Love Local: Northwestern Alberta Makers & Creators
B&B Align Bore & Fab Ltd. | Grimshaw, AB
Owner and Operator Jarret Bellwood, 24, grew up in the Peace Country and now lives near Dixonville.
What’s your origin story? How did you get into making what you make?
B&B originated as a side hustle while I was in high school. I started out with learning portable line boring from a family friend to pay for the rebuild of my first car, but it quickly grew into something I wanted to pursue as a career.
After a few years of steadily working weekends and days off school, I set my sights on purchasing a CNC plasma table to expand my horizons and fabricate some truck accessories for myself.
I incorporated the business in 2017, and B&B Align Bore & Fab Ltd. was born.
For the first few years, it was a part-time job as I got my footing after finishing high school and completed my Red Seal Journeyman Welder program. From there, I started to expand into more portable welding and batch cutting parts on the CNC plasma table. The CNC cutting side of things always kept me from running out of work when portable welding and machining slowed down, but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that I shifted to full-time self employment.
Since then, I have been focused mostly on portable welding and line boring with signs, gates, firepits and any other metal art filling up any spare time I have.
Please describe a few of your products and how they’re made.
Some of our top sellers are our family monograms, firepits and gates.
Each family monogram starts with a quick consult to get an idea of the direction the client is looking to go. At this point we can tailor sizing, finishes and metal choice to meet the clients’ goals and budget. After we establish the basics for the artwork, we can dive into any elements we’d like to incorporate into the design. After that I go ahead and do an initial draft of the piece before sending to the client for feedback. From there, we can discuss any changes or additions for the second draft. This process repeats until we have a final draft the client is completely in love with.
Following approval, I take the design and go through the nesting process and finally cut the finish product from the chosen material. Most customers go for a standard mild steel material and powdercoat finish to stand up to life outside.
Pricing on family monograms can vary based on size, material (stainless steel, mild steel or aluminum) and finish (blued torch, paint, powdercoat or raw) The average bare metal 16”x16” monogram is $100.
When consulting on firepits we have to consider grills, warming plates, spark guards and if the pit needs a dedicated base or can be open to the ground.
Firepits follow a similar process, but we have the added steps of panel arrangement on some of our shapes and the forming and welding process after cutting the panels. After the firepit has been welded out we take and apply two coats of high temp black paint before final inspection and delivery to the customer. High temp powdercoat is available for an additional charge along with optional stainless grates for cooking.
We have many different size and design options from full sphere ball that split in half for dual use to fully fold flat collapsible pits for travel. We also have options for swing over grills, set on grills and many other accessories to meet customer’s needs.
An average bowl firepit comes in at $750, but we can tailor other designs to almost all budgets.
Gates are some of our biggest projects and can require lots of planning and prep work. As always, we start with a consult to determine budget, timeframe, design ideas, location, mounting and any other details pertaining to the project.
After multiple drafts and any revisions have been done fabrication begins. We send the gates out for paint or powdercoat based on the client’s preference before setting up an appointment for install.
Following the install, I follow up with the client down the road to ensure they are still satisfied with the gates. Iʼll provide any service if the need arises.
I use word of mouth for most of my advertising and will always make the best effort to make sure clients are taken care of following their purchase. Gates are usually mild steel construction with a powdercoat or epoxy paint finish to withstand the elements. We can incorporate wood accents into the design as well.
Gate pricing starts at $2,500, but we recommend contacting us for a quote on your specific project.
Please tell us about the care and attention you put into your work.
From each weld I make in the field to every sign I cut in the shop, I treat each job as an extension of myself, only putting out work I feel proud of. I use the highest quality metals for my creations alongside my ever-growing knowledge of the trade. I strive to produce the highest quality products and services at a reasonable price. I do final inspections on all my CNC cut goods to ensure the client receives exactly what they envision free from defect even if it means scrapping a piece and starting from scratch. If a customer is dissatisfied for any reason, I do my best to resolve the situation in a timely manner.
Are there specific items you could suggest as good Christmas gift ideas?
Driveway signs, family monograms, coat racks, firepits and garden markers are always hot items for Christmas. We try to bring out something new each holiday season to run as a special at the Grimshaw Christmas Market each fall.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
I’d like to thank our customers—both past and present—for your support. Without you none of this would be possible. I also look forward to bringing any potential customersʼ visions to life.
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