July 18, 2025 • 25 mins
Do you love entrepreneurship, road rally racing, custom paint jobs and general Maker Shop Talk?
If so, join Tamara Robertson (Mythbusters, Seekers of Science) as she revs up the fun in this all new mini-season dedicated to the Hemming's Great Race and the amazing team of Trailblazing Creators assembled by Riley's Rebuilds!
As a shout-out to Race Sponsor TechForce Foundation, this episode kicks off with a Tech Talk about Tech School before Tamara sits down with award winning painter, Trailblazer and Maker Extraordinaire Keaton ( @crazy.k.kustomz )!
Topics they cover include (but are surely not limited to):
- Tech School
- TechForce Foundation
- Vintage Fridges
- 1985 CJ7
- Custom Paintings
- Entrepreneurship
- Shout Out Steel Structures of America
- Pantone's and Color Theory
- Ironhead Chopper
- Custom Phone Cases
- #CreatorRace Team
- Keaton's Advice for Custom Painters
- Shout Out Eddie from AMD
- Shout Out Real Deal Revolution
- Being a Trailblazer
- Custom Helmets
- SEMA Bound
- Filigree Art
- Silversmithing
.. and so much more
As we dig into Season 3's 35th episode of Tinkering Belles you're surely not going to want to miss it!
So join in on Tamara's adventure as a Maker as she works to amplify the BAMF Females Behind the Builds one interview at a time!
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If you enjoyed the show join in on the Maker adventure with Tamara and her guests on the Tinkering Belles Instagram page.
You can follow Keaton's adventures here, here, and here:
Website - https://www.crazykkustomz.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/crazy.k.kustomz/
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@crazykaysgarage
Music for this Episode was provided by Bill Trowell Music. Visit BillTrowellMusic.com to hear more and to subscribe to Bill's Patreon, where he covers favorite showtunes, movie themes, classic rock and jazz, as well as requests from Patron's.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tamara Robertson (00:00):
Greetings, shopmates, and welcome to
Tinkering Belles, a show aboutDIY, design, and all things
hands-on.
The sky's the limit as we talkprops, metalwork, cosplay,
woodwork, leather, electronics,and so much more.
I'm Tamara Robertson, yourhost, so strap on your tool
belts because we're about to getinto some skill sharing, y'all.
(00:23):
Today I'm going to be joined bya maker who is running a premier
custom paint brand.
I don't want to give away toomuch, but this maker turned her
senior project into anaward-winning business at 19.
So if that doesn't make youwant to stick around and hear
more, then you might be at thewrong podcast.
(00:44):
But first, let's go ahead andhave our tech talk of the day.
So we're going to be talkingall about the Hemming's Great
Race and the people who investin the next generation of
skilled trades.
That includes the Tech ForceFoundation, who awarded our lead
builder, Riley, of RileyRebuilds, a scholarship and
continues to support techniciansthrough education, events, and
(01:05):
hands-on training.
So let's back it up.
Where did technical training aswe know it get its start?
Vocational education in the U.S.
formally began in the early1900s, as the rise of industrial
jobs demanded skilled workers,especially in automotive,
(01:25):
welding, and mechanical trades.
The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917was the first federal-funded law
for trade schools, setting thegroundwork for modern technical
education.
Today, technical schools offercertifications and two-year
degrees in high-demand fieldslike auto tech, aviation,
(01:46):
maintenance, electrical work,and diesel mechanics.
Organizations like TechForceFoundation not only fund
education but also buildcommunity through events, mentor
networks, and career pipelinesthat elevate technicians as
professionals, not Plan Boptions.
With the national technicalshortage projected into hundreds
of thousands, groups likeTechForce are on the front lines
(02:09):
keeping our industry alive andevolving.
Well, that's it for your TechTalk.
As always, you can join in onthe conversation with my maker
friends and me on the TinkeringBells Instagram and X pages.
Just search for BellsTinkering, hit follow, and share
your DIY adventures togetherwith us.
Have a tool you want to learnabout?
Let me know, and it may befeatured in a future episode.
Tell us what you liked, whatyou hated, or possibly even what
(02:31):
we missed.
So now we're going to be gettinginto the main event, and I'm so
excited to introduce you to ournext maker.
So drum roll, please.
Presenting Keaton.
Keaton, thanks for joining me.
How are you?
Keaton (02:44):
Good.
How are you?
Tamara Robertson (02:45):
I'm good.
So I like to start the episodesby letting people know where to
find you, follow you, and togive them a little hint of what
they'll see when they go there
Keaton (02:56):
Okay.
So my Instagram iscrazy.k.kustomz.
And kustomz starts with a K andends with a Z.
Kind of a tongue twister.
But I do automotive custompaint on pretty much anything
from...
helmets, motorcycles, evenvintage refrigerators.
(03:18):
And I do anything from lowriderstyle, flames, metal flake,
pinstriping, anything you canthink of.
Tamara Robertson (03:27):
That's pretty epic.
I actually, I have a retrofridge, one of the galantz, like
baby blues.
So we might have to talk aboutlike a collab here at some
point.
Keaton (03:38):
Yeah, right?
I could put some polka dots on
Tamara Robertson (03:42):
Now that speaks to my heart.
I like that.
Okay, okay.
So we got to meet on The GreatRace, which we'll get all into
in a minute.
But as a superhero scientist,I'm really into people's origin
stories.
So while I've gotten to knowyou a little bit, I'd love for
the audience to hear yourgearhead origin story.
(04:04):
What got you started and whatkeeps you in it today?
Keaton (04:07):
So actually, when I first started driving, I was
really into kind of older squareball and I convinced my parents
to let me buy a 1987 Chevysquare body.
My dad had a 85 CJ7 that Hekind of built with his buddies
(04:27):
to go wheeling, and when I wasyounger, I kind of helped him,
but they said if I save up themoney, then I can go get it, and
they were pretty against it atfirst, but that was my very
first truck, which was probablya bad idea for gas mileage-wise,
but I bought that, and then Iwas in an automotive trade class
(04:48):
in high school before I movedover to Idaho, so I was in
Washington, and the whole COVIDthing was just really bad so we
actually ended up moving toIdaho sooner and I was able to
get into the trade schoolhalfway through the year here
called K-Tech and it's anothertrade school for high schoolers
juniors and seniors only and Iwas in the automotive painting
(05:13):
class and the first week afterbreak when I first showed up
they were in their custom paintcourse and I painted this flamed
out lace fender with likemarbled candy all over and it
was the first thing I ever helda spray gun like painting or
(05:34):
anything and it was so much funand I just had a blast and my
teacher kind of let me startmessing around with a bunch of
different things and I actuallypainted my first motorcycle in
school there and from then on Iwas just hooked and I just I
Painted a bunch of stuff all thetime.
I was painting inside of schooland out.
(05:55):
And then I bought anothertruck.
It's a 1990 first gen Dodge.
And I did all the bodywork in astorage unit.
And my senior year, the collegeteacher actually let me paint
it in their big fancy booth.
And so I decided to try goldleaf on it for the first time,
which was also a bad idea, butit turned out pretty all right
(06:18):
for my first time, which now I'mlot better at it and I just
kept painting and I loved it andI knew that it was what I
wanted to do and it was weirdbecause I never thought that it
would be something that I wouldbe doing I've always been kind
of an entrepreneur growing up Iused to sew blankets and sell
them to my parents friends butright out of high school I I
(06:43):
actually had my LLC before Igraduated and then right when I
graduated I got this 25 by 25barn and the guys who owned it
they own a company called SteelStructures of America and it was
kind of just an extra littleshop they had laying around and
so they rented it to me for $10a month so that I could get
(07:04):
started and I pretty much workedout of that for a year and then
I grew out of it and now I'm ina pretty decent sized shop with
a paint booth and I'm stillkicking along and I just
absolutely love the custom stuffand just being able to be
creative and it's so much fun.
What a journey that is, dude.
Tamara Robertson (07:23):
That's really, really cool that you had your
LLC before you even graduated.
Do you have like a favoritePantone?
Like, do you have like yourcolors?
Like as a custom painter, I'msure you have to use everyone
else's colors, but do you havelike the ones that you're like,
oh yeah, those are my favoritetypes to use?
Keaton (07:41):
Yeah.
So for a while, so I actuallyhad a 1974 Ironhead chopper that
was my first motorcycle, but Iactually sold it a few months
ago and, um, I painted it likethese really pretty like
oranges.
So I did orange, red and yellowand it was kind of like a retro
(08:03):
style paint job on it.
And I just absolutely lovethose colors together.
Um, I really like the red tonesand the oranges.
At first, I was really into theturquoise and like hot pink,
which I still love.
But I think I'm kind of leaningmore towards the orange because
not a lot of people do it.
But I don't know.
I like them all.
(08:23):
In the end, I'm just like, itjust turns out to be so pretty.
And I just want to keepeverything I paint.
Tamara Robertson (08:32):
I bet that is hard letting it go.
Like, obviously, we were on theGreat Race and Part of what
ended up happening while we werethere was you actually bet a
Crazy K kustomz phone case, butwhat led to that adventure?
The audience, remember, thereis video for this, there are
show notes, there are pictures,and Keaton is showing an
(08:54):
incredible case right now, soyou guys are definitely going to
want to head over to the shownotes, check out those pictures,
check out those links.
But yeah, what led to those?
Keaton (09:03):
So I think I actually saw someone painting like a
little pocket mirror, like oneof those little makeup pocket
mirrors.
And I was like, huh, likethat's kind of cool.
And I was just thinking aroundon Amazon one time and I saw a
these sublimation phone casesand it's pretty much like a
(09:25):
phone case except it comes withlike an aluminum back and then
it has like a sticky back on itand so the aluminum is like
separated until you're ready tostick it to it so i can just
paint the case and then stick itto the case itself and then
it's done and i just i don'tknow it was kind of fun and i
threw it out there and i soldquite a few of them and then i
(09:49):
did a big drop And I sold about24 of them at like 100 bucks a
piece.
And then I'm in the middle ofanother drop right now.
But yeah, they're just kind offun and easy and something that
people can buy that wantsomething custom painted, but
(10:10):
can't really spend the moneyfor it
Tamara Robertson (10:13):
That's pretty cool.
I like it.
So you're making custom paintjobs a little bit more
approachable for the generalaudience, love that.
And so we did, we got our starttogether on the great race.
I got to meet you there and Ihave to ask, did you know about
the great race or vintage roadrallies before we got, you know,
the bat signal call from Rileyto join?
Keaton (10:35):
I kind of knew it was a thing, but I didn't know about
the great race specifically.
And then when I got added tothe group chat, I did a little
more research and I was like,I'm definitely doing this.
Honestly, I wasn't really goingmuch for the race.
I think I was going more justto meet all of the like-minded
(10:56):
women that we met.
And I think that that was, youknow, the main thing that I took
from it too.
Tamara Robertson (11:01):
Amazing.
So we all got to be a part ofthe creator race group and we
each brought our own little spinto how we were sharing this
vintage road rally with ouraudiences.
Can you share with the audiencehere how you chose to share the
adventure of the great racewith people
Keaton (11:19):
so I posted some reels on my Instagram and stuff and
I'm kind of working on a YouTubevideo right now my YouTube's
definitely a lot newer but I'mgonna start posting more you
know custom painting stuff andthen also stuff about first gen
dodges.
And I'll probably post a videokind of a little recap of the
(11:41):
great race as well
Tamara Robertson (11:42):
Nice.
Yeah, I definitely have beendoing obviously the podcast
side, which everyone hopefullyhas been listening to all these
incredible trailblazers that wehad along on the team.
But I too am like I have theone really big fail day that we
had with the fair lane where itwas like we couldn't get past
even a quarter mile at a time.
We want to like put that ininto some kind of format but of
(12:05):
course I shot it vertically soI'm like make a whole YouTube
video out of vertical but it'slike I have these amazing
explainer moments from all theladies about the different
functional failures that we werefacing so I feel like I don't
want to take the audio off butI'm like oh I should have just
shot horizontal you know livelearn you know get lots so I
(12:26):
Hindsight is 20-20, right?
So if you could go back andshare any of the lessons learned
along the great race withyourself prior to the race to be
able to give you a little bitof a home field advantage, what
pointers would you giveyourself?
Keaton (12:43):
I don't know.
It was kind of fun going intoit, not really knowing what
you're getting into.
So I don't know.
I had so much fun just learningas we went with everyone
because nobody really knewanything about the navigating or
anything like that.
But we had Audrey who learnedthat really quickly, so that was
(13:05):
nice.
But I think it was just awesomegoing in and not knowing
anything about it.
So I would definitely do thatagain.
unless I was really going tocompete, then I would probably
do a lot more research on thenavigation side.
Tamara Robertson (13:22):
I hear that.
I probably would want to maybesee the car beforehand, mostly
just to make sure I knew thestopping and starting distances
before actually being on therace, but I liked it a lot.
Is there pointers then that youwould give someone that was
looking into getting into custompainting for the first time?
Keaton (13:41):
I would definitely say...
learn the basics first becausethere is a lot painting that
people don't understand and youneed to know the basics before
you start doing anything custombecause there's so much about
like sanding grits likedifferent materials that you
spray with like mixing ratioslike there is like I could go on
(14:05):
and on and on about all thedifferent things about just the
basics so I'd say definitelylearn the basics first.
And then once you got thebasics down, just wing it and
just, you know, make whateveryou want.
Tamara Robertson (14:19):
so I have to ask as someone that has no
background at all in painting,when you say the basics, are we
talking like color theory?
Are we talking material prep?
All?
Do they need all those basics?
Keaton (14:35):
Color theory is, I mean, it really depends.
If you're going into a bodyshop, then yes, but mainly just
how to prep everything correctlybecause that's a huge thing.
There's certain primers thataren't direct-to-metal primers,
and if you put it on bare metal,it could start rusting because
(14:55):
it doesn't have corrosionresistance.
Knowing the certain grits toprep with...
certain like when you'resanding your primer for your
final time you want to sand andyou know probably 400 to 600
before you base and especiallyif you're doing a metallic
you're going to want to seal itbeforehand like mainly all the
(15:17):
basics on just how to paintsomething alone like take it
from bare metal and bring it upinto clear coat and once you've
got that down then you canpretty much go crazy from there
That's a really greatexplanation.
Tamara Robertson (15:29):
Thank you for educating me and letting me
learn along our journey.
And so I like to joke that wewere, you know, assembled right
by Riley from Riley's Rebuilds.
And so I asked each of theracers, like, what's your Riley
story?
How did you first meet Riley?
Keaton (15:45):
So I actually went to SkillsUSA.
So it is a...
competition that is nationalfor the trades, and I won Idaho
State for automotiverefinishing, and so I went down
to Atlanta, Georgia, and Iactually met Eddie from AMD,
(16:09):
Automobile Direct, which was oneof our sponsors, and he was
really impressed with me.
I got fourth in thecompetition, and he was hanging
around the SADA booth, And I methim over there and he said he
was watching me and he wanted todo a little interview.
So I did a little interviewwith him and then he told me
that I should look up Riley'sRebuilds.
(16:30):
He's like, oh, she's anotheryoung girl who has a business.
I was like, oh, that's awesome.
So I followed her and I think Itexted her once and we kind of
just have been, you know,following each other ever since
and keeping in touch.
And then I got added to theGreat Race group chat.
And that was the first time Imet her was on the Great Race.
Oh, nice.
Tamara Robertson (16:51):
Awesome.
I had met her one other time atSEMA, but then kind of the same
thing, just following andseeing the adventures that she
was on.
So I definitely have justenjoyed all of the incredible
trailblazing ladies that werethrown into that hodgepodge of a
group, and then especially the10 of us that ended up being the
mains and getting to know eachother better.
(17:13):
That was like, it was just sucha cool, like short stint of
days.
I wish we had longer, but alsoit's nice to get some sleep.
We had the opportunity with thegreat race to follow in some
pretty historic tired treads ofJesse Combs.
And so we had our charitysponsor being the Jesse Combs
foundation.
And so I also like to askeveryone's Jesse story.
(17:36):
Had you ever had a chance tomeet her or were you a of her
before the race?
Keaton (17:41):
I was aware of her.
I never got to meet her.
I always kind of heard aboutthe Jesse Combs Foundation.
But honestly, it really broughtme closer to the meaning of
everything on the Great Race.
Just being there and everysingle stop, like all the women
and young girls and everyone whojust came up to us, like, And
(18:03):
they all knew it was us becausewe were wearing the bandanas and
it was just awesome.
Everyone following along withus and I'm sure we inspired a
lot of people.
Tamara Robertson (18:11):
Yeah, I have a really great photo of you with
the little blonde haired girlsas we crossed the final finish
line.
And she had her little bandanaon and you had yours and it was
just so cute.
And you know, we talk about...
how the bandana literallybecomes that handshake moment
(18:31):
that Jessie was so well knownfor.
She was so great at connectingthe proverbial dots between
incredible women that were doingempowering things.
And so we tell people, if yousee a polka dot bandana, go over
and meet that person becausethey probably have a story about
what they're doing in theirlives to empower others, to
(18:53):
inspire others.
And so one of the words that weuse a lot lot in the foundation
is Trailblazer, but we don'tuse it willy nilly.
It usually takes young womenthat are the real deal, like,
you know, Teresa from Real Deal,that was Jesse's very first
nonprofit and art sisterorganization for the foundation.
And I've been wondering, like,as I talk to each of you all,
(19:16):
like, you all are trailblazingand your own areas and the
niches that you're in.
Had you ever thought ofyourself as a trailblazer before
this ride?
And is there anything that thatkind of imparted for you moving
forward?
Keaton (19:30):
Yeah, definitely.
I kind of, you know, justthrough my social media, I've
gotten so many messages fromjust other young girls, like,
either asking for advice ongetting into the industry.
And I know there's so manymessages that I probably haven't
even seen or been able to replyto.
(19:51):
But the amount of messages thatI've gotten just from young
women telling me that they'reinspired and they want to do
something like that when they'reolder.
And it feels really good tohear that from other young
girls, especially in the worldwe live in now.
So, yeah.
Tamara Robertson (20:09):
And is there any advice as a young business
owner that you would give toyoung girls as they're out there
trying to start their own stuffand focusing on whatever skill
they may be trying to share withthe world?
Keaton (20:23):
Honestly, just...
If you put your mind to it,just stick to it and don't be
afraid to ask people for helpbecause nine times out of ten,
there's always people that aresuper willing to help.
I mean, every once in a while,you'll get the people who are
super against you coming inbecause either you're coming to
do the same thing as them andthey don't want you undercutting
prices, but just...
(20:46):
build a circle and find peopleeven on social media.
Like I've met so many people inthe custom paint world.
And if I have questions aboutcertain things, there is so many
people that I know that arejust willing to help me and
share advice.
So just don't be afraid to askfor help.
Tamara Robertson (21:03):
That's great advice And so I have to ask
once you left the great race,what's, what's the next build
that's on your, your work benchright now?
What's the next custom pieceyou're working on?
Keaton (21:15):
Um, actually I don't, I'm working on two more vintage
refrigerators right now.
And I've got like five helmetson the chopping block.
But I'm actually about tostart, as for a personal thing,
I'm about to start tearing apartmy first Dodge that I bought,
the 1990 Dodge.
(21:37):
And I'm going to do like a fullframe off restoration on it.
And one of my huge goals is totry to get it down to SEMA next
year, a full, like super nicepaint job on it.
And we're going to do a bunchof work to the motor, full
custom interior, like the wholenine yards.
Tamara Robertson (21:57):
That is epic.
So if you end up With that atSEMA, you have to let us know
and I'll let the foundation knowand the girls will all come by
and see it.
I'm sure that they would loveto see your work there and give
it whatever votes or applause itneeds.
Keaton (22:12):
I'm going down this year too.
We actually just booked ourhotels today.
So I'm going to try to talk toTeresa and see if I can be part
of one of her workshops one ofthe days.
So
Tamara Robertson (22:23):
Heck yeah.
Real Deal Revolution alwaysshows up really strong at SEMA.
What they do there is alwaysreally incredible.
And just getting to talk to allof the women that are walking
the floor and then, you know,all the, all the guys and, you
know, you get to meet so manygirl dads while you're there
too.
So not as many young kids,obviously, because it's more of
(22:46):
an industry event, but yeah.
you'll do very, very well inthat scene.
It's a really cool scene andthey really, love custom work.
So I would I would bring lotsand lots of pictures of
everything you have.
And then obviously, you alreadyknow you're bringing the car
the next year.
So hopefully, well, you know,if you need any help, there's
(23:08):
lots of girls at the foundationthat have have done that for us.
And I know Riley probably alsohas lots of connections as well
as Teresa.
So that's the joy of thenetwork of the polka dot, right?
You know, I just keep reachingout and everyone will keep
helping to your own advice,right?
You said just ask for help sothere's one question I like to
ask everyone when they come onthe show and that is if you
(23:30):
could have any superpower whatwould it be and why
Keaton (23:35):
oh I don't know maybe to like work in super speed so I
could get everything that I wantto do done because I am a
person of very many hobbies andI always want to try new things
like I just bought um someengravers because i or some
(23:58):
little bits for my dremelbecause i really want to learn
like metal engraving with likethe filgree art and stuff and
i've been kind of taking onsilversmithing as well so
playing with like silver jewelryand stuff like that and like
turquoise like western stylepieces and painting and working
(24:18):
on my truck i just i need moretime Yeah, that little,
Tamara Robertson (24:24):
you need a time turner, maybe, you know.
Keaton (24:29):
Or maybe just, like, the, maybe a superpower of,
like, never getting tired wouldbe kind of cool, because then I
could just, you know, always beon the go and not be like, oh, I
want to die right now.
Tamara Robertson (24:43):
You know, I have a recommendation, maybe
some pym particles because Nadiapym.
She has these particles thatshrinks her down.
So time no longer is a thing.
And she can like just go and dowhatever she wants in her
little lab.
But I think material drawingcuring times might still be a
thing.
I don't know.
I don't know about that.
Yeah.
Unknown (25:05):
Yeah.
Tamara Robertson (25:06):
Well, this has been amazing.
Everyone, we hit the heaven'sgreat race on June 21st in St.
Paul, Minnesota, and we ran allthe way until we hit the finish
line on the 29th in Irmo, SouthCarolina.
You can follow all of ourInstagrams to live the full
adventure in All Things CreatorRace as we recap tackling this
iconic vintage Raleigh Road Raceone mile at a time.
(25:28):
That's it for Tinkering Bells.
This episode is assembled andready for delivery.
Keaton, this has been soamazing.
Thank you so much.
Keaton (25:35):
Awesome.
Thank you.
Tamara Robertson (25:37):
I want to thank you for choosing Tinkering
Bells as your user's manual forAll Things Maker on a biweekly
basis.
If you want to continue to hearmore, don't forget to rate and
review the show I look forwardto seeing you next week.
Until then, don't forget tokeep
Greetings, shopmates, and welcome to
Tinkering Belles, a show aboutDIY, design, and all things
hands-on.
The sky's the limit as we talkprops, metalwork, cosplay,
woodwork, leather, electronics,and so much more.
I'm Tamara Robertson, yourhost, so strap on your tool
belts because we're about to getinto some skill sharing, y'all.
(00:23):
Today I'm going to be joined bya maker who is running a premier
custom paint brand.
I don't want to give away toomuch, but this maker turned her
senior project into anaward-winning business at 19.
So if that doesn't make youwant to stick around and hear
more, then you might be at thewrong podcast.
(00:44):
But first, let's go ahead andhave our tech talk of the day.
So we're going to be talkingall about the Hemming's Great
Race and the people who investin the next generation of
skilled trades.
That includes the Tech ForceFoundation, who awarded our lead
builder, Riley, of RileyRebuilds, a scholarship and
continues to support techniciansthrough education, events, and
(01:05):
hands-on training.
So let's back it up.
Where did technical training aswe know it get its start?
Vocational education in the U.S.
formally began in the early1900s, as the rise of industrial
jobs demanded skilled workers,especially in automotive,
(01:25):
welding, and mechanical trades.
The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917was the first federal-funded law
for trade schools, setting thegroundwork for modern technical
education.
Today, technical schools offercertifications and two-year
degrees in high-demand fieldslike auto tech, aviation,
(01:46):
maintenance, electrical work,and diesel mechanics.
Organizations like TechForceFoundation not only fund
education but also buildcommunity through events, mentor
networks, and career pipelinesthat elevate technicians as
professionals, not Plan Boptions.
With the national technicalshortage projected into hundreds
of thousands, groups likeTechForce are on the front lines
(02:09):
keeping our industry alive andevolving.
Well, that's it for your TechTalk.
As always, you can join in onthe conversation with my maker
friends and me on the TinkeringBells Instagram and X pages.
Just search for BellsTinkering, hit follow, and share
your DIY adventures togetherwith us.
Have a tool you want to learnabout?
Let me know, and it may befeatured in a future episode.
Tell us what you liked, whatyou hated, or possibly even what
(02:31):
we missed.
So now we're going to be gettinginto the main event, and I'm so
excited to introduce you to ournext maker.
So drum roll, please.
Presenting Keaton.
Keaton, thanks for joining me.
How are you?
Keaton (02:44):
Good.
How are you?
Tamara Robertson (02:45):
I'm good.
So I like to start the episodesby letting people know where to
find you, follow you, and togive them a little hint of what
they'll see when they go there
Keaton (02:56):
Okay.
So my Instagram iscrazy.k.kustomz.
And kustomz starts with a K andends with a Z.
Kind of a tongue twister.
But I do automotive custompaint on pretty much anything
from...
helmets, motorcycles, evenvintage refrigerators.
(03:18):
And I do anything from lowriderstyle, flames, metal flake,
pinstriping, anything you canthink of.
Tamara Robertson (03:27):
That's pretty epic.
I actually, I have a retrofridge, one of the galantz, like
baby blues.
So we might have to talk aboutlike a collab here at some
point.
Keaton (03:38):
Yeah, right?
I could put some polka dots on
Tamara Robertson (03:42):
Now that speaks to my heart.
I like that.
Okay, okay.
So we got to meet on The GreatRace, which we'll get all into
in a minute.
But as a superhero scientist,I'm really into people's origin
stories.
So while I've gotten to knowyou a little bit, I'd love for
the audience to hear yourgearhead origin story.
(04:04):
What got you started and whatkeeps you in it today?
Keaton (04:07):
So actually, when I first started driving, I was
really into kind of older squareball and I convinced my parents
to let me buy a 1987 Chevysquare body.
My dad had a 85 CJ7 that Hekind of built with his buddies
(04:27):
to go wheeling, and when I wasyounger, I kind of helped him,
but they said if I save up themoney, then I can go get it, and
they were pretty against it atfirst, but that was my very
first truck, which was probablya bad idea for gas mileage-wise,
but I bought that, and then Iwas in an automotive trade class
(04:48):
in high school before I movedover to Idaho, so I was in
Washington, and the whole COVIDthing was just really bad so we
actually ended up moving toIdaho sooner and I was able to
get into the trade schoolhalfway through the year here
called K-Tech and it's anothertrade school for high schoolers
juniors and seniors only and Iwas in the automotive painting
(05:13):
class and the first week afterbreak when I first showed up
they were in their custom paintcourse and I painted this flamed
out lace fender with likemarbled candy all over and it
was the first thing I ever helda spray gun like painting or
(05:34):
anything and it was so much funand I just had a blast and my
teacher kind of let me startmessing around with a bunch of
different things and I actuallypainted my first motorcycle in
school there and from then on Iwas just hooked and I just I
Painted a bunch of stuff all thetime.
I was painting inside of schooland out.
(05:55):
And then I bought anothertruck.
It's a 1990 first gen Dodge.
And I did all the bodywork in astorage unit.
And my senior year, the collegeteacher actually let me paint
it in their big fancy booth.
And so I decided to try goldleaf on it for the first time,
which was also a bad idea, butit turned out pretty all right
(06:18):
for my first time, which now I'mlot better at it and I just
kept painting and I loved it andI knew that it was what I
wanted to do and it was weirdbecause I never thought that it
would be something that I wouldbe doing I've always been kind
of an entrepreneur growing up Iused to sew blankets and sell
them to my parents friends butright out of high school I I
(06:43):
actually had my LLC before Igraduated and then right when I
graduated I got this 25 by 25barn and the guys who owned it
they own a company called SteelStructures of America and it was
kind of just an extra littleshop they had laying around and
so they rented it to me for $10a month so that I could get
(07:04):
started and I pretty much workedout of that for a year and then
I grew out of it and now I'm ina pretty decent sized shop with
a paint booth and I'm stillkicking along and I just
absolutely love the custom stuffand just being able to be
creative and it's so much fun.
What a journey that is, dude.
Tamara Robertson (07:23):
That's really, really cool that you had your
LLC before you even graduated.
Do you have like a favoritePantone?
Like, do you have like yourcolors?
Like as a custom painter, I'msure you have to use everyone
else's colors, but do you havelike the ones that you're like,
oh yeah, those are my favoritetypes to use?
Keaton (07:41):
Yeah.
So for a while, so I actuallyhad a 1974 Ironhead chopper that
was my first motorcycle, but Iactually sold it a few months
ago and, um, I painted it likethese really pretty like
oranges.
So I did orange, red and yellowand it was kind of like a retro
(08:03):
style paint job on it.
And I just absolutely lovethose colors together.
Um, I really like the red tonesand the oranges.
At first, I was really into theturquoise and like hot pink,
which I still love.
But I think I'm kind of leaningmore towards the orange because
not a lot of people do it.
But I don't know.
I like them all.
(08:23):
In the end, I'm just like, itjust turns out to be so pretty.
And I just want to keepeverything I paint.
Tamara Robertson (08:32):
I bet that is hard letting it go.
Like, obviously, we were on theGreat Race and Part of what
ended up happening while we werethere was you actually bet a
Crazy K kustomz phone case, butwhat led to that adventure?
The audience, remember, thereis video for this, there are
show notes, there are pictures,and Keaton is showing an
(08:54):
incredible case right now, soyou guys are definitely going to
want to head over to the shownotes, check out those pictures,
check out those links.
But yeah, what led to those?
Keaton (09:03):
So I think I actually saw someone painting like a
little pocket mirror, like oneof those little makeup pocket
mirrors.
And I was like, huh, likethat's kind of cool.
And I was just thinking aroundon Amazon one time and I saw a
these sublimation phone casesand it's pretty much like a
(09:25):
phone case except it comes withlike an aluminum back and then
it has like a sticky back on itand so the aluminum is like
separated until you're ready tostick it to it so i can just
paint the case and then stick itto the case itself and then
it's done and i just i don'tknow it was kind of fun and i
threw it out there and i soldquite a few of them and then i
(09:49):
did a big drop And I sold about24 of them at like 100 bucks a
piece.
And then I'm in the middle ofanother drop right now.
But yeah, they're just kind offun and easy and something that
people can buy that wantsomething custom painted, but
(10:10):
can't really spend the moneyfor it
Tamara Robertson (10:13):
That's pretty cool.
I like it.
So you're making custom paintjobs a little bit more
approachable for the generalaudience, love that.
And so we did, we got our starttogether on the great race.
I got to meet you there and Ihave to ask, did you know about
the great race or vintage roadrallies before we got, you know,
the bat signal call from Rileyto join?
Keaton (10:35):
I kind of knew it was a thing, but I didn't know about
the great race specifically.
And then when I got added tothe group chat, I did a little
more research and I was like,I'm definitely doing this.
Honestly, I wasn't really goingmuch for the race.
I think I was going more justto meet all of the like-minded
(10:56):
women that we met.
And I think that that was, youknow, the main thing that I took
from it too.
Tamara Robertson (11:01):
Amazing.
So we all got to be a part ofthe creator race group and we
each brought our own little spinto how we were sharing this
vintage road rally with ouraudiences.
Can you share with the audiencehere how you chose to share the
adventure of the great racewith people
Keaton (11:19):
so I posted some reels on my Instagram and stuff and
I'm kind of working on a YouTubevideo right now my YouTube's
definitely a lot newer but I'mgonna start posting more you
know custom painting stuff andthen also stuff about first gen
dodges.
And I'll probably post a videokind of a little recap of the
(11:41):
great race as well
Tamara Robertson (11:42):
Nice.
Yeah, I definitely have beendoing obviously the podcast
side, which everyone hopefullyhas been listening to all these
incredible trailblazers that wehad along on the team.
But I too am like I have theone really big fail day that we
had with the fair lane where itwas like we couldn't get past
even a quarter mile at a time.
We want to like put that ininto some kind of format but of
(12:05):
course I shot it vertically soI'm like make a whole YouTube
video out of vertical but it'slike I have these amazing
explainer moments from all theladies about the different
functional failures that we werefacing so I feel like I don't
want to take the audio off butI'm like oh I should have just
shot horizontal you know livelearn you know get lots so I
(12:26):
Hindsight is 20-20, right?
So if you could go back andshare any of the lessons learned
along the great race withyourself prior to the race to be
able to give you a little bitof a home field advantage, what
pointers would you giveyourself?
Keaton (12:43):
I don't know.
It was kind of fun going intoit, not really knowing what
you're getting into.
So I don't know.
I had so much fun just learningas we went with everyone
because nobody really knewanything about the navigating or
anything like that.
But we had Audrey who learnedthat really quickly, so that was
(13:05):
nice.
But I think it was just awesomegoing in and not knowing
anything about it.
So I would definitely do thatagain.
unless I was really going tocompete, then I would probably
do a lot more research on thenavigation side.
Tamara Robertson (13:22):
I hear that.
I probably would want to maybesee the car beforehand, mostly
just to make sure I knew thestopping and starting distances
before actually being on therace, but I liked it a lot.
Is there pointers then that youwould give someone that was
looking into getting into custompainting for the first time?
Keaton (13:41):
I would definitely say...
learn the basics first becausethere is a lot painting that
people don't understand and youneed to know the basics before
you start doing anything custombecause there's so much about
like sanding grits likedifferent materials that you
spray with like mixing ratioslike there is like I could go on
(14:05):
and on and on about all thedifferent things about just the
basics so I'd say definitelylearn the basics first.
And then once you got thebasics down, just wing it and
just, you know, make whateveryou want.
Tamara Robertson (14:19):
so I have to ask as someone that has no
background at all in painting,when you say the basics, are we
talking like color theory?
Are we talking material prep?
All?
Do they need all those basics?
Keaton (14:35):
Color theory is, I mean, it really depends.
If you're going into a bodyshop, then yes, but mainly just
how to prep everything correctlybecause that's a huge thing.
There's certain primers thataren't direct-to-metal primers,
and if you put it on bare metal,it could start rusting because
(14:55):
it doesn't have corrosionresistance.
Knowing the certain grits toprep with...
certain like when you'resanding your primer for your
final time you want to sand andyou know probably 400 to 600
before you base and especiallyif you're doing a metallic
you're going to want to seal itbeforehand like mainly all the
(15:17):
basics on just how to paintsomething alone like take it
from bare metal and bring it upinto clear coat and once you've
got that down then you canpretty much go crazy from there
That's a really greatexplanation.
Tamara Robertson (15:29):
Thank you for educating me and letting me
learn along our journey.
And so I like to joke that wewere, you know, assembled right
by Riley from Riley's Rebuilds.
And so I asked each of theracers, like, what's your Riley
story?
How did you first meet Riley?
Keaton (15:45):
So I actually went to SkillsUSA.
So it is a...
competition that is nationalfor the trades, and I won Idaho
State for automotiverefinishing, and so I went down
to Atlanta, Georgia, and Iactually met Eddie from AMD,
(16:09):
Automobile Direct, which was oneof our sponsors, and he was
really impressed with me.
I got fourth in thecompetition, and he was hanging
around the SADA booth, And I methim over there and he said he
was watching me and he wanted todo a little interview.
So I did a little interviewwith him and then he told me
that I should look up Riley'sRebuilds.
(16:30):
He's like, oh, she's anotheryoung girl who has a business.
I was like, oh, that's awesome.
So I followed her and I think Itexted her once and we kind of
just have been, you know,following each other ever since
and keeping in touch.
And then I got added to theGreat Race group chat.
And that was the first time Imet her was on the Great Race.
Oh, nice.
Tamara Robertson (16:51):
Awesome.
I had met her one other time atSEMA, but then kind of the same
thing, just following andseeing the adventures that she
was on.
So I definitely have justenjoyed all of the incredible
trailblazing ladies that werethrown into that hodgepodge of a
group, and then especially the10 of us that ended up being the
mains and getting to know eachother better.
(17:13):
That was like, it was just sucha cool, like short stint of
days.
I wish we had longer, but alsoit's nice to get some sleep.
We had the opportunity with thegreat race to follow in some
pretty historic tired treads ofJesse Combs.
And so we had our charitysponsor being the Jesse Combs
foundation.
And so I also like to askeveryone's Jesse story.
(17:36):
Had you ever had a chance tomeet her or were you a of her
before the race?
Keaton (17:41):
I was aware of her.
I never got to meet her.
I always kind of heard aboutthe Jesse Combs Foundation.
But honestly, it really broughtme closer to the meaning of
everything on the Great Race.
Just being there and everysingle stop, like all the women
and young girls and everyone whojust came up to us, like, And
(18:03):
they all knew it was us becausewe were wearing the bandanas and
it was just awesome.
Everyone following along withus and I'm sure we inspired a
lot of people.
Tamara Robertson (18:11):
Yeah, I have a really great photo of you with
the little blonde haired girlsas we crossed the final finish
line.
And she had her little bandanaon and you had yours and it was
just so cute.
And you know, we talk about...
how the bandana literallybecomes that handshake moment
(18:31):
that Jessie was so well knownfor.
She was so great at connectingthe proverbial dots between
incredible women that were doingempowering things.
And so we tell people, if yousee a polka dot bandana, go over
and meet that person becausethey probably have a story about
what they're doing in theirlives to empower others, to
(18:53):
inspire others.
And so one of the words that weuse a lot lot in the foundation
is Trailblazer, but we don'tuse it willy nilly.
It usually takes young womenthat are the real deal, like,
you know, Teresa from Real Deal,that was Jesse's very first
nonprofit and art sisterorganization for the foundation.
And I've been wondering, like,as I talk to each of you all,
(19:16):
like, you all are trailblazingand your own areas and the
niches that you're in.
Had you ever thought ofyourself as a trailblazer before
this ride?
And is there anything that thatkind of imparted for you moving
forward?
Keaton (19:30):
Yeah, definitely.
I kind of, you know, justthrough my social media, I've
gotten so many messages fromjust other young girls, like,
either asking for advice ongetting into the industry.
And I know there's so manymessages that I probably haven't
even seen or been able to replyto.
(19:51):
But the amount of messages thatI've gotten just from young
women telling me that they'reinspired and they want to do
something like that when they'reolder.
And it feels really good tohear that from other young
girls, especially in the worldwe live in now.
So, yeah.
Tamara Robertson (20:09):
And is there any advice as a young business
owner that you would give toyoung girls as they're out there
trying to start their own stuffand focusing on whatever skill
they may be trying to share withthe world?
Keaton (20:23):
Honestly, just...
If you put your mind to it,just stick to it and don't be
afraid to ask people for helpbecause nine times out of ten,
there's always people that aresuper willing to help.
I mean, every once in a while,you'll get the people who are
super against you coming inbecause either you're coming to
do the same thing as them andthey don't want you undercutting
prices, but just...
(20:46):
build a circle and find peopleeven on social media.
Like I've met so many people inthe custom paint world.
And if I have questions aboutcertain things, there is so many
people that I know that arejust willing to help me and
share advice.
So just don't be afraid to askfor help.
Tamara Robertson (21:03):
That's great advice And so I have to ask
once you left the great race,what's, what's the next build
that's on your, your work benchright now?
What's the next custom pieceyou're working on?
Keaton (21:15):
Um, actually I don't, I'm working on two more vintage
refrigerators right now.
And I've got like five helmetson the chopping block.
But I'm actually about tostart, as for a personal thing,
I'm about to start tearing apartmy first Dodge that I bought,
the 1990 Dodge.
(21:37):
And I'm going to do like a fullframe off restoration on it.
And one of my huge goals is totry to get it down to SEMA next
year, a full, like super nicepaint job on it.
And we're going to do a bunchof work to the motor, full
custom interior, like the wholenine yards.
Tamara Robertson (21:57):
That is epic.
So if you end up With that atSEMA, you have to let us know
and I'll let the foundation knowand the girls will all come by
and see it.
I'm sure that they would loveto see your work there and give
it whatever votes or applause itneeds.
Keaton (22:12):
I'm going down this year too.
We actually just booked ourhotels today.
So I'm going to try to talk toTeresa and see if I can be part
of one of her workshops one ofthe days.
So
Tamara Robertson (22:23):
Heck yeah.
Real Deal Revolution alwaysshows up really strong at SEMA.
What they do there is alwaysreally incredible.
And just getting to talk to allof the women that are walking
the floor and then, you know,all the, all the guys and, you
know, you get to meet so manygirl dads while you're there
too.
So not as many young kids,obviously, because it's more of
(22:46):
an industry event, but yeah.
you'll do very, very well inthat scene.
It's a really cool scene andthey really, love custom work.
So I would I would bring lotsand lots of pictures of
everything you have.
And then obviously, you alreadyknow you're bringing the car
the next year.
So hopefully, well, you know,if you need any help, there's
(23:08):
lots of girls at the foundationthat have have done that for us.
And I know Riley probably alsohas lots of connections as well
as Teresa.
So that's the joy of thenetwork of the polka dot, right?
You know, I just keep reachingout and everyone will keep
helping to your own advice,right?
You said just ask for help sothere's one question I like to
ask everyone when they come onthe show and that is if you
(23:30):
could have any superpower whatwould it be and why
Keaton (23:35):
oh I don't know maybe to like work in super speed so I
could get everything that I wantto do done because I am a
person of very many hobbies andI always want to try new things
like I just bought um someengravers because i or some
(23:58):
little bits for my dremelbecause i really want to learn
like metal engraving with likethe filgree art and stuff and
i've been kind of taking onsilversmithing as well so
playing with like silver jewelryand stuff like that and like
turquoise like western stylepieces and painting and working
(24:18):
on my truck i just i need moretime Yeah, that little,
Tamara Robertson (24:24):
you need a time turner, maybe, you know.
Keaton (24:29):
Or maybe just, like, the, maybe a superpower of,
like, never getting tired wouldbe kind of cool, because then I
could just, you know, always beon the go and not be like, oh, I
want to die right now.
Tamara Robertson (24:43):
You know, I have a recommendation, maybe
some pym particles because Nadiapym.
She has these particles thatshrinks her down.
So time no longer is a thing.
And she can like just go and dowhatever she wants in her
little lab.
But I think material drawingcuring times might still be a
thing.
I don't know.
I don't know about that.
Yeah.
Unknown (25:05):
Yeah.
Tamara Robertson (25:06):
Well, this has been amazing.
Everyone, we hit the heaven'sgreat race on June 21st in St.
Paul, Minnesota, and we ran allthe way until we hit the finish
line on the 29th in Irmo, SouthCarolina.
You can follow all of ourInstagrams to live the full
adventure in All Things CreatorRace as we recap tackling this
iconic vintage Raleigh Road Raceone mile at a time.
(25:28):
That's it for Tinkering Bells.
This episode is assembled andready for delivery.
Keaton, this has been soamazing.
Thank you so much.
Keaton (25:35):
Awesome.
Thank you.
Tamara Robertson (25:37):
I want to thank you for choosing Tinkering
Bells as your user's manual forAll Things Maker on a biweekly
basis.
If you want to continue to hearmore, don't forget to rate and
review the show I look forwardto seeing you next week.
Until then, don't forget tokeep
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