Custom Projects

We love doing one-off, custom projects for our customers!  Need something prototyped, or maybe just one or two pieces?  How about a copy of a part that is no longer available?  Custom machining service can often be prohibitively expensive to have just one or two parts made, but we enjoy providing this service to our customers at a reasonable price.  We are also happy to customize any of our existing products for you for little to no charge depending on the changes - just get in contact with us!

Here is some of the custom work we've done:

• Custom Brass Boy Scout Ash Container
• Custom 4" Brass Coaster
• Vintage Boat Motor Cutaway Wall Hanging
• Replica Plutonium Canister from Spiderman 2
• EDTA Vampire Darts from 'Blade' & Vampire Spikes
• Replica Eagle Model 66 Oil Cans
• Luke SkyWalker Light Saber Prop Replica
• Anakin SkyWalker Grappling Hook Prop Replica
• PLO Light Saber Prop Replica
• .50 Caliber Mini Cannon
• Custom Cigar Tube
• Custom Cigar Stands
• Custom Cigar Punch
• Steam Engine
• Grappling Hooks
• Match Tubes
• AR-15 Forward Assist
• Gyroscope
• Wall Bracket Stand-offs for Artwork
• Aged Brass Pill Fob
• Replacement Brass Mirror Mounting Bracket
• Ferro Rod Holder
• Stainless Steel Canteen Cap
• 3-Gimble Desktop Gyroscope
• Custom Tap and Die set
• Custom non-marring hammer
• Custom Brass Faucet Trim
• Brass Stair Rail Support Brackets
• .22LR Suppressor Build
• 9mm Supressor Build
• Replacement Vintage Lamp Mounts
• Replacement Vintage Chainsaw Cap
• Jurassic Park Cryo Can Prop Parts
• Brass Container
• Indian Scout Handlebar Ends
• Indian Scout Shifter and Brake Pedal
• Custom File Handle
• Custom Marlin Spikes
• Custom Titanium Bolt Knob
• Popcorn machine bushing
• Wheel Hub Spacers
• Copper Back Scratcher
• Brass Bottle Opener
• Custom Precision Oiler
• Pipe Tampers
• Fan Hub Repair
• Cocktail Smoker
• Copper Socket Driver
• Fidget Spinner Buttons
• Boba Fett Rocket
• Paracord Mandrel

Custom Brass Boy Scout Ash Container

This was a really cool project for a group of Boy Scouts that wanted a custom container to store a little bit of ash from each of their camp fires. The inner container holds the ash, and there is space around it inside the outer container to hold a scroll of paper listing each campfire, the date and location. Very cool idea.

Custom 4" Brass Coaster

Did this awesome 4" diameter brass coaster for a customer.

Vintage Boat Motor Cutaway Wall Hanging

We were contacted by a local company to do a custom piece of artwork for them by taking an old vintage outboard motor and cutting parts of it away so you can see the inner workings.  it was then mounted to a custom backer board and a frame was also made in the shop.  Turned out really cool!

 

EDTA Vampire Darts from 'Blade' & Vampire Spikes

These are replica 'vampire' darts as seen in the movie 'Blade' being used by Wesley Snipes. We also did some replica Vampire Spikes from the movie as well.

Replica Plutonium Canister from Spiderman 2

This is an awesome replica of the Oscorp Plutonium Canister as seen in the movie Spiderman 2!

 

Replica Eagle Model 66 Oil Cans

We grew tired of using the cheap "Made in China" oil cans around the shop, so we made up some replicas of the Eagle Model 66 oil cans to use!  Not only are they very functional, but they look great as well.  We made a couple extras and put them up for sale here https://www.butterfield-machine.com/collections/stuff-for-the-shop/products/eagle-66-replica-oil-cans

 

Luke SkyWalker Light Saber Prop Replica

This was done for Chris' son's 6th birthday and is a replica of Luke Skywalker's light saber in Return of the Jedi.  It is made from 6061 aluminum and 360 brass and is comprised of 9 separate pieces.

 

 

Anakin SkyWalker Grappling Hook Prop Replica

This was done for a customer re-creating a complete costume replica of Anakin Skywalker. The grappling hook was only shown in 1 scene, so the reference material was very limited. It turned out really cool though!  The 'hooks' were designed to be spring loaded to extend automatically.

 

 

PLO Light Saber Prop Replica

This was done for a customer down in Australia, and is machined from 14 separate pieces of 6061 aluminum.

 

.50 Caliber Mini Cannon

This was a custom project done for one of team, who is also a firearms enthusiast.  The wooden carriage ended up taking way longer to do than the actual cannon did.  It does fire using black powder and a .50 cal musket ball, and yes, it is LOUD!  It punched a clean hole in .750" pine with no problem.  The cannon is made from 1045 steel, the trunion caps from 6061 aluminum, and the carriage from oak.

 

Custom Cigar Tube

We did a couple of these cigar tubes as gifts for friends.  Both have cedar wood lined 6061 aluminum bodies with o-ring sealed brass end caps.  We put a humidifier in one end cap to keep that Cohiba on point!  One we did with a black anodized body and aged the end caps for an awesome look.

 

Custom Cigar Stands

We've done a number of custom cigar stands in both brass and copper for customers.

 

Custom Cigar Punch

A customer wanted our cigar punch done in copper with a stainless steel cutting edge.

 

Steam Engine

This was done as a small project, just for fun.  Every piece was handmade was built over the course of many months in spare time, and is a work in progress.  It currently runs on compressed air, but we'd like to build a small boiler and see it actually run on steam.  We'd also like to build some small glass bubble oilers to keep everything lubricated.  It's pretty cool to hook it up to the air hose and watch it go - sounds neat too!  This engine was made from 1045 steel, 303 stainless steel, 360 brass, bronze, and 6061 aluminum and copper.  All parts except for some of the fasteners were all hand-machined.

 

Grappling Hooks

These grappling hooks are a fun project to do, and they are actually quite functional to have around in your camping gear, go bag, etc.  We made a number of these for a school project for a friend's son.  They are made from 7075 aluminum, with stainless steel 'hooks'.  The hooks are removable and can be stored inside the body.  The last pictures are of a custom hook we did for a customer from stainless steel.

 

 

This hook was done custom for a customer from stainless steel.

 

Match Tubes

We turned up a couple of these waterproof match tubes with a compass in the lid and some striker paper on the bottom of the lid.  Made from 1.25" diameter 6061 aluminum.  Did another custom matched set of a fire piston and match tube, made with aged brass end caps, and another custom project for family Christmas presents, with each tube's cap personalized.

 

 

AR-15 Forward Assist

When shooting an AR-15 with a suppressor, your can often times end up with a face full of gas, due to the extra gas pressure the suppressor causes.  We made this replacement for the forward assist button in order to vent the excess gas away from the shooter's face.  It turned out pretty good and it does work, although the function of the forward assist is lost.  Made from 1018 steel, and then blackened to prevent corrosion and rust.  A groove for an o-ring was also added to seal it and force the gas through the vent hole.

 

Gyroscope

These are just fun!

 

Wall Bracket Stand-offs for Artwork

These were made custom for a local guy the next town over from us.  His wife wanted a nice way to display some artwork in their home, and he came up with the CAD design and we built them.  We made 3 sets, 6 total brackets. These are made from 6061 aluminum and then black anodized with brass set screws to secure the artwork.

 

Aged Brass Pill Fob

Several customers have wanted a little aged brass container to carry their medication in, so we've turned up a few cool little pill fobs and aged them a bit.  We also did a much larger pill container out of stainless steel in a 'bomb' style that is really cool!  Looks great!

 

Replacement Brass Mirror Mounting Bracket

A customer lost two mounting brackets during a move for their mirrors.  They were able to provide some pictures of the mirror, and we were able to replicate the mounting brackets for them.

 

Ferro Rod Holder

A customer had a large ferro rod and wanted an aluminum holder for it.  He drew up the design, and we machined it for him from 6061 aluminum and a small bit of brass for the pin.

 

Stainless Steel Canteen Cap

A custom had a canteen with a plastic cap that they wanted replaced with a nice Stainless Steel cap.  Turned out really sweet!

3-Gimble Desktop Gyroscope

A customer was interested in a larger desktop gyroscope with 3 gimbles.  We made 3 of these, and they are super cool!  We have one more of these posted for sale here:  https://www.butterfield-machine.com/collections/accessories-for-men/products/3-gimble-desktop-gyroscope

 

Custom Tap and Die set

A lathe is a fantastic tool, and it gives you the ability to cut basically any thread onto any diameter material.  However, it is a bit time consuming and takes some set-up, so where possible to is quicker and less error-prone to use a tap and die.  However, some threads you need to cut do not correspond to a standard tap and die size, so it can be necessary to make your own.  These are for 24 -.854" threads, and are made from O1 tool steel that was hardened.  They cut beautiful threads!

 

Custom non-marring hammer

We have several cheap non-marring hammers for various uses around the show, but cheap just feels cheap, and so we turned up a very nice custom non-marring hammer with replaceable tips.  Shown here with copper, brass and plastic tips.

 

Custom Brass Faucet Trim

We had a customer who had their bathroom faucets improperly installed such that there was a 5/8" gap between the back of the trim piece to the wall.  So we turned up some brass 'spacers' for them.

 

Brass Stair Rail Support Brackets

A customer in New York has four flights of stairs in their home and they needed some support brackets to mount to the railings to give them some support.  Easy enough, except that they need to have a 42 degree twist in them, which made it a little more interesting to build.  We made these up from 385 architectural brass, buffed and polished them, and they turned out great!  We are eagerly awaiting some pics of them installed.

 

.22LR Suppressor Build

Suppressors/silencers are expensive, and are a really fun project, that is both challenging and very effective if done right.  .22 caliber rifles are incredibly quite when using a suppressor in conjunction with sub-sonic ammunition - a pellet gun is louder!  Note that this was done completely legally, after having a stamped NFA Form 1.

 

9mm Suppressor Build

Suppressors/silencers are expensive, and are a really fun project, that is both challenging and very effective if done right.  A suppressor for a semi-automatic has an added challenge in that it needs to incorporate what is called a 'booster', which helps to ensure that the pistol can properly cycle.  The booster is a spring loaded device that allows the suppressor to move independently of the pistol barrel and slide, which prevents the suppressor from over-dampening the action and causing it to malfunction.  Note that this was done completely legally, after having a stamped NFA Form 1.

 

Replacement Vintage Lamp Mounts

We had a customer that had a number of old vintage lamps that were missing some of the mounts.  He sent in one of the originals and we made 4 copies and had them black anodized to match.

Replacement Vintage Chainsaw Cap

A customer had a vintage chainsaw with two caps, one of which is missing and not available anywhere from a supplier. We turned up an aluminum replacement to get him back up and cutting!

Jurassic Park Cryo Can Prop Parts

A prop maker in Australia is working on a replica of the famous shaving cream canister used to smuggle Dino DNA out of Jurassic Park. We were able to make a few of the pieces for them using 6061 aluminum.

Brass Container with a swivel lid

Fun one-off project. Brass container with swivel lid. Has a blued stainless steel screw, and a silicon nitride ball detent. 2" diameter brass, and nice and heavy.  We also ended up ding a custom 4" version for a customer as well!

4" version:

Aluminum Handlebar Ends for an Indian Scout

The throttle-side grip on this bike had been torn, so we turned up a custom set of handlebar ends out of 6061 aluminum to insert into the end of the bar. These were polished and really look great on the bike.

Aluminum brake pedal and shifter for an Indian Scout

In addition to the bar ends, we turned a new brake pedal and shifter out of 7075 aluminum for the bike.  The brake pedal was bent, so this was a much needed replacement, and looks great too.  The shift lever was also worn at the pivot point and had quite a lot of slop in it.  We removed the entire lever, bored out the cast aluminum and then machined a stainless steel sleeve to insert into the lever which is a really nice fit on the pivot pin, which eliminated virtually all the slop in the lever.  Has a really nice positive feel when shifting after this modification.

 

 

Custom File Handle

This was just a quick project for use here in the shop. We just had a need for a new file handle, and wanted a nice piece, so this was turned from 6061 aluminum and 360 brass. Came our looking really sharp!

 

Custom Marlin Spikes

We offer marlin spikes/fids in titanium, brass, copper and bronze. Occasionally we get a request to customized a spike, or do a completely unique design. Here are a few pics of some custom spikes that we have done.

 

 

Custom Titanium Bolt Knob

This was a custom bolt knob made for a Savage Model 10 mounted to a titanium bolt handle from Tactical Works.

 

Popcorn Machine Bushing

This was a quick project for a local customer to get his popcorn machine back up and running. The original bushing was poorly made and very worn, so we replaced it with a much better copy done in stainless steel.

 

Wheel Hub Spacers

This was a quick project for a local customer to machine some custom steel wheel hub spacers for a home project.

 

Copper Back Scratchers

This was done for a customer that really likes copper and wanted a pair of solid copper back scratchers.

 

Brass Bottle Opener

These were done custom for some Christmas gifts. They are a fairly simple design, but turned out with a great 'rustic' look to them once the brass was aged.

 

Custom Precision Oiler

We had a customer reach out regarding our Precision Oilers, and he wanted one done that he could keep in his range bag. We machined this one to look like a 30-06 cartridge.

 

Pipe Tampers

This customer reached out to have a couple custom pipe tampers machined from brass.

 

Fan Hub Repair

This was done for a local customer to repair the hub that mounts the fan blades to the motor. We ended up machining an complete new hub to get him back up and running.

Cocktail Smoker

Did two of these as gifts for a customer for Christmas.  These are done from 4" 6061 aluminum and are used to hold wood chips inside and place over a cocktail glass.  A torch/lighter is then used to burn the chips to create smoke inside of the glass.

 

Copper Socket Driver

Did this custom 1" copper piece for a customer to use as a fidget toy on the end of a 1/4" socket driver.  The customer sent back a couple of images as well.

Fidget Spinner Buttons

We've done quite a number of custom fidget spinner buttons with coins pressed into them over the years. Here are a couple of examples, with the original buttons above the spinners.

Boba Fett Rocket

Prop replica piece of Boba Fett's rocket from Star Wars.

Paracord Mandrel

A customer that makes various items using paracord wanted some custom mandrels made out of delrin...this wans a cool project but an awful lot of 6-32 screw holes to drill and tap!