Custom Metal Fabrication in West-Central Minnesota
Bring us a sketch on a napkin, a printed drawing, or just an idea you can describe — we turn it into a finished metal part. From brackets and gates to hitches, racks, and one-off frames in steel, stainless, and aluminum, Johnson Metal Works builds it right the first time for customers across Sunburg, Willmar, and the surrounding region.
If it can be made from metal, we can fabricate it
Custom fabrication is where our shop does its best work. A lot of what people need simply isn't sold in a store — the part is discontinued, the bracket doesn't fit the way it should, or the job calls for something nobody makes off the shelf. That's exactly the kind of work we take on. We cut, form, and weld raw stock into a part built to your dimensions, your loads, and your machine.
We work across the metals the job demands. Mild steel for strength and value, aluminum when weight matters, and stainless when a part needs to stand up to weather, chemicals, or the wash-down on a food or dairy operation. Because we run MIG, TIG, and stick processes in-house, we match the metal and the method to the part instead of forcing every job through one approach.
Plenty of our fabrication starts as a repair or a modification rather than a from-scratch build. We'll reinforce a weak spot that keeps cracking, extend a frame, add a mount where the factory left none, or adapt one piece of equipment to work with another. If you're not sure whether your idea is buildable, describe it — we'll tell you straight and give you an honest plan.
One-off parts we make all the time
No two custom jobs are identical, but these come through the shop again and again. If yours isn't listed, ask — the list is far from complete.
Brackets, mounts & stands
Heavy-duty brackets, equipment mounts, motor and tank stands, weld-on tabs, and custom plates sized to bolt patterns you give us. Built to carry real weight, not just hold a part in place.
Gates, railings & fencing
Farm and driveway gates, handrails, deck and stair railings, and panels built to span your opening. Strong, square, and finished to take a coat of paint or powder.
Hitches, racks & carriers
Receiver hitches, drawbars, ball mounts, bumper-built carriers, ladder and equipment racks, and headache racks fabricated to fit your truck, trailer, or implement.
Frames & trailer work
Trailer frames and crossmembers, sub-frames, skids, and equipment chassis — built new or rebuilt where rust and stress have taken their toll.
Replacement & one-off parts
Discontinued or hard-to-find parts copied from the broken original, plus bushings, pins, levers, and linkages fabricated when the part store comes up empty.
Modifications & adapters
Adapter plates, extensions, reinforcements, and custom tweaks that make two pieces of equipment work together or make a machine do exactly what you need.
From idea to finished part in three steps
A good custom job starts with a clear plan. Here's how we move your project from concept to a part you can put to work.
1. Design & details
Show us what you've got — a sketch, a drawing, photos of the broken part, or measurements off your equipment. We talk through how the part will be used, what loads it has to handle, and which metal makes the most sense, then settle on a buildable design together.
2. Quote & plan
With the design set, we give you an honest, itemized estimate covering material and labor before any metal is cut. No surprises and no guesswork — you know the scope and the plan before we start, and estimates are always free.
3. Build & deliver
We cut, form, and weld the part to spec, clean it up, and check the fit. You can pick it up at the shop, or for larger and on-site work we bring our mobile welding rig right to your yard, farm, or job site.
Built to last by people who do this every day
A custom part is only worth building if it holds up. We take the time to get the layout square, the welds sound, and the fit right, because a bracket that fails or a gate that sags isn't a part — it's a callback. Our experience across steel, stainless, and aluminum means we know how each metal behaves, where parts tend to fail, and how to build so yours doesn't.
We also know this part of Minnesota. From the farms around Sunburg and Brooten to the lake country near Spicer and New London, we understand the equipment, the weather, and the wear that local work puts on metal. That local knowledge shows up in the parts we build — sized and finished for the conditions they'll actually live in.
Need something beyond a clean fabrication? We also handle structural and repair welding when a part is cracked, bent, or broken, so one shop can take a project from rough idea all the way to a finished, in-service part.
More ways we can help
Custom fabrication often pairs with our other work. Explore what else we do and where we go.
Structural & Repair Welding
Cracked, bent, or broken steel reinforced and made whole again.
Aluminum Welding
Clean TIG and MIG aluminum work for parts where weight matters.
Mobile Welding
Our rig comes to your yard, farm, or job site across the region.
Service Area
Sunburg, Willmar, Spicer, Glenwood, Paynesville and every town between.
Custom fabrication FAQ
Do I need a drawing or blueprint to get started?
No. A rough sketch, a few photos, measurements off your equipment, or even the broken part itself gives us plenty to work with. If you have a print, great — but most of our custom jobs start from a conversation and a napkin sketch.
Which metals do you fabricate with?
Mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, welded with MIG, TIG, and stick processes. We help you pick the right metal for the part — steel for strength and value, aluminum to save weight, stainless for weather and wash-down resistance.
Can you copy a part I already have?
Yes. If you bring us the broken or worn original, we can measure it and fabricate a replacement — handy for discontinued or hard-to-find parts the dealer no longer stocks.
How much will a custom project cost?
It depends on the metal, size, and complexity, so we quote each job individually. Estimates are always free, and we itemize material and labor up front before any metal is cut so there are no surprises.
Do I have to come to the shop?
Not always. Many parts are built in the shop for pickup, but for larger jobs and on-site fabrication we bring our mobile welding rig to your location anywhere in our service area.
Have an idea? Let's build it.
Free estimates on every custom fabrication project — call or text to talk it through.