Category Archives: Sponsorships

Want to see a master at work?

Imagine you received a mystery delivery of steel and copper, and had 24 hours in a blacksmith’s workshop to create something cool. What would you do?

That’s the challenge we set YouTuber, blacksmith and all-round entertainer, Alec Steele. Though Alec being Alec, he said he didn’t need 24 hours to create something awesome as he could do it in just 12!

It turns out he was right.

Check out the video below to see what he made.

If Alec has inspired you to get into blacksmithing, or put your existing skills to use creating a sculpture of your own, metals4U has got you covered.

Visit our blacksmith page for all the tools and supplies you could ever need for your project.

Also, be sure to follow Alec on YouTube to see more amazing creations.

Robot Wars reboots for 2017

And defending champion Apollo is taking no prisoners!

Roboteers stand by, Robot Wars is back on our televisions this year for an explosive second season. Summer 2016 brought the series back with a bang on BBC 2, and we couldn’t get enough. From Razer to Matilda, the starting line-up of house robots brought a real sense of nostalgia to fans of the 90’s show. Along with a remarkably familiar arena we were on the edge of our seats every time we heard the word ‘activate’.

After 53 adrenaline-pumping battles over six shows, it came down to Carbide vs. Apollo. Carbide had wreaked havoc in the arena, managing to take out a steel wall and halt play while engineers repaired it. And Apollo had sent the house robots into orbit with its ‘flipper’ on more than one occasion. It was definitely a battle too close to call even for their biggest fans!

After a tense final battle both robots resisted destruction, even with the roaring fire pit and house robots on the war path! It came down to a vote from the judges. It was a unanimous decision and Apollo was crowned the winner.

Team MAD who built Apollo are now back for more robot blood in season two. The team of three who met at a Pontins holiday camp, are all from a non-engineering background and were thrilled to have ‘flipped’ their way to victory. Excited to come back and defend their title, they will be working hard to finesse their 107 kg creation.

With a name taken from a NASA spacecraft and a flipper that ‘launches’ 100kg robots into the air, it’s not surprising that a lot of metal is needed to keep Apollo looking shipshape. Huge fans of the show, we’re proud to sponsor the team and help Team MAD defend their title. We’ll be providing all the metal needed to bring Apollo back from the brink of destruction promised by the fierce battles ahead. Dave Young and his team mates can’t wait to have us on board:

“We are delighted to be working with Metals4U, the metal that they are supplying us will form the build of a new Apollo for the future. Apollo’s strength has always been strong armour and is one thing that helped us win Robot Wars. Metals4U will be helping us make sure that our future project is as strong as ever!”

Make sure you tune into BBC 2 to catch all the action this season! Plus, keep up with the latest news from camp Apollo and Robot Wars on the Metals4U blog.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park sponsorship

We’re always looking for ways to support initiatives that have a real impact on the community, that’s why we’re proud to announce our new partnership with Yorkshire Sculpture Park. They challenge, inspire and delight 400,000 visitors a year, including 48,000 learning visits. If you want to see metal used in an innovative way, this is the place to go. They’ve won heaps of awards for their beautiful exhibitions set in picturesque Yorkshire – and it’s easy to see why.

Photo courtesy of http://www.ysp.co.uk/

The first project we’ll be supporting will be leading metalwork artist Brian Fell’s workshops this autumn. He’ll be running a two day course at YSP with his colleague Owen Cunningham, presenting metal as a versatile and creative material.

The workshops are designed to meet all levels, attendees will see metals in a variety of shapes, sizes and thicknesses. With sheet steel and steel bars, round and square, there’s plenty of opportunities for participants to gain new skills and grow their creativity.

In his sculptures Brian uses cold forging, where the metal isn’t heated but cut and welded, then shaped with hammers or vices. It makes for beautifully intricate detailing and intriguing shapes. During the course, Brian will share his extensive knowledge on the history of sculpture and techniques in cold and furnace forging. There’ll also be a demonstration of tools, machines and what they can achieve.

Metals4U’s Wetherby branch will be supplying all the metal for these workshops and look forward to seeing the creations that come out of it. To hear more about what’s on at YSP including this workshop, keep your eye on the website: http://www.ysp.co.uk/whats-on/this-season

Go for gold Stephen!

There’s excitement in the air here at Metals4U! The William Hill World Darts Championship is finally here and everyone’s rooting for our new sponsorship Stephen Bunting in his upcoming match. The nail biting darts competition will start on the 17th December, with the winner being announced 3rd January. The action starts at Alexandra Palace, London and will be airing on the Sky Sports Darts channel.

It seems we’re not the only ones backing Stephen to top the charts in the competition this year. St. Helen’s legend, comedian Johnny Vegas was on hand to give him a pep talk to show his support and we couldn’t agree more:

“If I see you a year from now and you’re not holding a trophy, we’re going to fall out. None of that ‘oh it wasn’t my day’- make it your day. I know what you’re capable of.”

Give the full speech a watch here.

We’re very proud to sponsor up and coming player Stephen Bunting and will be supporting him all the way to the final. A huge good luck from all here at Metals4U!

Watch our interview with Stephen below:

To mark the occasion we’re also launching a competition where one lucky fan will be walking away with a waterproof Dickies Parka coat. Perfect for the winter months ahead.

All you have to do to win is retweet this post and follow @Metals4U and @SBunting180. You’ve got to be in it to win it, remember the competition closes 21stDecember.

Competition winner will be chosen at Metals4U’s discretion.

We’ve hit the bull’s eye with our new partnership.

Here at Metals4U, apart from metal of course, there’s nothing we love more than a day at the darts. So when we were looking for someone to sponsor it was clear to us who to target! We’re very happy to announce our new partnership with up and coming darts player Stephen Bunting.

A family guy from Liverpool, this English darts player is one to watch. He’s quickly grown into a tour favourite and is described by some as a rising star. Nick named ‘The Bullet’ he always hits his target and has the trophies to prove it!

Winner of the British Teenage Open and the World Youth Masters at the age of just 15, he’s now competing in tournaments worldwide against some of the best in the business. Most recently he’s added World Masters Winner 2012, England Open Winner 2013, Mariflex Open Winner 2013 and UK Open Qualifier Winner 2014 to his extensive list of achievements in the darts world.

We couldn’t wait to get him in the Metals4U store and give him a taste of who we are and what we stand for. A great day for all involved. We also had a special surprise for Stephen, we introduced him to his Metals4U doppelganger Shane! Take a look at the photo we snapped of the two stood side by side!

He’s very well respected in the world of darts and by those here at Metal’s4U. Many have tipped him to win the World Championship in the next few years and we’re proud to say we will be there to support him all the way!

Metal’s 4 U Sponsered Seven Club’s Shoe-Box Racing Night

The Pre-war Austin Seven Club’s Shoe-Box Racing Night was a great success. With a fantastic turnout of 52 spectators, coupled with new awards to make 2013’s event a vintage year. The Metals4u Novelty Award was won by Terry Johnson for the Penelope Pitstop Limo.

The technical award went to Stewart Ulph for Brooklands Blown, with the Concours d’Elegance going to Christine Duggleby for Chris’s Cracker. The Main Event was won by Cliff Ringrose with Cliff’s Hanger after a gruelling four runs. The PWA7 Club is delighted with the success of the evening and would like to thank all who attended. You can follow all the activities of the PWA7 club here.