PROSPECT HILL FORGE offers several types of classes:

• Survey classes, intended for people curious about blacksmithing.
• Basic classes, in which the student learns a number of techniques and makes an object to take home.
• Specialty classes, in which the focus is on a special technique or the making of a particular of object.
• Supervised shop time, in which a student who has already taken one of our basic classes can work on whatever they wish. There will be a teacher present to assist.
• Monitored shop time, in which a student who has already taken one of our basic classes can work on whatever they wish. The monitor will be present solely to assure shop safety.

We have four coal forges, so in general there will be a maximum of four students at a time.

Classes will be offered as intensive all-day or weekend workshops, single-evening classes, multi-evening classes (once, or more than once a week), semester long once-a-week classes, and daytime classes.

(The titles and descriptions on this page are largely proposals for classes that seem like good ideas, to see what we actually have scheduled, visit the Calendar page.)

Some examples:

A Taste of Blacksmithing
A single two hour session designed to whet the appetite, and show just how much more there is to learn. The student will produce an object they can take home and use.  Basic safety will be covered.
No prior experience necessary.  
Offered evenings and by appointment.

Rudiments of Blacksmithing
A four week course meeting once a week in two hour sessions covering safety, fire management,  and enough basic techniques (drawing,  bending,  cutting, twisting, punching, riveting) to get through many of our project classes.
No prior experience necessary.
Offered evenings and days or as an intensive full-day session on a weekend
Prerequisite to most, but not all, other courses.
Missed classes may be made up by appointment for an additional fee.

Basic Smithing
A 12 week course meeting once a week in two hour sessions that will cover safety, fire management, and the basic traditional techniques used by a lone blacksmith (drawing, upsetting, bending, fullering, cutting, twisting, punching, riveting, filing, welding). The course is designed to enable the student to explore smithing on their own. Intended for beginners willing to commit some real time to learning to forge iron.  
No previous experience necessary.
Offered evenings and days
Prerequisite to many, but not all, other courses.
Missed classes may be made up by appointment for an additional fee.

Candle holders I, II, III...
Mostly single session classes intended to produce one of some particular style of candlestick, candelabra, wall sconce...
Prerequisite: Basic Smithing for some, Rudiments for others
Offered day or evening as demand suggests
May require use of additional monitored shop time to finish more complex pieces.

Hinges
A single session dedicated to making the working portion of a set of hinges, be they for a church door, blanket chest, or a book binding. Students should have a project in mind. The ornamental portion of the hinge (if any) will be dealt with in some other applicable class.
Offered evenings
Prerequisite:  Rudiments of Smithing

Tongs
Two two hour sessions spent making tongs for general or specific purposes according to the student's needs. At least two different approaches will be demonstrated.
Offered evenings
Prerequisite: Rudiments of Smithing

Welded Tongs
Three two hour sessions spent making tongs with the reins forge welded to the jaws. Useful for making large-jawed tongs while saving the work of drawing down the reins from thick stock.
Offered evenings
Prerequisite: Basic Smithing

Hammer
A four-session course in which the student will make their own hammer head and mount it properly on a handle. The student will make their own punch and eye-drift in the process.
Also offered as a day-long intensive session on a weekend
Prerequisite: Basic Smithing and Tongs or Welded Tongs

Handling a Hammer
The last meeting of the Hammer class as a stand-alone session. Discussion of selection/making of hammer handles and demonstration of tools and technique to join head and handle in a good, solid, long-lasting manner. Amount of hands on participation determined by what the students have brought.
Prerequisite: A Taste of Smithing

The Bootstrap Series
A series of meetings/classes built around the idea of starting from scratch (well, as close as we can reasonably get) to make a set of tools. Make a  chisel, use that to make a file, use those to make tongs, use those to make more tools...
(It's still a half-formed idea, but I think it would be fun. -cw)


Some other classes or types of classes that may be offered (in no particular order):
Remedial hammer swinging
Animal and human heads
Leaves and flowers
Driven tools - chisels, punches, drifts
Door knobs
Hammers and eyed tools
Adze or hatchet
Throwing axes
Stirrups
Spurs
Other Tack
Nails
Cooking tools
Window grilles
Couples smithing

Smithing for Women (which is not to imply, connote, denote, or suggest that these other classes are not for women, there just seems to be a place for a class with as few men around as posible)

Smithing for People with Small Hands - Projects chosen with the sleight of frame in mind. Not a children's course, this is a course intended for adults with modest upper body strength.

Smithing on a Smaller Scale  - Projects using classic blacksmithing techniques but directed toward making  object smaller than your fist out of iron thinner than your finger.

Something you want to learn that's not on the list?
Drop us a note at classesATprospecthillforge. com and we'll see what we can do.