Charles Powell has turned a hobby into a part-time job. The Orrville resident welds and sells grills from the front lawn of his home on Alabama 22.

Powell said how he got into welding grills is a long story but starts with the fact that his father was a mechanic.

“I’ve got a long story. My story is like a book,” Powell said.

After a short time with Coca Cola, he founded another job welding lawnmower wheels together, and his work grew from there.

“I just started building different things. I started building machinery, all types of machinery,” Powell said. “I picked up something and started putting it together just for a hobby.”

He started making grills about 25 or 30 years ago. He is on disability after breaking his back and welding has help supplement his income.

He grill takes about three hours to make and are painted and washed. At any give time, Powell has 15 to 20 grills on his lawn, across from Orrville Town Hall.

His said the beginning of summer is usually his busiest times of the year and things die down toward fall.

“Sometimes it gets good — probably like May or something. About July, you aren’t getting too much anything,” Powell said.

The grills come in six different sizes with various prices. Powell said he wants to give customers multiple price points.

Powell doesn’t have a shop, instead he works in his yard.   

“One time I was making it right under that tree right there. Just a table out in the yard — that’s all I’ve got.”