The John P Metal Art Blog

This is my new personal carry knife. The blade is constructed of 200+ layers of 1084, high carbon steel, and 15N20, which has high nickel content. It is a random pattern Damascus with a special twisted ladder pattern applied. As you can see, it was ground to ensure that the pattern creates a wave along the blade edge. The blade has been differentially hardened and the edge should be in the Rockwell C area of 57-58.

The guard is made of nickel silver, and the handle is stabilized maple. Everything was hand sanded to a 600 grit finish and then buffed.

This tree measures aprox. 32″w x 33″h and “floats” about 2-3″ from the wall it is mounted on, allowing it to have a nice little shadow where it is hung. It requires only one nail to hang it, and the hanger is centered such that the tree is balanced in a vertical position on the wall without needing constant straightening.

The tree trunk was hand cut from mild steel using a Plasma torch, and then every square inch of the surface was welded utilizing a technique I developed that mimics natural bark texture (looks much better in person). The leaves were hand cut from stainless steel sheet and then texture ground in a manner that reflects light in random patterns. As you move in front of the tree, the light dances around from place to place.

I’ve named my newest collection of metal animals the Plasmites after the plasma cutting process used to create them. Follow along to see closeups of each of the pieces in this collection.

 

This piece of modern, geometric sculpture was essentially a study in several techniques for me. Created out of 2″ x 2″ tubular steel, and standing about 5′ tall, this sculpture was cut and welded together in such a way that there are no visible weld marks. It was designed so that when viewed up close one would wonder how in the world it was put together. Additionally, the entire surface of this piece was texture ground to reflect light in all different directions, using a different grinding technique for each of the three main sections.

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Each of the ten roses in this bouquet was hand made using a variety of metalworking processes. The rose petals were initially cut out with an Oxygen /Acetylene torch (blowtorch). Each petal was then welded together utilizing the MIG welding process. The petals were then individually bent by hand into the completed shape. Leaves were individually cut using the Plasma cutting process, and finally stems and leaves were welded together via the TIG welding process. We then searched painstakingly for the correct vase to showcase the bouquet and added some rocks and “fake water” (acrylic resin) to complete the look.

This piece is my personal favorite. It might not look like it, but these roses took a long, long time to create. To cap it all off, I used a super secret process to give these roses a semi-permanent “rose smell”. And no I didn’t just spray them with perfume or rub some roses on them or anything… Oh yeah, and lest I forget, these were also made from 100% scrap metals.