How many 15-year-olds can say they’ve found their vocation, let alone have been working at it for the past two years?
If you’re David Howes you can.
The Grade 10 Bellerose Composite High School student is the co-founder of Blunt Rail Co., a small St. Albert-based rail production company and a self-taught welder – first learning to weld in his Grade 8 industrial arts class.
After building his initial snowboard rail in shop class, Howe’s started a company with friend and fellow St. Albert resident Adam Parent, 16. The company specialized in the creation of miniature fingerboard rails.
Fingerboarding is a scaled down version of skateboarding where manoeuvres are accomplished using fingers rather than feet. It is a popular activity with young adolescents and was a passion of Howes’ at the time.
That’s when the owner of Wheels, a freestyle scooter shop located in downtown St. Albert, took notice of the young man’s work. Sean Manchu agreed to sell the mini rails in his shop on a commission basis two years ago.
“I put them in here and sold them for him to help out a kid trying to sell his business,” said Manchu.
Excited at the opportunity, Howes bought a welder at Canadian Tire. Prior to that he had been soldering or borrowing his neighbour’s.
He also began building bigger skateboard rails for resale at Wheels.
Despite having access to welders in shop class and through his neighbour, Howes had to teach himself the skills necessary to build professional quality rails.
“It was more of a wood shop,” said Howes of his original industrial arts class. “We did have a small welding section. My teacher taught me the basics of it and how to run the machine, but I went from there and made my own mistakes.”
He did this by watching a lot of YouTube videos. “There are tons of videos you can look up online about beginners’ mistakes and tips on how to get cleaner welds,” he said.
Through sales at Wheels and online (at bluntrailco.ca), Howes eventually saved up enough money to buy himself a light duty fabrication welder and transformed his dad’s basement workshop into his own studio, complete with an air filtration system.
Still somewhat amazed that his hobby turned into a successful business venture, Howes loves seeing people’s faces when they realize who built the rails on sale at Wheels, where he works as a part-time employee.
“They’re always shocked to see that it’s me making them. They always think it’s an older person making them or something,” he said.
Manchu on the other hand isn’t at all surprised by Howes’ success.
“He’s a very business-minded kid and he’s an older soul,” he said.
Blunt Rail Co.’s full-sized skateboard rails can now be purchased in store at Wheels.
The rails measure a standard 6 feet in length and 10 inches in height.
“They’re easy enough to haul out on the street, ride for a bit and put it away,” said Howes, who also takes custom orders, such as smaller beginner rails or longer 10-foot rails.
Blunt Rail Co.’s rails are rectangular steel and height adjustable. Each hole is two inches apart and the secured with pins.
In the future Howes would like to own his own fabrication shop, building a range of welded products.
“I don’t know what it is about it, I just like doing it,” he said about his unusual pastime. “It’s just something I like doing. Some kids like playing video games and this is what I like to do.”
