Small twist this time around.
The normal Spotlight sections have been about those that are established or made a nice name for themself in the industry, or with us here on the forum. And this has been our way to bring some attention to what they do, what they are about and show some love.
This time, we wanted to give the average member a shot. And by average, I mean the guy who, like yourself, bust their ass to learn and help others out.
Brian, known as nexson here, started off soaking up the info. Asking questions and trying stuff out. As well as he caught on and started to learn and pick up a thing or 2, not everything he did turned out quite as he first envisioned it. I will post pics of this later on.
But Brian has persistance and passion and has established himself as one of the top fabricators on this site. Not only in my eyes, but to many others as well. So we are pleased to shine the spotlight on Brian this go around. So lets see what he has to offer. And remember, keep at it and 1 day you could be at the same level.
Do you work for yourself or a shop? Name of it? I work for myself under the name of “Nexations Creations”
Did you go to an installer school or are you self taught? I am purely self taught through a lot of patience and money towards various materials. I consistently learned with every project I did and progressed from a point where my work was piss poor. I have only the fiberglass forums to thank for my learning and I will never forget where I originated from.
Who is your biggest influence in your work? There would have to be two people in this answer. First and for most my father, although my father is more mechanical, I was always the creative one who built things. After each project, I show my father and he would look over each fabrication with satisfaction, which as a son was fulfilling. My influence was as always to impress him. Secondly, Jon (epicenterdesigns) would be a big influence to me in the fiberglass world. The very first interior project I did was a half din flip out monitor which I failed at completing, although the idea was great. I remember giving up on it and sending it out to Jon in hopes to see what could be possibly done with talent and experience. Upon receiving the panel back, the inspiration I got from a completed fabrication was hope for the future.
What got you interested in fabrication work? I got myself interested in fabrication work at a young age. It started when I was about 6 years old, which was the age you could find me playing with legos. I would build completed sets of legos that came pre-packaged, and then you could find me building a crazy concoction out of a pile of legos dumped on the ground. From there I moved onto erecter sets. I got my first erecter set that had six amusement rides (swing, ferries wheel, pirate ship, etc) that could be built out of the package. I would build, and take apart and rebuild those until I moved onto popsicle sticks. Once I got to popsicle sticks I started going crazy with popsicle sticks and hot glue. I would build huge ramps for my r/c cars, I would build little boxes for storage, I would build class projects out of popsicle sticks (houses, history sets). That led me up to about the age of 16. Once I turned 18 I got my first car and got heavily interested in the world of fiberglass. At the age of 23 now I have never looked back. I have found my spot in interior fabrication. My specialty is OEM fiberglass Replication work. Meaning I create custom fiberglass fabrications that look like they are OEM.
How long have you been working with fiberglass/metal/wood? It has been just 5 years now, but it seems like much longer.
First job using fiberglass? My first job using fiberglass was when I made a 12’’ enclosure for my trunk. I remember ruining the carpet in my trunk and stinking up the garage. The door handle on the garage was sticky and so were the knobs on the utility room sink. Even still, that could not saturate the way I felt when I pulled the mold out of my trunk for the first time, I thought it was the coolest thing ever!
What was your best use of fiberglass in an installation? I guess my claim to fame would have to be when I made a fiberglass molded retro. If I had done anything perfect in my life it was those headlights. I spent countless nights getting the openings around the projector absolutely round and perfect, it was awesome!
What was your worst use of fiberglass? My worst use of fiberglass was when I molded in some tweeters that did not even need fiberglass or fleece. Those tweeter sail pods came out so bulky! Good thing it was for me and for practice purposes only.
In what area would you like to see your work improve? My latest journey has been in the world of paint/auto body repair and just painting fiberglass work. I have been hard at work at that for the past three years. Ideally I would love to be a painter, I guess this is where fiberglass has gotten me too and painting is the next step, but I also do not want to ruin a hobby by getting into the industry.
If there's one thing you would do different what would it be and why? If I could have done anything differently, I probably would have bought the good materials from the get go, instead of wasting time on sub-par materials. One’s work will have a better chance at turning out better with better materials even if the talent level is not all there.
Any words of advice to those just starting out in custom fabrication? My best advice would be to have plenty of patience and to not expect the best of results right away. Also, I should have gotten a table from the get go, instead of trying to fiberglass on the driveway or sidewalk and messing those up. A $30 small foldout table with poster board tapped on top can go a long way to help out. Also, take the advice from the forum. If a reputable source tells you to get something or do something a certain way, it would be good idea to follow that direction.
Besides fab work or installing, what do you like to do to unwind? I have a tendency to watch a lot of tv, so usually you can catch me there, if not I am always browsing the computer for new ideas. Usually when I am unwinding, I am preparing for new jobs and going over in my head how I am going to attack the next project. I unwind easily without following the normal unwinding routines. If all else fails, you can catch me on PS3 playing call of duty.
What do you drive? Is it customized or have an aftermarket stereo? I have a 2005 Honda Accord. I have a drop on it with work wheels, brembo bbk, and a factory lip kit. My stereo is the reason why I love the car. I have a couple JL 10’’ w3v3 with Hertz HSK 165’s in the front. All is powered by a JL 300/4 and 500/1 run off a Alpine 9886 deck, it sounds very nice!
Thank you guys! Jon hit the nail on the head. I came to this site to learn and everything besides experience can be attributed to this site. I have gotten to the point now where i am able to share some of my experience with the rest of the young guys, which is truly valuable to me!
Thank you again, VERY MUCH appreciated and heart felt!
__________________
-If you don't have time to do it right you must have time to do it over.
-If you're going to do something, don't just talk about it, DO IT!
My first job using fiberglass was when I made a 12’’ enclosure for my trunk. I remember ruining the carpet in my trunk and stinking up the garage. The door handle on the garage was sticky custom wedding dresses and so were the knobs on the utility room sink. Even still, that could not saturate the way I felt when I pulled the mold out of my trunk for the first time, I thought it was the coolest thing ever!
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