July 24, 2025 Benchmark Abrasives

Jeremy Hannaford (@jeremysgimpart)

Welcome to this week's #benchmarkspotlight Revisited series - we had the opportunity to sit down with Jeremy from @jeremysgimpart to talk a little shop and catch up with what they've been up to!

If you would like to be featured in our weekly spotlight (100% FREE) and have a chance at winning one of our Grinder Hoods please send us an email to leo.benchmarkabrasives@gmail.com to get you scheduled in an upcoming week. And for those of you that take the time to share your story with us, we'd be happy to provide a free BA banner. These spotlights are intended to highlight your skill, your business, and your tips and tricks. Most of all it's to have a little fun!

Name: Jeremy Hannaford

Business Name: Jeremy’s Gimp Art

Location: Port Orchard, WA

Socials: IG: @jeremysgimpart TikTok: @hotwheelz29

Specialties: Metal art, trophies, cnc cut pieces

Please introduce yourself again and tell us what you do and how long you've been doing it?

My name is Jeremy Hannaford, I’m a quadriplegic TIG welder and metal artist/fabricator. I was in a motocross crash in 2004 where I broke my neck which left me paralyzed from the chest down with no hand or finger function. I started welding in 2009 after the desk job I was at just didn’t work out and was in need of a present for my mom on her birthday and couldn’t afford one. I gave MIG a try, it was ugly but I fell in love. 16 years later, here we are! All self taught from my dad and YouTube University.

What’s new with your business or shop since we last spoke? Any big wins or exciting projects?
Since we last spoke, there have been a lot of fun projects but my bread and butter have been making trophies for a lot of the wheelchair rugby tournaments throughout the country. It’s really fun to use my creativity to come up with different ideas for these trophies.

I also teamed up with a couple guys to build a really cool firepit cover with a fire breathing dragon cut into it. Very challenging but so rewarding when we finished it and saw it lit up!

Have you added any new services, capabilities, or equipment to your workflow recently?
I recently purchased an Arc Droid CNC Plasma Cutter so I’m learning that and looking forward to being able to make my on parts and pieces for the trophies that I make.

Have you attended any events, trade shows, or taken on any training that influenced your work?
None of those but I’m always out at farmers markets and events with vendors and checking out what people are trending towards so it helps me come up with new creations

Have your goals or focus shifted at all since the last spotlight?
Still wanting to make cool and unique art and trophies but shifting more to the cnc side of things. Gotta work smarter, not harder and there are so many cool things you can put together thru different CAD programs!

Is there a recent project you’re especially proud of?
There are 2 that I’ve recently done that were really cool.

First was a lamp I built for a customer who was a 3rd generation machinist who sent me a wire tube and a bunch of machinist tools that he wanted displayed on the tube. So I built a base and hooks to display all the pieces along with a machinist guide that was front and center. Pretty simple looking piece with lots of meaning for the customer

The second one is the plasma table (see next photo) I built for my Arc Droid. It was meant to be a simple table but turned into a pretty big project for me. It was extremely rewarding to build it all on my own without assistance especially with the size that it is and the function that I have. Lots of challenges but it turned out great!

What BA product surprised you in terms of quality - what about it set it apart from the competition?
I've been using BA flap discs for years now and the quality and price are unmatched. I’ve tried others and they just don’t compare.

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Have you discovered any tips or hacks when using our products that others might benefit from?
The thick discs last a long time! Don’t toss them if they wear down a bit, they have so much life!

Do you have any before-and-after shots that show how your work has evolved?
I do! Especially with the trophies and wheelchair replicas that I make – here's how it started and how it’s evolved.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned in the past year when it comes to your craft?
That you have to evolve. You can get stuck in the same ol same especially in the art world. So switching things up, getting out of your comfort zone, trying new methods really helps open things up and gives you more opportunities!

How has your workspace/shop changed or grown since we last featured you?
I started out on a 4x4 3/16 sheet of steel junk table and now have a fixture table along with another 4x8 work table that has allowed me to do much bigger projects and it can keep things flat now! Haha.

Where do you see your shop or business going in the next year?
I want to keep creating new pieces with the CNC along with some pieces I’ve been bouncing around in my head. Always trying to come up with something fresh and unique!

Thanks for sitting with us and sharing your story with the community - is there anything you'd like to add?

Keep creating! The world needs wild, new, unique things to see and talk about! Oh and keep rocking those BA products! Thanks for the feature!

A Note From Leo

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Jeremy! It's great to see you're doing well and how you've pushed forward in your shop and added equipment. Very cool to see and great catching up with you!