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PROSPECT HILL FORGE offers several types of classes and other activities. Arrowhead: The armor-piercing bodkin point |
| drawing bending cutting twisting |
fullering punching drifting riveting |
12 hours total in either 4 3-hour sessions or 6 2-hour sessions. Fee: $320; a discount applies if signing up for all three Rudiments classes at once.
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
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Rudiments of Blacksmithing II
This class builds on the skills developed in Rudiments
of Blacksmithing I. You'll refine your command of forge-fire management, improve other existing skills, especially forging, and be guided through projects that will expand your repertoire of basic blacksmithing techniques by introducing:
| upsetting filing hardening drilling tempering sinking |
grinding forging high carbon steel adjusting tools forge-welding sharp angle bending |
12 hours total in either 4 3-hour sessions or 6 2-hour sessions. Fee: $320; a discount applies if signing up for all three Rudiments classes at once.
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
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Rudiments of Blacksmithing III
This class continues where Rudiments
of Blacksmithing II left off. You'll finally have some idea of how to manage a forge-fire, and get to practice doing so. While doing so, you'll produce matching scrolls and generally work on having more control over your work, and learn still more basic techniques, including:
| scrollwork collaring forging pipe |
threading (taps and dies) sheet metal work bending matching curves |
12 hours total in either 4 3-hour sessions or 6 2-hour sessions. Fee: $320; a discount applies if signing up for all three Rudiments classes at once.
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
In this class the student will start with a piece of high-carbon spring steel and make a small, simple, one-piece knife, suitable for cooking, eating, or general utility use. This class is intended for intermediate students; there is another class, Nothing But Knives , for those who want to skip straight to making things with edges.
Techniques include: straightening, drawing out, hammering high-carbon steel, twisting, flattening, annealing, filing, grinding, hardening, and tempering.
1 3-hour session. Fee: $105
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
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Small (Jeweler's) Hammers
Learn to make your own jeweler's hammers.
The sizes you want, the shapes you want, when you want.
The focus will be on learning the skills necessary to make small (less than three ounce) hammers for riveting, raising (anti- and syn- clastic), shaping, texturing... whatever.
Students should bring if possible:
- A handle (or handles) suited to the hammer(s) they plan to make
12 hours. Four meetings Fee: $420
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
We'll be learning to strike and to master, with single strikers and with teams of strikers. Striking directly and with set-tools. This is not so much a class in the usual sense as it is an ongoing practice session. There will be training for new people as they arrive, and practice for the more experienced. The projects we work on will be for the smithy or for sale by the smithy. Accordingly, the hourly rate for Striker team practice is lower than the usual Open Smithy rate.
We want to assemble a group of strikers for our own use and for other students' use. We want to be able to go to demonstrations and exhibitions and show what it's like to do some heavy forging in the old style.
2 Hours (or so) Fee: $35
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
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A Taste of Blacksmithing
In this three hour class you will be introduced to the basic smithing
techniques of hammering, drawing-out, cutting, bending, and twisting.
Using these techniques and a coal-fired forge you will bring a piece of
iron to an incandescent heat and with anvil, hammer, and tongs create
one or more cooking skewers or a decorative and useful 'S'-hook.
3 hours one meeting Fee: $60
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
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Tent Stakes and Open Smithy
A chance to make good solid tent stakes.
This is sort of a focused Open Smithy* time. The main intent will be to make, you guessed it, tent stakes.
Techniques: drawing-out, cutting,and bending. Minor coaching on form and technique will be available. We have four coal forges, so that many people (or groups) can be working at once. Some protective gear is available. If you're bringing a group you may need to bring some of your own eye and ear protection. We have aprons, ear muffs, and safety glasses enough to protect eight people. Bring your own stock or buy some from us, we have 1/2" square, 3/8" square & round on the rack.
*If you really want to make something else while everyone else is
making tent stakes, feel free, you can do as you please with your forge
time.
$25/hour
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
In this class we will make a long-handled two-tined fork suitable for cooking at the grille or over the campfire.
The techniques involved will be splitting, drawing out, curling & bending, and if there's time, twisting and draw-filing.
This fork design can also be modified slightly to serve as a most excellent marshmallow toasting fork (S'mores anyone?).
3 1/2 hours, one meeting $123
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
In this class we will make a tripod for cooking over a camp fire.
This is a good solid design that stands well and can also be arranged as two verticals with a horizontal either as a spit or as a bar for hanging utensils from.
Techniques: hacksawing, drawing-out, bending, twisting (optional)
The parts disassemble easily for transport. You'll need a few 'S' hooks
or a trammel hook to adjust the height of your cookpot. (Watch for a
trammel hook class coming soon).
2 hours one meeting
Fee: $80 + $8- $12 materials fee depending on size
of tripod
Full Description, Dates, and Registration Information.
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Wrought Iron Candlestick
This class is specifically geared to the production of a simple, elegant and functional candlestick. In the process of making it, you'll cut threads with tap & die, form a tenon, forge pipe, and work with sheet steel.
When finished with this class, the student should be able to use Open Smithy Time to make as large a set of candlesticks as they desire.
This class is 9 hours long. Either in three sessions of 3 hours or two sessions of 4 1/2 hours. Fee: $315
In the twelve meetings of this course, you will be exposed to the
basics of the language of blacksmithing. From "smash-it-flat" to forge
welding. There will be practice pieces, exercises, samplers, problems,
and actual projects all aimed at building your smithing vocabulary and
fluency. By the end of the course you should be well on your way to
thinking like a blacksmith.Taking the classes Rudiments I, Rudiments II, and Rudiments III
is the equivalent of taking 
In this class you will make a pair of simple butterfly hinges, suitable for use on a cupboard, small chest, or box.
In this class we will address the techniques necessary to produce a towel rack, be it wide or narrow, intended to hold an elegant cloth towel or a roll of toilet paper.
In this class we will make a fire-steel from high-carbon steel and learn to use it.
Mr. Lewton-Brain will introduce and demonstrate his methods of working sheet metal by folding, working, and unfolding. This class will focus on basic concepts and how to apply them to hot iron. More information on fold forming can be found at his site: 
This class covers the production of a traditional and useful heart-shaped trivet, based on several in the Sorber collection of colonial wrought iron.
In this class the student will start with a piece of high-carbon spring steel and make one or more small, simple, one piece
knife/knives, suitable for cooking, eating, or general utility use.
A chance to work on your own projects or continue on a project begun in a class.If you would like to reserve a forge, 
3 Days of Hot Metal at The Ashokan Center, Olivebridge, NY
This class continues where "A Taste of Blacksmithing" leaves off. You'll
learn more about shop safety and begin to work on forge-fire management, while being guided thorough a series of projects that will begin to build your
repertoire of basic blacksmithing techniques, including: