Jonathan's Creations

Artisan Jonathan Ward has applied his extraordinary talents and creativity at Conant Metal & Light for more than 18 years. Always one to think outside the box, Jonathan loves to create elaborate, sometimes bizarre contraptions out of common (and not so common) metal objects. Take his treasured Ray Gun, for example:

"It all began when I found a shoulder brace from an old hand drill, which became the stock, and it went from there," he explains matter-of-factly. The trigger guard, a piece from a grand piano, was rescued from a metal dumpster, and the laser-gun setup came from a laser pen. Assorted brass components, including an old hose nozzle, complete the look, although Jonathan insists that the actual materials used are "Antarian steel,' which is three times stronger than Earth steel; "culna," which is similar to brass but 10 times harder and doesn't conduct electricity; and white "chaminite" chips, which "work similar to a magnifying glass, except they magnify energy instead of light." The weapon was found at a crash site in Vermont and was the only surviving part of the wreckage, he adds. (Ahem.)

Jonathan's ray gun isn't the only weapon of mass destruction in his fantasy arsenal, however. He's also devised what he calls a "Torsion Compound Balista," which features a 5 inch long by 5 inch wide and 3 inch tall "siege engine" using 180 lb. test cable for a bow string that will launch 3" tipped arrows about 150 feet at full elevation, or about 22". The bow strings are good for about 100 shots, after which they snap in two, says he.