Local Welder Has Passion for Metalwork

By Ty Walker, The Mountain Times

Justin Knowlton loves what he does for a living. A lifelong welder by trade, he has a passion for his work.

He talks about his profession much like an artist would his latest piece of work. Metal is his medium, his paint brush a torch a paint brush.

He has been welding professionally for 15 years, since he was 20. He got his start building chassis for a racing car manufacturer and working on motorcycles in his backyard in high school, growing up in California.

He enjoys the creative process of welding and working with metal as a medium. Now this wonder welder is plying his trade in the foothills of Mount Hood at his new business, SK Smith LLC.

“I like creating something with my hands and the tools I love to work with, kind of making people’s ideas come to life,” Justin said. “Working with metal has really been a passion of mine since I was a young person because it was associated with things I love, motorcycles and cars.”

“There are so many options that you can take with this medium. That’s why I love it. There’s always something new. The avenues you can take are seemingly endless.”

After working for other manufacturers for years and talking about opening his own business, he finally went out on his own last April on Mount Hood. A Brightwood resident since 2017 and proud owner of SK Smith LLC specializes in mobile welding service where he takes the work to the field.

“I finally decided to take the plunge, do it for myself, for my community, and for my family,” Justin said. “I wanted to take the risk and reap its rewards and certainly it’s been very rewarding.”

The mobile side of his business is pretty lucrative. He keeps pretty busy doing a wide variety of projects, which includes fabrication, machining, and welding. From building gates for property owners, bicycles, and handrails, he does a little bit of everything.

One of his most challenging projects was doing an emergency pipeline repair for Timberline Lodge. He had to lie down in the mud and snow to weld a frozen pipe.

“It was pretty challenging, time sensitive, with a short window of opportunity and poor conditions to get welding done,” he said.

Before establishing SK Smith LLC, he most recently worked in Boring for a manufacturer of large pressure vessels used in the chemical refining process. Over the years, he has worked for several small fabrication shops.

Justin envisions expanding SK Smith LLC someday, and mentoring youth who want to become welders and start their own businesses. He wants to bring them on board and show them what’s possible.

“I’m here doing this for my community and for my family, and to show youth that blue collar jobs are still needed,” Justin said. “It’s still a respected part of our society and here’s an avenue you can take to pursue it. I’m passionate. I’m passionate about youth. I want to get people involved. I want to show the world. I love working with metal. It’s fun to do. It’s a respectable industry.”