THE BEST Metal

This keychain storage cache has two sections, so you can store different items in each of halves. It’s airtight, and perfect for carrying pills, emergency cash, or other small items. Internal dimensions are .45″ across, 0.63″ deep on one side, and 0.71″ deep on the other. Available in brass, stainless steel, or titanium.

A planetary gear is an arrangement of gears in which a central “sun” gear rotates as an outer ring is turned. Typically these have 3 or 4 “planet” gears to transfer energy from the ring. This impressive feat of engineering has 10 planet gears with a square sun gear. This 3D-printed double planetary gear is pretty awesome too.

Urban95 makes some great industrial style furniture, including this skinny writing desk that’s ideal for laptop users. Its 20″ x 60″ top is covered with an aviation-inspired riveted metal and sits atop skinny, but sturdy bent rebar legs. A perforated metal privacy panel finishes the look. Also available with a concrete laminate top.

Plane Pieces’ drink coasters are a great gift for aviation enthusiasts. They’re made using authentic Pratt & Whitney gears from WWII radial airplane engines. Each one is encased in clear resin, surrounded with a machined aluminum outer ring, and has a protective bumper underneath. Sold individually, or in sets of four.

We can think of no better gift for an aviation fanatic than this metal model inspired by the iconic Hughes H-4 Hercules. Like the real Spruce Goose, this miniature has eight propellers, though these turn using a wind-up mechanism rather than 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney engines. The 219-piece kit is best for ages 14+.

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.

The Stria is an elegant and substantial drawing instrument that will look great sitting on your desktop. It folds to half of its length via a metal dovetail joint and opens to provide a 30cm / 11.8″ ruler. It features a wedge shape for confident line drawing, imperial and metric markings, and comes in brass or steel.

You’d think that slicing up resin blocks filled with nails on your table saw and then grinding them down on a lathe might be a bad idea for the well-being of your tools (and your body), but that didn’t stop maker R Humphrey from testing out the idea. The resulting bowl he created has some really cool textures and patterns.

Grid’s slimline metal wallet can hold up to 12 cards and cash with its exterior money clip. Beyond its durability, its copper construction offers two other big benefits: it blocks RFID scanning, and bacteria can’t live on its surface, keeping germs at bay. Save 52% in The Awesomer Shop.

This impressive piece of computer-controlled machinery from Germany’s J. Neu can take straight pieces of metal tubing, and bend them to its whim. We’re not getting the accompaniment of The Godfather music, but maybe it’s a threat that the machine will bend you like a pretzel if you go against it.

Do the birds in your neighborhood have an appreciation for contemporary art and architecture? Then set them up with one of sculptor Joe Papendick’s modern metal bird feeders. Each one is hand-welded from steel and coated with rust-proof enamel in a color of your choice. A stainless steel screen holds the bird seed in place.

Why buy off-the-shelf Star Wars figures when you can build your own? These flat-pack metal models aren’t easy to assemble, but the resulting sculptures will be worth the effort. They come in Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Boba Fett, C-3PO, and R2-D2 variants. Patience and tweezers not included.

The VersiCube is a unique object made from CNC-machined aluminum. KAD Models and Prototypes‘ cubes allow light to shine through, and provide a nice tactile feel. They come in 1.375″ and 0.5″ sizes, and a version with pegs for 3D Tic Tac Toe. Profits go to the Advanced Manufacturing Program at the Vermont Technical College.

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.

The MagBolt pen features a unique mechanism that uses the power of repelling magnets to engage and retract its pen tip. Each one features a smoothly machined aluminum barrel, along with accents in copper, brass, or aluminum. Accepts a Schmidt 9000 M refill (included).

There are time-tested blacksmithing techniques for twisting metal into knot-like structures. But what if you want to tie a steel rod into an actual knot? Paul Pinto shows us how his method for making a tight overhand knot using a combination of bending, hammering, and stretching. The engine hoist trick is a good one.

Making drones out of lightweight materials is a must if you want them to fly. But Motores Patelo went the opposite direction, and created a flightless drone out of metal. Sadly, he couldn’t record the whole build due to the lockdown, but the finished piece is still amazing… and could easily take off a finger.

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 out of The Terminator. It’s capable of opening, closing, and the unique ability to splay its fingers, and makes satisfying sounds as it flexes.

TITANS of CNC: Academy presents footage of a truly epic creation – a hefty chess board machined from a massive hunk of metal. It’s got a grooved playing surface, and logo art on its sides. We’d love to see how they milled all of those beautiful titanium chess pieces too.

Builder Phil Vandelay needed a door to separate two spaces in his workshop. Rather than just go with a traditional rectangular design, he fabricated a metal frame which folds into triangular sections when opening and closing it. The design was inspired by this one he previously saw online.

Olson Form makes high-end desk accessories, milling components from 6061 aluminum alloy. The set includes a phone stand, business card holder, bolt action pen, paperclip bowl, pen holder, money/paper clip, coaster, spinning top, letter opener, and a cable weight. In black or silver, with a grooved or straight edge.

This stainless steel tool helps draw circles, arcs, and straight lines, and can also measure. It combines a protractor, straight edge, T-square and compass functions, and can measure in inches, centimeters, picas, and pixels. It packs neatly in your wallet alongside your credit cards.

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.

Fishbone’s metal gadget is designed for knotless joining and tying of ropes and straps. It holds up to 0.5″ rope or 1″ flat webbing, and has built-in neodymium magnets for stacking and storage. Available in stainless steel or lightweight aluminum. They also make a mini version for paracord and skinny cord.

Machined from a solid hunk of aluminum or brass, the Flipo Flip offers a unique take on the desktop fidget toy. This metal plaything is designed to feel great in the hand, and is perfectly weighted for flipping, spinning, and manipulation with your fingers. Available in hexagonal and square designs.

BrainfooTV show us how he transformed an stainless steel connection nut into a piece of jewelry inspired by Tony Stark’s armored helmet. He first removed the threads, then cut and shaped it using a Dremel and hand tools, before polishing it to a high sheen. As a finishing touch, he added a pair of tritium tubes to give it glowing eyes.