Awesome Metalwork

Random Hands pulled off one of the most dramatic transformations of an object that we’ve seen. They started off with a rusty old industrial drill bit, heated it up in a forge, and reworked it into a pointy Japanese kunai. It took a whole lot of work to get it into the right shape, then they polished and finished it with a 24K gold plating.

Metalsmith Koss shows off the build process for a rather distinctive modern knife with a chisel-style blade. They started with a rusty bar of W1-7 high carbon steel, then cut it down to size, shaped it with a cutting wheel, and refined its razor-sharpened edges. Those handle scales are made from brass flat stock.

As we’ve seen several times in the past, metalsmith Shurap likes to make Damascus from various metal hardware. This time out, he used hundreds of skinny fishing hooks to make a knife. The fine lines of the hooks resulted in an interesting sort of crackle pattern on the finished blade.

Miller Knives decided he could use another keychain knife so he set about building one that actually looks like a key. To make it work, he layered together three keys, cut the middle one to allow space, machined a butter knife for the blade, then joined the pieces together with a couple of nails.

There’s a musical instrument called a steel guitar, but it’s named for its metal slide, and not the material it’s made from. But metalsmith Paul Pinto decided to actually make a guitar out of the weighty metal. Watch as he cuts, welds, forges, and grinds a steel plate into a beautiful chrome-plated instrument. Now how does it sound?

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.

A triple-decker crossbow seems like an odd idea, though we guess it could improve your chances of hitting your target. The video game Hood: Outlaws & Legends features a wrist-mounted version of such a device, and now, thanks to Black Beard Projects we have a working, real-world version of this unusual weapon.

We’ve seen time and again how different collections of metal objects can create some uniquely patterned damascus. Metalsmith Shurap is back with another cool creation which is the result of melting down 190 coins and fusing them together to form a blank for forging a blade.

Because of the need for durability, axe handles are usually made from wood, fiberglass, or metal. But DiesInEveryFilm wanted to incorporate LEGO bricks into his design. The head of his tomahawk and center of the handle are still made from steel, but the LEGO-covered handle really adds a nice splash of color to the design.

Industrial Studio’s build video features the construction of a stand for his workshop’s anvil, and shows off one of the more satisfying methods of joining together steel – using molten hot rivets and an industrial press to smush them into place.

We’ve featured lots of blacksmithing videos over the years, and perhaps we’ve inspired a few of you to try it for yourself. Ryan Ridgway’s book provides step-by-step instructions and photos for 40 projects you can do with basic equipment at home. You’ll also learn about the science and history of blacksmithing along the way.

Watch as a pile of ordinary brass nuts and bolts is transformed into a shiny sculpture of an insect by artist Ross the Random. We weren’t quite sure where he was going at first with the wing piece, but the finished work turned out to be quite amazing.

The beautiful patterns of damascus steel make for some of our favorite tools and knives, and the thicker the tool, the more dramatic the look. In this clip from metalsmith Hassan “Habu” Abu-Izmero, watch as he welds together, forges, and twists multiple layers of steel to create a truly special pair of pliers.

Rather than melting down and reforging the metal from an old sawblade, metalsmith Hassan “Habu” Abu-Izmero wanted to see if he could just cut, grind, and polish the old metal into a new weapon. The transformation from the rusty old blade into machete is impressive. The paracord-wrapped handle looks great too.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, a morning star is one of those ancient weapons that’s basically a spiky metal ball on a stick. It’s definitely not something you’d want to ever encounter on a battlefield. Though this teensy version that Koss Workshop made from a ball bearing and some screws is a little less deadly.

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.

Inspired by old metal toys what were assembled using bent metal tabs, Jimmy Diresta designed and built himself an awesome looking industrial stool. His powerful CNC laser cutter made quick work of cutting 18 gauge cold-rolled steel sheets, then Jimmy worked his magic on the rest with hand tools.

Engineer BrunS takes a momentary break from making epic metal rocketships to build something different – a miniature version of Bender Bending Rodgriguez from Futurama. But it’s clear BrunS’ wife is tired of him spending his days in the machine shop, and keeps interrupting his project. Also, you can buy Bender here.

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

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.

We rather enjoy watching tools being recycled to serve another purpose besides their original use. In this clip from Hassan “Habu” Abu-Izmero, he takes us through the process of transforming an old steel box wrench into a razor-sharp axe.

Ever since seeing The Sword of Exact Zero in The LEGO Movie, swordsmith Michael Cthulhu has contemplated making a larger-than-life X-Acto knife blade. With a sponsor in hand for his video, he finally took the time to make his cutting tool for giants a reality. He’s auctioning it off for charity to help save animals from Australia’s fires.

Metalsmith Shurap shows off yet another unconventional material for creating damascus steel. This time, he took the woven metal of protective chainmaille butcher’s gloves and turned the mesh into a beautifully-patterned blade with a cool blue sheen.

Russian YouTube channel Creative Forging shows off a neat technique for creating an awesome dragon scale patterned handle from a solid bar of steel. The trick involves making a series of 45º cuts into the metal, then heating it in a furnace and twisting it while still pliable.

Artist and builder Uri Tuchman is working on an automaton which will presumably be using some tiny tools. As part of the project, he created this miniature hammer and chisel set, which look just like the real deal after they went through a shrink ray.

As metalsmith Shurap has proven before, you can make damascus from just about any kind of steel hardware. In this clip, he melts down thousands of tiny ball bearings, and transforms them into a uniquely patterned blade. Because of their sheer number, they appear to be one of the more challenging materials to work with.