Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Conway.
Derek, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
First, my friends call me DC and it’s always a pleasure to meet new friends! I started a company about 10 years ago building patio decks, privacy fences, and outdoor sheds. This went on for a few years as business slowed down to the point that I wasn’t able to pay bills anymore. However, I wasn’t terribly upset about getting out of the heat of the summer and the freezing cold in the winter.
So, working as a bartender at night I slowly built my garage into a functioning workshop learning to make things other than decks, like tables, shelves, and other home furnishings. I was only working with wood at this time but desperately wanted to learn welding and acrylics and sign making. It was during this time period that I discovered a couple of YouTube makers that were doing what I had just started to do and wanted to learn to do, so I started a YouTube channel as well. Now I knew that I didn’t have to be ‘just a woodworker’ or ‘just a table maker’.
I could weld and make custom signs and make marquee letters and cut custom letters on my bandsaw. This group, small at the time, were called makers so that’s what I consider myself today, a maker.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first challenge was getting proper tools and learning how to use them!! Welding has definitely become the biggest struggle for me since there are SO many things to know and learn. Some people buy a cheap welder at the big box store and call themselves a welder but it isn’t that easy. I’ve been fortunate to learn a little at a time from a VERY experienced welder and metal fabricator, who is a long time friend of 20 years or so.
Now I can hold my own but I look forward to always learning more with the metal fab and welding. The bandsaw would be another struggle starting out, cutting precision letters, with acrylics and aluminum, and sign making. I’m still learning new things with the bandsaw and probably will never know everything but it’s become my favorite tool in the shop! Starting my YouTube channel was really rough at first but I’m proud to say I’ve surpassed 10,000 subscribers and counting!!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about DC. wood fab design – what should we know?
My YouTube channel youtube.com/derekconwaytx is my pride and joy where I get to display things I make for clients and just have fun making! My company, DC. wood fab design makes just about anything custom. I would say I’m probably known best for my industrial style tables, shelves, and cabinets, but custom signs are becoming a very close second.
I’m VERY proud of the fact that I started this company alone with almost NO money and slowly worked my way to where I am now. And that’s what I think sets me aside from others, I deal directly with the clients, I make everything myself, and I love every second in my shop!!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I would say being able to make someone else’s vision come to life. From design to reality is very important in my kind of business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.youtube.com/derekconwaytx
- Phone: 214-732-0139
- Email: dc.woodfabdesign@yahoo.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/derekconway
- Facebook: facebook.com/dcwoodfabdesign
Image Credit:
Erin Cox
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