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Mindaugas Balčiauskas

This Group Shares Cool Metalworking Projects, Here Are The 50 Best Ones

copper

In the (mostly) digital age, it’s good to actually have the sort of hobby where one’s hands get to do something. Knitting and making sourdough have both made major comebacks, and folks who want to do something more involved these days can find carpentry and pottery workshops all around. But if you really want to get inspired by something properly hard to get into, look no further.

The “Metalworking” internet group is a heaven for people who indulge in that particular creative hobby. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments down below.

#1 Wire Girl. Was Suggested To Post Here As It Might Be Appreciated. Hope It's Allowed

#2 She Didn’t Want A Boring Gate And Wanted The Dogs To Be Able To Look Out

#3 I Wanna Share This Vulture Sculpture That I Welded Together With Some Broken Typewriters And Scrap Metal

Hi guys! My name is Ricky im a metal sculptor that uses epursosed metal to create art. I want to share with you guys this vulture that I welded together using some vintage broken typewriter parts along with an old calculating machine and some other scrap metal. put over 80 hours into thiS piece and im pretty pleased with the way it came out. What do you guys think? lts also now available to purchase for those interested.

Imagine a world where your most advanced piece of technology is a particularly sharp rock tied to a sturdy stick. It sounds like a minimalist dream until you actually have to cut anything or protect your campfire from a hungry bear. This was the reality for our ancestors for a very long time until they stumbled upon the shiny, heavy, and strangely malleable substances we call metals.

The history of metalworking is essentially the story of how humans stopped hitting things with rocks and started melting the world down to reshape it into something better. It all began about eleven thousand years ago when people in the Middle East discovered that certain rocks could be hammered into shapes without breaking.

#4 Infinity Cube With Glass Top

#5 My Half-Meter Wire Tree On A Glass Crystal

#6 Your Typical 55ft Replica Of Drogon

"My version of Drogon. Heat treated steel, 55ft long , two years working with my wife to build. His tail is too big for my shop so I won't see it installed till it arrives at his forever home.
Shoots fire and is heading to a private home in Utah soon..."

These were native metals like gold and copper which often appeared in their pure forms right on the surface of the earth. Early humans likely looked at a lump of copper and thought it was just a pretty stone until someone realized that hitting it didn't shatter it but rather flattened it out. This era of cold hammering was the very first step in a journey that would eventually lead us to the stars.

#7 Recent Mailbox Project

#8 My Polygonal Shapes Made Of 1.5 Mm Sheet Metal

#9 All Metal T-Rex Skeleton I Finished A Few Months Back. Over 500 Hours Sunk Into This Bad Boy, But It Made For A Quarantine Project!

Eventually, someone probably dropped a copper ornament into a particularly hot fire and noticed that it didn't just get hot but actually turned into a glowing liquid. This was the birth of smelting, which is the process of extracting metal from ore using heat. This discovery kicked off the Copper Age, where humans began creating more intricate tools and jewelry.

#10 Stainless Steel Laser Cut Nautilus, By Wim Delvoye

#11 I Made The Mandalorian Mask Out Of A Cap Nut

#12 Just Finished This Gate

However, copper is a bit of a softie in the metal world. It is great for looking fancy but not so great for heavy duty work like chopping down trees or plowing fields. The real breakthrough came around five thousand years ago when ancient smiths realized that if you mix copper with a bit of tin, you get something much tougher called bronze. This mixture is what scientists call an alloy, and it was the ultimate upgrade for human civilization. The Bronze Age allowed for the creation of durable armor, sharp swords, and reliable farming equipment. It was such a massive leap forward that it helped fuel the rise of the great empires in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China.

#13 I Made This Elvish Lantern As Graduation Project For My Apprenticeship In Creative Metalwork (Swipe For Lots Of Wip Pictures). Cast Bronze Body, Forged Steel Hanger. Enjoy!

#14 Forest Animals Made Of Metal

#15 Gorilla (Finished)

While bronze was the king of the hill for a long time, it had one major flaw because tin is actually quite rare and hard to find. This led people to experiment with a much more common but far more stubborn metal known as iron. The problem with iron is that it has a much higher melting point than copper.

#16 My First Metal Rose, Its For A Girl I Like (My Neighbour)

#17 Made This Raven Using And Old Typewriter

#18 Lord Of The Rings Shadow Of War Inspired Hammer I Made

To work with it, early blacksmiths had to invent better furnaces and bellows to pump in enough oxygen to get the fires roaring hot. The Iron Age began in earnest around twelve hundred years before the common era, and it completely changed the social landscape. Since iron ore was everywhere, almost any culture could learn to produce their own tools and weapons without relying on expensive trade routes for tin. This democratization of metal meant that better tools were available to the masses, leading to a massive boom in agriculture and construction.

#19 ‘No Escape’ - One Of My Proudest Builds

I made this sculpture last year, called No Escape. It shows an eagle swooping down on a hare frozen mid-flight.

The piece is about 1.5× life size and it's mainly built from corten steel. It took me roughly 2.5 months to finish. Every feather was hand-cut with a plasma and welded into place. Probably the most challenging piece I have made so far but also one of the most satisfying.

Photo by Jase Hancox.

#20 Another Sculpture Post

#21 My First Job In Metal, I Tried To Make The Wolf's Head

As the centuries passed, blacksmiths became the wizards of their time by learning how to refine iron even further. By adding just the right amount of carbon from charcoal, they created steel, which is stronger and more flexible than plain iron. For a long time, making high quality steel was a slow and artistic process that produced legendary items like Damascus blades and Samurai swords.

#22 My Chess Set

#23 Hello! I Spent The Past 2 Days Making A Metal Breastplate For A Cosplay Of Sansa From Game Of Thrones. Hope You Like!

#24 Monopoly Man Finished!

Everything changed during the middle of the nineteenth century when a man named Henry Bessemer figured out how to make steel in huge quantities by blowing air through molten iron. The Bessemer process turned steel from a luxury item into the backbone of the modern world. It gave us the ability to build massive railroads, giant steamships, and the towering skyscrapers that define our cities today.

#25 My Scratch Built Aluminum Roadster Pickup

#26 A Little Hand Forged Isopod I Just Finished Up. I'm Quite Pleased With Him

#27 Scrap Bin Chicken

In our current era, metalworking has gone high tech with the help of computers and advanced chemistry. We are no longer limited to what a person can do with a hammer and an anvil. We now use lasers to cut through thick plates of titanium and three dimensional printers to grow metal parts layer by layer for jet engines and medical implants.

#28 Gift For A Co-Worker Who’s Leaving The Shop To Pursue Her Passion For Architecture. My Partner And I Spent 4 Sleepless Nights On This. Some Very Finicky Brass Work On This One, Folks…

#29 It's My First But I Wanna Make More. 350 Hours Of Work, Made Of Brass, Steel, Copper And Glass. Most Parts Are Selfmade. One Regular Leg Is Made Of 30 Parts

Most parts are selfmade. One regular leg is made of 30 parts. Must be way over 600 parts all together. And nope, it's not moving.

#30 I Started Metal Casting During Covid. It Took Many Months, But I Finally Made Something For Myself That I'm Extremely Proud Of!

Modern additive manufacturing allows us to create complex shapes that would have been impossible for even the most skilled ancient blacksmith to imagine. We have come a long way from poking at copper nuggets in the dirt. Today, we are even exploring the possibility of mining metals from asteroids to ensure we have enough material to keep building our future. The journey of metalworking is far from over, and as long as we have a curious mind and a hot enough fire, we will keep finding new ways to shape the world around us.

#31 Got This Diver Done Today

#32 A Foraging Mini Scythe I Made For My Wife!

#33 Quickly Made This For Valentine's Day Even Tho I Had Nobody To Give It To

#34 Monument For Miners Who Passed Away On The Job

#35 My Most Recent Gate

#36 My “Havasu Dancer” Stands 6’ Tall And Is Made From Steel And Stone

#37 Just Sharing This Horse Head That I Made Using Scrap Metal :)

Just finished this commissioned horse head for a client. I really enjoy taking my time with these and trying to get all the pieces to fit together like a puzzle. Takes alot of time but definitely worth it. I would love to make more of these if theres anyone interested, feel free to message me for a custom piece! I make them entirely out of repurposed metal such as scrap metal, automotive parts/tools and random metal pieces that I find. Check out my other work on Instagram @rdurancreations.

#38 I’ve Been Making Steel Fish

(Me for size reference) I’ve been at this for almost a year now. Using mostly 16g scrap sheet and cutting almost everything out by hand, I’ve made a trout CAD drawing to make those ones a bit easier/faster. They all have two brackets welded on the back for easy hanging. I love texturizing with MIG and hand hammering with a ball peen hammer that I rehandled myself(,: I have some of my work posted on my other socials @/mermetals. I put a lot of love into this and am so passionate about these silly little guys. Please comment fish recommendations for my next pieces!

#39 My 6’ Long Dragon Made Of Steel, Stone, And Glass

Titled “Kur” (6’x4’x4.5’). This dragon was one of those projects in which I really wanted to push myself by implementing the three mediums I had gotten proficient at. I had just figured out how to program my Cnc so I made it cut 1500 scales out of 14 gauge steel. I had just learned stained glass and these wings were my second glass projects. If you notice, the panes of glass have an organic curve, which was not easy to accomplish in glass. The face, feet, and tail were made welding 1/8” solid round together to get the texture.

#40 My “Majestic Moose” Made From Nickel Plated Street And Mexican Beach Rock

#41 Tank I Built From Scratch Pretty Much Finished

Maybe few more days of small detail stuff. I think it’s around 5-6 tons. Thought you guys would enjoy it!

#42 Some Art Work If You All Are Into That

#43 Client Wanted A Door

We were hired to build a client 4 sets of stairs for his cottage. We got to talking about the building and the idea of a vault door to secure his keg room and antique fire arms came up. Not something we ever built, but fully in the realm of our skill set. End result was pretty awesome. It s awfully functional vault door built fully out of 1/4" plate. It has a smart lock and also serves as a panic room door.

The finish is a clear industrial wax over washed raw hit rolled plate. The rods are polished and brushed stainless and hide the latching system. The whole thing weighs 500lbs.

We had to build a custom door frame that attaches directly to the concrete ICF foundation. It's located in clients basement bar, when it slams, you hear it down the road.

#44 Birthday Present

Made this for my girlfriend's son for his birthday. Just went through the hardware bins and picked out random options. The brass hemispheres have a 1/4-20 hole on the flat side. Random drops of locktite and a couple of the bigger nuts were put on with an impact. Took him about 2 hours to get it apart with hand tools.