or beat them, and I’m not afraid to challenge clients in the right way if it means getting them to the best possible outcome. My whole goal is to take someone’s vision, sometimes a pretty wild one, and make it real.

I’m still working on building my brand online because most of my energy goes into the actual fabrication work, but opportunities like this interview help me open myself up beyond the network I already have. The trust I build with clients and the quality of the work they walk away with is what keeps the projects coming.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tkc.design
• Instagram: tkcustoms.sb

Image Credits

nik tenney
First pic with led bulbs