I got a chance to meet up with Paul from Forjworks after he contacted us to help him spread the word of the upcoming Helluva Rides show at Ward Centers on June 6th.  After seeing Forjworks uniquely slick xB at the FHB Auto Show earlier this year, I wanted to know more about Forjworks and the the person who runs it.  Little did I know there was much more to this shop than I expected!

Here is a bit of commentary from Paul on what Forjworks is:

ForjWorks is a Hawaii-based manufacturing company that specializes in aftermarket automotive parts and accessories.  ForjWorks focuses on producing unique parts with the latest technology, machinery, and production techniques.  Manufacturing capabilities include design, CAD (Computer Aided Design), CNC (Computed Numerically Controlled) machining, thermoforming, and finishing.  Parts of made out of mostly any type of metal, plastic, or wood.  Although we manufacture our own products, we have been known to produce prototypes and manufacture products for other companies as well.

Developing a part starts with our in-house designers.  Sketches are hand drawn to visualize concepts, tweaks are made to drawings until designs are just the way we want it.  A CAD drawing of the part is then programmed.  The CAD contains the exact size and shape of the part so that the CNC machines are able to produce the part.  Our CNC machines feature 3 to 5 axis cuts.  This is significant because it gives us the ability to produce simple to very complex parts.

Another unique production capability we have is thermoforming.  Thermoforming is a process of heating a plastic sheet until its pliable, then laying the sheet over a mold.  A mold made out of wood or metal is in the shape of the desired part or accessory.  While the pliable plastic sheet is laid over the mold, a high pressure vacuum sucks down on the plastic sheet forcing it to form into the shape of the mold.  Once cooled, the sheet is hardened, and then trimmed to the dimensions of the part.  The part is then painted and finished, ready for shipment to the customer.

3D scanning is an integral part of our manufacturing process.  It is primarily used for reverse engineering of a part.  We can take an existing part from a car, for example, a headlight.  Scanning the headlight gets us an exact 3 dimensional representation of the part.  With our CAD software, we are able to manipulate the scans to design our parts.  Once the designs are complete, we can send it to our CNC machines to production.

As you can probably tell, he caters towards Scion xBs but plans to move on to other models such as the Nissan Cube.  Eventually he go into other cars; maybe if you drop by his shop and have a friendly chat, you can talk him into making items for you ride!

Paul walked me through his shop, he showed me a bit more products he manufactures.  With his CNC machines and thermalforming techniques, he can literally make anything!  Marshal, one of the key leadership in Scion Evolution (Hawaii Chapter) also stopped by.

Here is a grill made using the 5 axis machine for Marshal’s xB:

Forjworks also have a bit of side projects, notably a project Toyota Cressida, Honda Ruckus and some carbon fiber paddles.  Look out for these features in the future!

I saved the best for last.  When I first got to the shop, I noticed this huge looking contraption, at first I thought it was some kind of cannon for the military, but I came to find out it was a POTATO GUN.  I have to say, I thought it was a cannon for a A-10!  I swear, the look of this thing is menacing, but needless to say IT IS MENACING.

Forjwork’s sister company, Precision Machinery & Tooling helps build these things for Sureshot Inc/Ultimatespudgun.com.  If you were at the FHB Autoshow and seen the Forjwork’s xB, you will probably notice the t-shirt launcher that was attached to the roof; this was also made at Sureshot Inc/Forjworks/Precision Machinery & Tooling.

Here is a short video of Mike, the owner of Sureshot Inc demonstrating the Ultimate Spud Gun in action.  Here is a bit of warning, do not use this in public and if someone is pointing at you with this thing, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN.  By the way, I haven’t made a video in a long time so please bear with it! LOL!

The Potato Gun! from speedhawaii on Vimeo.

Well there you have it!  If you are looking to give your ride a meaner look or want something made with a block of steel and a bit of imagination, ask for Paul at Forjworks.  Make sure you check out Helluva Rides on June 6th at Ward Centers!

http://forjworks.com
http://helluvarides.com

Now on to the rest of the gallery:

Related posts:

1. Forjworks’ Scion xB
2. Garage JS4KIX Part 1: The Shop
3. Garage Boso’s Shop, Their S15, and more!
4. Random Shot: The STS808 Shop Car
5. Spotlight: SCCA Hawaii Solo 2 Autocross