Awesome Metal

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.

In a scene that plays out like the end of Terminator 2, watch as these disused aluminum car rims are melted down in a hot furnace, so they can be reincarnated into other products. We kept waiting for some screaming heads to start bursting out of the molten metal.

Fabricator Brian Oltrogge walks us thorough a truly modern process for casting a custom hammer. He used a 3D printer to generate patterns, hand-sanded and smoothed the parts, then used them to make sand molds for its aluminum handle and lead head.

Looking for a good way to burn off a little stress? Fidgeting is a good way to occupy your mind and to focus on something other than the day’s worries. The guys over at Everyday Carry have picked out 10 of their favorite fidget toys, including one of our go-tos, the stainless steel Mechforce EDC Gyroscope.

This heavy duty carabiner-style keychain features a rustproof zinc alloy body with smooth chamfered edges that won’t catch on clothing or bags. The black and gold clip has two holes for key rings, along with a built-in bottle opener. Also available in a silver finish.

Microworld makes these intricate metal building kits of mech-animal hybrids. The collection includes a polar bear, crocodile, lion, flying tiger, scorpion, and a police dog. Each one is made from iron and brass, with fade-resistant color coatings. Expect a challenge for all but the most experienced builders.

After wowing us with his Fallout-inspired Red Rocket, metal artist Engineer BrunS is back with an even more challenging build, a big bronze rocketship. Watching the precision-milled components fit together so perfectly is wonderfully satisfying. If you’ve got 1500 bucks to spare, you can even own this masterpiece

We love the simplicity of FutureRelic’s rod-shaped bottle opener. Its shape reminds us of keychain flashlights, but this tool is perfect for opening a cold brew. Available in copper-finish bronze or brass, with a knurled grip. Measured 2.25″ long.

Designed by Wales-based sculptor Ivan Black, this hypnotic, kinetic plaything is made from 21 interconnected metal rods, which can be spun and twisted to produce visually-stimulating patterns inspired by the Fibonacci sequence. It’s available in silver, gold, bronze, or a limited edition scarlet color. Be sure to watch the video.

Metal shop Midwest Tungsten makes this elegant desktop conversation piece that includes five 1″ cubes, each made from the element it describes. Includes blocks made from 100% pure copper, aluminum, titanium, iron, and 95% pure tungsten, each engraved with the element’s symbol, electron configuration, and atomic mass.

In this clip from Japanese metalsmith Swap Lamp, he shows us how to use an offset disc to mill repeating geometric patterns into a piece of metal. It takes a bit of manual work to re-position the workpiece, but the resulting design is something like a Spirograph would make if it could engrave metal instead of drawing on paper.

These beautifully-crafted metal chopsticks offer substance and permanence, while nodding to tradition with their bamboo-inspired form. Each one is molded from pure titanium, which won’t rust, and is resistant to germs. Available in black, silver, grey, or gold.

Keep your fingers occupied with this different kind of fidget toy. This pocket-sized plaything is made up of multiple metal cylinders which spin around a central ring. Roll its center around the palm of your hand, or play with its individual rollers between your fingertips. Available in four sizes, from 1″ to 1.75″ diameter.

Specode’s elegant keychain flashlight resembles a chunky dog tag, and is made from real brass. It packs a 60-lumen CREE XP-G2 LED light source, and is rechargeable via its MicroUSB port. Also available in aluminum.

Artist Ilia Gyrevich makes unique and functional objects by machining metal. In this video, he shows off how he creates his EDC pens from brass rods, as the metal shavings fly forth in a most satisfying manner. You can buy his wares from the MachinedGift Etsy shop.

Upgrade your D&D game with Rainbow Shop CN’s beautiful shimmery electroplated metal dice. Made from zinc alloy, they have a nice heft to them, and you’ll get a full set including D20, D12, D10, D10(percentile), D8, D6, and D4 for all your gaming needs.

Cookiecutter.com shares a brief look at a machine that transforms rings of metal into cookie cutters. It uses several, hydraulic tools to precisely push the metal against a central form. While the machine is amazing, for some shapes, they still use the old-fashioned method. Wow.

Time for Machine makes amazing metal and wood models of vehicles. Among them is a tiny tank called the “Marvel.” TOMs Modeling in Motion assembled one of these mini mechanical marvels and captured the build as a time-lapse, stop-motion video. We also enjoyed watching him put together a metal Hindenburg from AEROBASE.

Vital Carry has upgraded the classic Sharpie permanent marker by wrapping its ink cartridge in an aluminum, brass, copper, or titanium sleeve. Each one is machined from a solid bar of metal, and the Sharpie insert is replaceable. Laser engraving of up to 10 characters is available as an option.

Between steel, aluminum, copper, and brass, which one is strongest? The guys at the Hydraulic Press Channel decided to put each one to the test on their 150-ton press, with some pretty explosive results. We wonder what titanium or tungsten would do under the same forces.

Take an up-close look at the surprising process that goes into making the stacked fins of a heat sink. Rather than casting the aluminum cooling device, they’re made by shaving the fins out of a solid block of metal, and bending them into place.

Designed by serial crowdfunder Kristaps Krišjans, this unique spinning top mimics the look of a droplet of water splashing into a pond. Its lower part resembles pond ripples whether at rest or in motion. Available in CNC-machined stainless steel or titanium, polished or matte finish, and with or without a matching base.