Awesome Metal

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 elegant writing instrument works with interchangeable magnetic pencil tips. The metal tip can write indefinitely with its soft lines, while its graphite tip is ideal for art and sketching. It comes in aluminum, magnesium, titanium, or brass bodies with a wood veneer accent.

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.

The scorpions we encounter here in the U.S. are relatively small, but this oversize metal creature measures 8.25″ long. This awesomely creepy creation is made by Thailand artists Kreatworks using recycled automotive and machine parts. Also, it turns out that there are real scorpions that are almost the same size in South Africa.

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.

We recently saw some unusual axes, but they didn’t include one made by inflating metal. Maker Connor Holland is back with another very cool project – a lightweight axe he created by welding pieces of sheet metal, then expanding them with air into a pillow-like axe and handle. He attached bent steel blades to give it a sharp edge.

When it comes to cups, disposable styrofoam ones are some of the most wasteful. Robinson Foundry has a solution to the problem – instead of making them out of difficult-to-recycle polystyrene, cast them out of molten metal. We love those aluminum packing peanuts too.

Apple’s AirTags help keep track of your possessions. Give this useful gadget a proper home on your keychain or bag with one of Saegusa’s metal carabiner clips. They’re made in Japan from a single piece of stainless steel, brass, or Duralumin aluminum alloy – the latter coming in a black, green, or navy anodized finish.

The Backyard Scientist conducts another ill-advised and dangerous experiment by loading himself and a bucket of molten aluminum into a cherry picker, then ascending to 50 feet before pouring the metal into an aquarium on the ground. We’d like to say this was for science, but it’s clearly just for the spectacle.

These precision-machined stainless steel puzzles from Japan have pieces that connect so tightly that their connections are nearly imperceptible. Despite having just 16 pieces each, they’re quite challenging since you can’t tell their fronts from their backs.

Artist Yuuki Nishihara creates beautifully handcrafted metalwork from his shop in Itoshima, Japan. In this video, you’ll see how he works strips of tin into the shape of a cup, then hammers it to produce a faceted texture. You can find his work for sale at Itoshima Gokoro. We enjoyed listening to each tap of the hammer.

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.

The YouTube channel for Mr Custom Crafts is loaded with unique works of art created from metal. In this video, they show how they turned a metal rod and nails into the immensely creepy and crawly scolopendra gigantea, aka the largest centipede in the world. If you enjoyed watching that, check out the scorpion they made.

This unique beard comb from Ukraine shop Wikked Knot helps modern-day Vikings keep their grooming in check. The handmade bronze comb looks like a miniature Viking ship, decorated with sigils of the tiny Norsemen we imagine rowing this thing through your thick facial hair. It’s a bit small, measuring just 2-3/4″ long.

After casting a metal bolt with double threads, Robinson Foundry is back to show off another unusual bolt design. This oversize bolt has a maze thread pattern, which requires a complex sequence of moves to remove its nut. Like many of his other builds, he created ceramic molds over 3D prints, which he melted away.

The vast majority of computer mice are made out of cheap plastic. Artist Uri Tuchman wanted to create something with a bit more substance, so he took the electronics out of a mouse and painstakingly crafted a new enclosure out of brass then engraved it with an ornate filigree pattern.

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.

How It’s Made takes us inside the Merkur blade factory for a look at the equipment and materials that go into producing razor bladed. They start as a flexible strip of steel that is perforated, hardened with a heat-treating process, and run through a grinder to sharpen their edges before they’re separated and coated.

Promote yourself or your company with these custom bookmarks from My Metal Business Card. Each is made from stainless steel with a cut-through design and surface etching of your logo, graphic, or text. They come in seven finishes and can be screen-printed with colors. The minimum order size is 50 pieces.

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.

This steampunk chameleon won’t blend into its surroundings, but it does look amazing. The 745-piece stainless steel, iron, and copper model has numerous articulated joints for posing, and its metal parts have a rainbow heat-treated finish. The finished lizard model measures about 10″ long.

Random Hands dug into their toolbox in search of the right screwdriver – not for loosening screws, but for remaking into a flashy gold-plated bolt-action pen. Rather than melting down the driver’s shaft, they drilled out its solid center, making way for the pen’s refill and mechanism, then followed that with texturing and plating.

Vital Carry is back with another neat pen design. The Mini-Bolt pen has a machined metal case with a grooved non-slip surface and a bolt-action mechanism which can be ordered left- or right-handed. The 3″ long pen accepts a Schmidt D1 ink refill and comes in bright aluminum, titanium, bronze, brass, or copper.

Industrial laser cutters can slice through steel, but they leave behind bits of metal called slag on their work surfaces. While placing materials on support slats helps, there’s still a mess to clean up. This slat cleaner from TRUMPF offers a satisfying way to remove that debris. We want something like this for our BBQ grill.

This stainless steel stencil is ideal for sketching out user interface and user experience concepts. It features common icons for things like menus, arrows, buttons, and sliders, as well as social media. Its top edge includes a pixel ruler and column guides as well. Consider picking up some UI sketch pads to go with.

Get your daily dose of engineering porn with this video from Uwe Krumm GmbH. The company makes precision tooling for manufacturing, including the press brake tools shown here. It’s a hypnotic and satisfying 6-minute sequence of sheet metal being bent into complex shapes through the simple application of force.