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Lesson Plan

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.


(I wonder how optimistic I'm being with the speed of things happening. - cw)

First week:
Introduction to tools: their use, care, and anatomy
    Safety gear
    Anvil
    Hammer
    Tongs
    Forge
    Vise  

Basic hammer technique

Forge fire theory

Lighting the forge

Drawing - flat, square, and round

Cutting - with the hacksaw

Bending - with the hammer, with a bending fork

Product: A simple 'S' hook or two with scrolled ends


Second week:

Review of previous week by starting another  hook (45min)

Punching -  the flattened end of the hook for a nail/screw hole

Cutting - hot with the cutting hardy

Twisting -  straight, reversed

Product:  A few more hooks for plants, coats, hats, &cetera. More graceful than the last.


Third week:



Product:  


Fourth week:



Product: