Our Partners in Metal!

Along with our long-standing relationships with repeat clients, we are happy to be frequent collaborators with several local artists and groups. We are always ready to align ourselves with creative riff-raffs who enjoy the work as much as the finished product; bonus points for those with a particular brand of humor.

And as far as humor goes, the metal guys at Tiger Heart Metal Works have it in spades with energy to spare. Tiger Heart officially partnered up with C. Scenic in 2020 with the joint purchase of our current space after a three-year working relationship from separate studios.

Since joining forces under the same roof, we've worked on many projects of all kinds. While wood is strong, metal fabrication is more durable and often lends to a fantastic and unique aesthetic for our clients.

One of our latest projects together was for the Grubhub Feeding Frenzy as part of the LCS Spring Finals in Houston. The primary focus of the event was inspired heavily by the MOBA, League of Legends, and the weapons used by a number of its available characters. The guys at Tiger Heart were put in charge of constructing a bow made out of spaghetti and a fork with a meatball on the end as its arrow.

These props were commissioned to be made specifically for guests to pose with for photos, so they needed to be sturdy enough to be handled regularly with varying degrees of roughness. We knew that the noodly intricacy of the spaghetti and a bow and arrow would be best handled by the metal guys, so we passed it onto them. Sure enough, they delivered, with the spaghetti being made of round stock and a hand-cut fork made from steel plate.

Of course, small metal details aren't all Tiger Heart is capable. They work with metal on all kinds of levels, from equipment to doors, from signs to tables. These guys are always up for a challenge, making them the perfect team to collaborate with.

Founder, owner, and operator of Tiger Heart Metal Works, Sheldon Hubbard, worked with C. Scenic's very own Chad many years ago in their early careers. However, life took them their separate ways until they ran into each other in 2017 while running errands for their respective businesses. As it turned out, they were mere blocks away from one another, and the C. Scenic and Tiger Heart Metal Works collabs soon began.

Not long after, Eric Jester was brought on as the operating partner, and after The Fire of 2020 (a blog post for another day, perhaps?), we were all finally under one roof and more powerful than ever before.

But rather than telling you the story of Tiger Heart ourselves, we figured it would be best to get it from straight from the horses' mouths:

What's your background?

Sheldon: I was enlisted in the US Navy where I learned to weld by working on Destroyers. After the Navy I owned a few different bars in Dallas and started Tiger Heart back in 2013 which at the time was used primarily to work on motorcycles.

Eric: I went to school for audio engineering and worked in the film industry out of college. I started in audio doing sound effects, transitioned to camera department, then found I enjoyed grip lighting and electric more than anything else.

I also worked in the service industry for years managing bars, which helped me hone a lot of the skills I use today in operating Tiger Heart.

How long have you been working with metal?

Sheldon: 20 years

Eric: 4 Years

What led you to Tiger Heart?

Sheldon: I had a friend who had signed a lease on a shop and needed someone to help rent part of the space. He offered it to me, so I used it to work on motorcycles and take on small welding jobs in between working at the bar. After gaining a few clients and taking on larger projects, I bought the LLC and Tiger Heart was born.

Eric: After years of dabbling in different industries, I missed the fulfillment of starting and completing a project like I had done in the film industry. I had wanted to learn a trade and was considering going to school for welding. I called Sheldon, who I had known for years, to pick his brain about what kind of welding I should focus on. He gave me lots of good advice and ended the phone call with an invitation to come by the shop and learn a few things before making the decision to go to school. That turned into me being at the shop on all my days off from work and eventually evolved into me taking on jobs of my own. The rest is history.

What sets Tiger Heart apart from other metal fabricators?

Eric: Our approach is really what sets us apart. The first thing we consider when designing anything is longevity. Over time metal can rust, warp, break etc. We design with these things in mind to offer a product that will withstand time and will be around to pass down to the next generation.

What motivates or excites you about a job?

Both: Being able to work with metal, to me, is its own motivator. Metal is paradoxical in the sense that it’s such a strong and durable material but requires a delicate and refined touch to get what you want out of it. It has its tolerances and if you treat it right you can really see its capabilities. You can use heat and acids to manipulate its colors and bring a whole different aesthetic to your project. I get really excited about the things we build in the shop. When we deliver a product, and see a clients face light up with that same sense of excitement and appreciation is beyond satisfying.

Also, laying down a superior weld is always a reason to brag.

Any hobbies outside of work?

Sheldon: Chess!

Eric: My wife and I try to stay active. We live on white rock lake, so we’ll walk or bike the trail often. We’re big fans of camping, fishing, and playing Chess.

What superpower would you want?

Sheldon: Mind Reading

Eric: Time Travel

Care to elaborate on your superpower answers?

Sheldon: I already knew you would ask this question.

Eric: Me too.