Awesome Metal

Iron fences are typically made by shaping and welding together multiple pieces of metal. But this factory uses a technique where entire fence sections are cast in large molds, with multiple workers pouring in molten metal to fill in the complete pattern at once.

Metal Wall Games sells a variety of popular board games you can mount on your wall. This 32″ x 23″ metal Scrabble board lets you and your friends play the classic crossword game vertically. The set includes 100 magnetic game tiles, a chalkboard for tracking scores, and a burlap tile pouch.

The accessory design experts at Craighill present their first folding knife. The Rook is a minimal pocket knife made entirely from metal. It has an SV35N steel drop-point blade, a one-handed flipper mechanism, and a frame lock. Available in stainless or tri-color with half-brass/half-stainless handles and a black PVD-coated blade.

Need to work on your pocket knife or other small items? This metal tray from BDKtools provides the perfect spot for maintenance. It’s CNC milled from a single piece of aluminum, anodized in black, and lined with rubberized cork. It’s got a large work tray, three smaller parts trays, and holders for a bit driver and bits.

We love how metal can be used over and over again. After one object has served out its life, it can often be melted down and turned into something new. In this clip by metalsmith Random Hands, he shows us how he took a rusty link from an old piece of ship’s chain and hand-forged it into a beautiful new samurai sword.

Hydroforming is the process of shaping metal structures by inflating them with pressurized water or air. Maker Connor Holland has been experimenting with the technique, and shared this compilation of some of the more interesting and satisfying results. The pillow one looks like a metal whoopee cushion.

This metal spider looks like some kind of creepy-crawly robo-arachnid. It’s made from dozens of tiny stainless steel parts and can be assembled or disassembled without glue. The finished model measures about 4.92″ x 4.92″ x 1.38″. They also make a more complicated steel scorpion kit.

This desktop plaything from the makers of the Mezmoglobe and Mezmotop tricks your eyes when you spin it. The mirror finish aluminum toy looks like a stack of coins, and its smooth spinning mechanism creates a wavelike illusion as you get it up to speed. Sold in standard and nano sizes, as well as a bundle with both.

Karas Pen Co.’s machined metal pen features a pushbutton bolt-action mechanism, fine-tuned for smooth operation. It comes in a number of colorful anodized aluminum finishes, along with brass, bronze, and copper options. Pilot G2 and Schmidt Easyflow 9000 refill compatibility provide versatility.

Do the chickens have large talons? We’re not sure, Napoleon. But these tongs sure do, and their mighty metal claws will hold onto your ice cubes like a bird with its prey. They’re made from antique brass-plated stainless steel and measure 7-7/8″ long.

Estonian design shop Udrik’s playful metal stand provides the perfect place to store your over-the-ear headphones. Serving as both a work of modern art and a functional accessory, the powder-coated steel and oak stand resembles an abstract human who is happy to wear your cans when you’re not using them.

Robinson Foundry crafted this useful brass kitchen gadget using a 3D printed measuring cube as a starting point. Like some of his other creations, he used the “Lost PLA” method to create a ceramic mold around the 3D print and then melted away the plastic. We wonder how accurate it is compared to the original.

The Michelin Man, aka “Bibendum,” is one of the most iconic advertising mascots of all time. Awesome Restorations, got their hands on an antique metal sculpture of the rotund character and sandblasted away years of rust, then repainted it, restoring its former glory. He looked like a toasted marshmallow man before his makeover.

This CNC-machined aluminum building block from Gundae Productions is a great gift for LEGO fans. The block is roughly twice the size of a standard 4×2 LEGO brick, measuring 2.5″ wide. It’s not designed for a tight fit though, so consider it more of display piece than something you’d build structures with.

Cast metal versions of organic forms can look awesome, like this seashell that Seth Robinson made. The process involved placing a marlin spike shell into a sand mold. After melting aluminum and pouring it into the mold, he removed the casting and cleaned up the excess metal to reveal what the insides of the shell look like.

Maker Ross the Random has a thing for turning hardware into critters. After he transformed a few nuts and bolts into a shiny hornet, he took a single screw and managed to massage it into a palm-sized sculpture of a scorpion.

If you’ve been to a firing range, you’ll see countless shell casings littering the ground. Seth over at Robinson Foundry wanted to put these to use, so he melted down the brass casings and turned them into custom coins. He created the shapes by 3D printing coin models, then placed them into a sand mold for casting.

We can’t think of a practical use for a vise you can fit between your fingertips, but that doesn’t make this tiny vise any less impressive. W&M Levsha created the micro tool by milling shapes from a small block of metal, drilling holes for its mechanism, then fitting it together with a teensy threaded rod and handle to make it work.

Ian Davis needed a prosthetic to replace four fingers on his left hand. Rather than purchase a commercial model, he engineered an awesome metal hand that looks like something straight out of The Terminator. It’s capable of opening, closing, splaying its fingers, and makes satisfying sounds as it flexes.

Magnetic Games presents yet another wonderfully satisfying video, in which he uses hundreds of magnetic rods and spheres to create an complicated geometric sculpture. He placed a light at the center of his masterpiece, so it casts interesting shadows as well. After it’s all done, he knocks it down with a catapult.

Clamps are readily available at your local hardware store, but if you’re industrious, you could always make your own. Pask Makes shows off a square clamp he made from steel, and walks through the process of building one with handheld tools, then ramping up production with professional workbench tools.

Keep all your vinyl records organized and easily accessible with this hand-welded metal storage tower from Design Atelier Article. It comes in two variants – one that holds 240 LPs and one that holds 300 LPs. Both measure 45″ high, but vary in width from 15 3/4″ to 19 2/3″. They also make a squared-off storage unit with casters.

Andrey Kazantsev of Dirt Customs makes amazing low-polygon-count metal animal sculptures. Watch as he welds together a wonderfully pointy Doberman sculpture from dozens of pieces of precision-cut metal. He ships internationally, and his contact info is on his Instagram page. That giant panda sculpture blew our minds.

Watch as this talented craftsperson turns a disc of metal into a beautiful work of art by applying heat from a torch. The control it must take to create such a precise pattern is extraordinary. We’re not sure who created this piece, but it looks a lot like the work of Skip and Racheal​ Mathews, who use the technique on copper.

Despite being made of only four pieces, this palm-sized metal puzzle offers plenty of challenge for puzzle lovers. The goal – remove the interlocking pieces from their base, then put them back together. Designed in Japan by puzzle expert Mineyuki Uyematsu.

Mr. Michal shows off a metal truck that incorporates a multi-fire rocket launcher in its bed. Loaded up with gunpowder, it puts on quite a spectacle, but the danger level rises precipitously with the addition of ball-bearing projectiles. Yep, don’t try this at home. Leave it to the YouTube “professionals.”