You dream it, Kevin will create it. Baas metal craft is a unique company specializing insmall or large production of unique custom made steelitems per the customers request. Cool businesssigns, custom bike parts, unique steel furniture areall possible with the CNC plasma cutting technologyBaas metal craft incorporates. Owner Kevin Baas is ahigh school Technology Education instructor at John F.Kennedy High School in Bloomington Minnesota. Hispassion for metal work and fabrication started as ayoungster working with his father's scrap around theyard.
Kevin's dad is still sheet metal worker and garagemachinest and his skills and passions for metalhad a firy impact on him. As a little boyKevin was exposed to the biker lifestyle riding in hisfather's side car of the 1964 Police special Panheadthat was the family vehicle for the better part ofevery summer. Watching his dad build and rebuild hisold Pans and Shovels got into his blood and molded him into what he is today.
After graduating college in 1996, Kevin took the jobas a shop teacher at Kennedy high. One of the courseshe taught was in an old run down metal shop thatonly enrolled enough anxious students to support one. Kevin immediately set out to improve andmodify the program knowing what the future could holdfor his students. Through many hours of work thelab was completely remodeled and housed serioushigh tech equipment students use on theirprojects and assignments. One of these being the newCNC Plasma cutting system.
The CNC unit in the classroom was donated by a neighboringcompany and allows all the students to make the samelevels of products Baas Metal Craft produces. This is oneof rare, trade, state high school programs containing this level of state-of-the-art equipment. Enrollment has sincetripled after incorporating the new technology as wellas building choppers in class (see Bikernetarticle on the High School Panhead Project).
The Baas Metal Craft plasma cutter is similar tothe students' with a cutting table measuring 4 foot x 4foot. Steel up to 3/4-inch thick can be cut anddesigns are limitless. In the summers, whileKevin is off of school, he works hard behind thescenes with Baas Metal Craft filling orders and managing an e-bay store with sampleitems for sale.
The increase in garage built choppers had a positive impact on Kevin's business. He was said, “I really enjoy working with theguys who are building their own rides, helping themcreate unique parts and accents for their projects isa blast. I enjoy each new challenge, and I'm always excitedto watch the ideas come to life. When I get thatfinal picture from my client with the finished part in place, it's the coolest!”
Kevin can scan any logo or designs, import Cad drawings or createnew designs from customer specifications, chicken scratchon a napkin or even from the description of a vision. Baas Metal Craft can be contacted through e-mail atbaasmetalcraft@yahoo.com, by phone at 952-215-1252 oryou can see the website at: www.baasmetalcraft.com
Kevin and his students manufactured cool signs for Paul Cox, Billy Lane,BikerNet.com, Hank Young, Xsspeed, Exile Cycles, TheHorse, Sucker Punch Sally's as well as many up andcoming builders and companies.
The process involvestaking the image or design idea and scanning it onto aPC and into the CADCAM program. The design is thencleaned up and prepared for the 2-d plasma cutting. The finished design is then vectorized, turning thedesign into the mastercam part file.
The part is thenrun through a post processor which will give M&G codethat directs the machine where to cut to create theimage. The steel is lined up on the cutting table andthe G code is then loaded into the automated Plasma Cutter and thecutting begins. Steel, 1/8-inch thick, is standard formost wall sign items, but many parts andthicker signs are made from 1/4 or 3/8-inch material.
If you have any notions for a shop sign, club insignia or a silhoutte of your bike sliced out of steel. Click on Kevin's banner and roll over to his shop.
Kevin Baas
BAAS METAL CRAFT
Custom made steel signs, art, furniture and fabricated parts.
www.baasmetalcraft.com
952-215-1252
“When in doubt, burn out!”
