Life and Career of the Owner of WelderUp – Steve Darnell

Steve Darnell is an American TV personality who has achieved success with his skills as a welder. He is best recognized for his appearance on the reality TV series Vegas Rat Rods. The iconic welder has also made appearances on shows like Five Finger Death Punch: House of The Rising Sun and The Gavin McInnes Show. However, his work with his WelderUp crew on the Discovery Channel’s Vegas Rat Rods, where he focuses on customizing cars, remains his biggest claim to fame.

His work on reality TV has led to questions about the finer details of this celebrity’s life and this article will reveal all there is to know about Steve Darnell.

Early life and family background

Although he prefers to keep a lid on details of his private life, certain information with regards to Steve Darnell has slowly crept out of the closet and into public consciousness.

Steve Darnell was born on December 1, 1970, in Billings, Montana, United States. He was born under the zodiac sign of Sagittarius. For now, the identity of his parents is private. One thing that is obvious about them is that they are a mixed-race couple judging from Darnell’s mixed-race background.

Steve’s dad worked as an engineer at Steel Engineers located in Las Vegas. The only known sibling of Steve Darnell is an older sister called Madison King.

The early years of his formal education saw Steve, who grew up in Billings, Montana, attend Castle Rock Middle School before he went on to Sky View High School for his high school education. It is unclear if Steve had a college education or where he went to college.

Steve was encouraged to become an engineer by his wrestling coach

Growing up, it was clear to everyone who came in contact with the young Darnell that he had a special ability to create things out of practically nothing. One of the people to notice Steve’s unique engineering talents was his high school wrestling coach.

Steve showed an early interest in wrestling while he was in middle school. He even became part of his middle school’s wrestling team. By the time he got to high school, he had developed a sufficient skillset to continue his progress as a wrestler in the school’s wrestling program.

His wrestling coach, Coach Rich Malia was impressed by his skills as a wrestler and told him so. However, due to the fact that Coach Malia pays extra attention to members of his team outside of the gym, he noticed that Darnell was by far better at fixing machine-operated objects.

He, therefore, encouraged the young man to take automotive classes in high school and to afterward pursue a course in engineering. To further show his faith in the potential that Steve carried, he commissioned him to build a bicycle for his daughter who had requested one for her birthday.

The decision to build a bicycle, rather than going off to buy one from a store, was justified when the coach witnessed how excited his daughter was with Darnell’s unique design. This turn of events reinforced Stevee’s belief that he could make something out of his God-given talents.

Steve Darnell founded WelderUp while running a ranch in Montana

Fresh out of school, Steve Darnell was placed in charge of the day-to-day operations of a ranch in Montana. He stayed dedicated to this job for quite a number of years while developing his one-of-a-kind talent when it comes to machinery.

It was during his time as a rancher that the idea for WelderUp came into existence. The company was eventually created and designed to provide machinery for the farmers in the area. It also focused on refurbishing old and worn-out machinery, a job that Steve continues to excel at.

The inception of Vegas Rat Rods was completely unexpected

Given that Steve actually started with building and fixing heavy farm machinery, fans of the hit reality series have always wondered how he made the leap from sorting out heavy-duty farm engines to cars.

It all started, in 2008, with Steve rebuilding his grandfather’s 1928 Dodge Sedan. He had merged a twin-turbocharged 5.9 liter Cummins diesel engine into the Dodge. It wasn’t unheard of but his design was different. The car received a lot of attention when it was exhibited at car shows and earned Steve the grudging respect of fellow and far more seasoned hot rod creators.

It didn’t take long for the car to catch the attention of Hot Rod Magazine and it subsequently got its own feature piece from the magazine. Steve started getting phone calls and requests for more custom-made cars. He knew then that it was time to alter the MO of his company, WelderUp to car customization. The business would also be moved to Los Angeles to minimize production costs since most of his clients lived in that area.

Needless to say that the business plan was a resounding success but WelderUp and Steve Darnell were not done. A joint business venture was proposed by a Canadian production Company and Steve bought into the idea. The next step was trying to convince Discovery Channel Canada to invest in what would become Vegas Rat Rods. The show aired in Canada for a while but its popularity would soon reach US airwaves and it officially premiered on Discovery Channel US on April 17, 2014.

The show continues to bring in high ratings primarily because of the skills and creativity that Steve Darnell and his WelderUp crew bring to the show. It doesn’t hurt their chances too that viewers like the stars responsible for making the show a success.

WelderUp car models are quite expensive

One thing that must stay in the mind of anyone trying to commission Steve Darnell for a job, or anyone trying to get one of his famous car models, is that you must have deep pockets. The creation of these cars is not just something Steve and his crew do to earn a living or pass the time. For them, every single second spent working on one of these cars guarantees uniqueness, quality, and ingenious characteristics such as tracks instead of tires.

His cars, therefore, come at a price tag that is quite mouthwatering. Some of his designs can cost anything from $80, 000 to $100, 000, including the cost of rods and build.

The WelderUp company continues to turn out impressive car models and has since moved to Las Vegas where they have cars such as the 1957 Chevy 210, 1968 Dodge Charger, and 1930 Ford Model A Sedan, just to name a few, in their impressive showroom.

The vehicle responsible for all these innovations, Steve’s grandfather’s refurbished model remains a tourist attraction for hot rod lovers in Las Vegas.

What is Steve Darnell’s net worth?

It should come as no surprise to anyone that this former rancher has since become more financially independent. With all the income that he has generated from his art, Steve Darnell has become one of the most financially successful TV personalities.

As of December 2021, the 51-year-old welder was estimated to have amassed an impressive net worth of about $800,000 to $1 million. And with the continued success of his business, as well as his TV appearances, this figure will only increase as the years go by.

Steve Darnell is a divorced father of two

He doesn’t like to talk too much about his private life but sources close to the reality TV star have revealed that he was once married, although exact details of the marriage have been sealed from the public.

One constant reminder of the marriage would be Steve’s two sons, Chase, and Kash Daniel. Steve’s influence on the boys’ lives is obvious as they are currently part of his WelderUp crew and it is clear from the way they handle things that they enjoy working with him.