Awesome Copper

Winter is upon us, so for those with a green thumb, that means more indoor growing. This lovely copper tray from Garrett Wade helps you get seedlings started in a controlled environment. It comes with 24 square, bottomless containers so young plants can sip water from the tray and slide out easily for potting.

LittleBall Creations makes beautiful marble mazes from bent and soldered copper wire. Here, they show off one of their self-contained mazes that sits inside of a cube. The marble rolls from one end of the track to the other when the cube is flipped over. If you’re interested in buying their work, contact them on Facebook.

Yancey Designs makes beautiful decor from copper. This copper box and tray set is a great alternative to wood valets and jewelry boxes. Its main tray, dividers, and insert are great for organizing accessories can be used independently or combined. Price shown is for the tray and lid only, with inserts sold as options.

A tea kettle is one of those simple objects that’s easy to take for granted. This video from HanOul-Workshop shows how he makes a copper tea kettle by hammering and bending sheet metal and copper tubing. It’s a long and laborious process that will give you an appreciation for individual craftsmanship.

This premium pocket multitool from EDC maker Lautie comes in titanium, copper, and zirconium versions, each with a stainless steel tip. Its tools include a bottle opener, box cutter, pry bar, and a 1/4″ hex bit driver, set into a keychain-compatible wedge shape inspired by the head of a crane bird.

Blacksmith Denis Tyrell of Tyrell Knifeworks shows off the build process for one of the most beautiful bladed weapons we’ve seen. He created this cumai katana with a Damascus blade comprised of twisted layers of steel and copper. He finished it with a copper blade collar and a stingray skin and leather-wrapped wood handle.

One reason metals are so wonderful is because they can be melted down over and over again to form new objects. In this video from Rob Bonifacio, he shows us how he took some Canadian copper pennies and dimes, layered them with high-carbon steel and forged them into a Damascus blade for a knife. Part two here.

Over the past five decades, Zippo has produced a handful of special lighters made from copper. This classic design is now back for a limited time as a pre-production model with a hand-finished, solid copper case. Its insert is made from a unique black-coated steel, and it’s covered by Zippo’s lifetime repair guarantee.

Given how soft copper is, it seems like an unlikely material for a sledgehammer. But it sure looks pretty, so that’s probably why Robinson Foundry decided to make one out of the eye-catching metal. To fabricate it, he first created a 3D-printed form for a sand mold, then filled it with molten copper and machined its final shape.

If the past is any indication, Sony will eventually release a smaller PS5. Matt at DIY Perks couldn’t wait, so he got to work stripping down its parts and created his own PS5 Slim. By moving its power supply to an external brick and building a custom copper water-cooling system, he dramatically cut down on its size.

GambleMade’s keychain accessory serves one purpose only – to glow in the dark. Oh, and it looks cool too. The handmade metal key fob packs a phosphorescent center that charges up in the sun or a light bulb. It comes in titanium or a copper/brass combo with a green or aqua blue glow.

This teensy copper flashlight is just 1.3 inches long and weighs only 0.6 ounces. It’s powered by a neutral white Nichia NCSLE17A-E LED and outputs a smooth beam from its TIR optic lens. Makes a great addition to any keychain.

This machined metal pen from Big Idea Designs features a telescoping case design that allows it to accommodate more than 80 types of refills without modifications. It features a modern and minimal design and comes in brass, copper, or titanium, each with a titanium pocket clip.

Wild Oaks Metal Works handcrafts these unique desk lamps from steel and copper. Their conical shade and articulated base pay homage to the iconic Anglepoise lamp, but with a brawny industrial look. The gears and chains are functional too – turn the crank to adjust its height. They also make a double-headed version.

For a motor to work, it needs tightly-wound copper or aluminum coils to generate a magnetic field when current is applied. This fascinating video from NIDE shows how their machines do the work automatically, first loading an armature, then rapidly winding copper wire around its fins.

Copper not only is one of the more beautiful metals out there, it’s known more recently for its ability to stave off bacteria and viruses. The Copper Clean wallet is a clamshell-style case for your credit cards and cash, offering the germ-fighting benefits of copper, along with its ability to shield from RFID scanning.

Typically, Damascus patterned metal is made entirely from steel. But it looks even more amazing with copper folded in. Tyrell Knifeworks walks us through the process of forging a gorgeous bowie knife by welding then pressing together layers of the mixed metals. The colors in the handle look awesome with the blade.

Tactile Turn’s sleek and substantial pen features a side click mechanism, providing satisfying feedback when deploying or retracting its pen tip. It’s available in titanium, copper, bronze, or zirconium, in 4.6″, 5.3″, and 5.8″ lengths. An optional titanium Damascus clip doubles the pen’s price but looks amazing.

Artist Douglas Pryor specializes in sculpting, raising, chasing, and repousse techniques to produce incredible 3-dimensional metal art. Watch as he hammers a flat sheet of copper into a playful sculpture of a gecko slurping syrup off a stack of pancakes. He’s currently working on an awe-inspiring crocodile.

As we’ve seen before, Ross The Random has a knack for turning bits of hardware into small works of art. In this video, he shows us how he took an old copper nozzle from a MIG welder and transformed it into a badass ring based on the visage of Spider-Man’s terrifying nemesis Carnage.

MecArmy’s miniature compass is small enough to wear as a pendant, on your keychain, or attached to a bag. It features a high-sensitivity movement with an anti-magnetic bearing, glow-in-the-dark markings, and comes in copper, brass, or TC4 titanium for $10 extra. Measures 1.48″ L x 0.925″ W x 0.51″ H.

We’ve seen how factories make full-size chain-link fencing by bending and twisting stiff wire. Now watch how it’s done on a much smaller scale. W&M Levsha created this custom machine that bends copper wire into the proper angles to make a mini fence. The weaving still needs to be done by hand though.

Watch as a solid block of copper is magically transformed into a set of linking rings with the help of talented metalsmith Viktor Leontiev and his trusty milling machine. The finished piece looks great set onto its hand-turned wooden base.

The latest addition to AltDynamic’s series of collectible desktop curiosities comes in a satisfying tubular egg shape. Inspired by the mathematics of Gabriel Lamé and the 1960s Superegg design by Piet Hein, the roly-poly metal egg comes in titanium, stainless steel, and copper editions with machined or mirrored finishes.

Most soap dishes are made from plastic, ceramic, or wood. But we dig the more substantial look of Lukas Alberts’ soap dishes, which are machined from metal with strategically-placed ridges to keep soap bars from getting soggy. They come in solid aluminum or copper, both of which will oxidize and patina over time.

The Arizona Copper Company makes these unique wall and tabletop clocks with dramatic patina finishes. The nature of the process means each clock is one-of-a-kind. They come in a variety of sizes in both square and round designs. Our favorite style is the high-contrast look of the dark turquoise pattern.