Questions about your order, materials, or the process — we're here to help.
6061-T6 aluminum and C36000 free-cutting brass. Every piece is CNC-machined from a single billet.
Three finishes are available for both aluminum and brass. Raw machined leaves a subtle texture from the cutting process — faint patterns that catch the light. Sandblasted has a uniform matte surface, similar to the finish on a silver MacBook Pro. Polished is buffed to a mirror-like reflective surface that shows terrain contours through light and reflection rather than texture.
Aluminum develops a thin protective oxide naturally and stays stable. Brass will slowly patina — darkening and warming in tone over months. Some people love this; if you prefer the original look, an occasional wipe with brass polish restores it. We don’t apply lacquer coatings so the metal stays honest.
Metal holds tolerances that wood can’t. Fine ridgelines, narrow saddles, subtle drainages: these need a material without grain variation. Wood also warps and cracks over time. If you still want wood or another material, we can do custom orders at a premium.
Weight varies with size, material, base height, and the geography itself — a steep peak has more material than a gentle slope. Assuming an average total height of 35 mm (maximum is 125 mm for all sizes): a 75 mm aluminum piece is around 200 g (a smartphone), 125 mm is around 550 g (a hardcover book), and 175 mm is around 1.1 kg (a bottle of water). Brass is about three times heavier at each size — a 175 mm brass piece comes in around 3.4 kg.
Aluminum is low-maintenance — wipe with a soft cloth if dusty. Brass will develop a natural patina over time; if you prefer the original finish, a gentle brass polish restores it. All pieces are uncoated so the metal stays honest. Not food-safe and not intended as drinkware.
Three sizes: 75 mm, 125 mm, and 175 mm, in circle or square. Maximum total height is 125 mm for all sizes. Same terrain, different scales.
We use the highest-resolution satellite elevation data available for each region. The production model for your piece goes through additional processing beyond what’s shown in the 3D preview — optimized for the specific geometry and scale of your order.
Yes. Coastlines, canyons, river valleys, craters, your own backyard. If satellites have measured it, we can machine it.
Flat terrain can still look beautiful — river deltas, coastlines, and subtle valleys all have character at the right scale. The vertical exaggeration slider in the configurator helps emphasize gentle relief. That said, if your area is truly featureless, a smaller coverage area at higher scale will usually find something interesting nearby.
Smaller scales (1:10K–1:25K) capture fine detail — individual ridges, gullies, trail switchbacks. Larger scales (1:100K–1:500K) show the big picture — entire mountain ranges, coastlines, volcanic chains. The configurator lets you preview both in real time. For a single peak or valley, start around 1:50K. For a region, try 1:200K.
Yes. Add text to the side wall: coordinates, names, dates, whatever you like. Three typefaces available (sans, serif, mono).
Every piece includes a laser-engraved topo map on the underside: contour lines derived from the same elevation data as the terrain, a north arrow and centermark for orientation, and the coordinates, material, scale, and mountains.art branding around the perimeter. You can see this in the configurator by rotating the 3D preview to view the bottom face.
Yes. The configurator generates a full 3D preview from real satellite elevation data — the same data we use to machine your piece. Rotate, zoom, adjust exaggeration, try different sizes and finishes before you commit. What you see is what gets machined.
Most pieces ship within 4–6 weeks.
You can cancel within 48 hours of placing your order for a full refund. After that, your piece enters production and cannot be cancelled. For modifications, contact us as soon as possible and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
We spent a while getting shipping right. Every order is rated by weight and region — no flat-rate markup. Our order processor calculates the exact cost at checkout based on what you're ordering and where it's going, and multi-piece orders are packed together to keep costs down. Every shipment includes tracking and insurance.
| Region | Covers | First kg | Each add'l kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | United States | $12 | +$4.50 |
| Canada | Canada | $25 | +$10 |
| International | Europe, UK, AU, NZ, Japan | $48 | +$14 |
| International | Rest of world | $55 | +$16 |
All orders ship from our workshop in Arizona.
Each piece ships in a miniature pine crate with perforated paper packaging inside. The crate is solid and built to protect — it may arrive with its own scuffs and marks from the journey, which is part of the charm.
Because every piece is custom-machined to order, we generally don’t accept returns and can’t cancel an order once production begins. Each piece is a solid block of metal, ships in a wooden crate, and is photographed before leaving our shop. If something isn’t right, contact us within 14 days and we’ll work with you to resolve it, whether that’s a replacement or a refund.
You’ll get email updates when your design is finalized, when machining is complete, and when it ships.
Yes. We do bulk orders for corporate gifts, events, and retail. For unusual sizes, materials, or configurations, reach out and we’ll see what we can do.