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Forging a Chef’s Knife

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

This class is taught by renowned instructor and the very first winner of History Channel's Forged in Fire, Matthew Parkinson. The chef's knife is the most used knife in almost any home. These iconic knives help to create meals for family and loved ones. Well-made kitchen knives can last a lifetime and this class will give you the opportunity to create one of your very own. In this two-day class students will make their own chef's knife from high carbon steel. All aspects of bladesmithing will be covered, from forging the blade to shaping, then heat treating, grinding and polishing, making and fitting a wooden handle and finally, sharpening - with very special attention given to the design and geometry of this kind of knife. This class is intended as an introductory bladesmithing class, but some forging experience is helpful.

Comb Back Windsor Armchair

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

Bring your own turnings from David's Turning Chair Parts class or choose from walnut, cherry or ambrosia maple parts provided by instructor David Abeel. Make an heirloom that is comfortable, well-engineered and styled to fit in traditional or contemporary settings. Students will do compound drilling and work with a variety of simple jigs and tools along with compass planes, travishers, draw knives, scorp and hand planes. All skill levels are welcome. Dress comfortably and be ready to work on your feet all day.

Comb Back Windsor Armchair

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

Bring your own turnings from David's Turning Chair Parts class or choose from walnut, cherry or ambrosia maple parts provided by instructor David Abeel. Make an heirloom that is comfortable, well-engineered and styled to fit in traditional or contemporary settings. Students will do compound drilling and work with a variety of simple jigs and tools along with compass planes, travishers, draw knives, scorp and hand planes. All skill levels are welcome. Dress comfortably and be ready to work on your feet all day.

Blacksmithing 101: Nail & Hook

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

This 4-hour class is ideal for the beginner blacksmith with little to no experience. We will start with the basics, and within the first hour students will be forging their own nails. From there, students will forge hooks with a decorative twist.

Blacksmithing 102A: Bottle Opener

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

This class follows the lessons learned in Blacksmithing 101. First students will use top tools and punches to make decorative faces. To make the bottle opener, students start with bar stock and will learn how to fuller, punch and drift, as well as work in a team with another smith.

Harp Making

Come build a Paraguan harp. This harp is characterized by a large soundbox with a rounded base, very light weight, closely-spaced light tension strings (usually nylon), a relatively flat harmonic curve, and with the strings running up through the center of the neck, which are tuned with gear-style tuners (like a guitar). Almost all harps of this style are played with the fingernails, in very rhythmically intricate music. This is the national instrument of Paraguay, and is commonly found throughout South America, Central America and in parts of Mexico. Students will be using tools from the past and today, to fashion an instrument that will last a lifetime. After this class you may even want to learn to play your beautiful new harp!

Scroll Saw Ornamental Trivets

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

This class is designed for both the beginning and experienced scroll saw user with patterns of increasing difficulty to be used during the day. The first pattern to be completed by the student will have all exterior cuts of varying tightness of curvature. The second pattern will have both interior and exterior cuts requiring the student to become accustomed to frequently resetting the scroll saw blade. The final pattern will require the student to make numerous intricate interior cuts to complete. The patterns shown in the photo are only representative of possible trivet patterns to be used. The owl is the most difficult and should only be attempted by a daring student.

Natural Details: Photographing Nature in Motion

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

This class is geared towards beginner to intermediate photographers who want to learn solid fundamentals and put them into practice with instruction, with an emphasis on photographing nature closeup, waterfalls, grasses, plants etc. This should allow almost anyone with a digital camera to create artistic shots without relying on waiting for animals or birds. Participants should have access to a tripod. Dave will share an intro slideshow of his work and a discussion on ethics, safety, subject knowledge and increasing success rate. There will be a handout that covers discussion points of basic camera use, lens selection, composition and more. This class will include shooting in the field at a location picked dependent on the time of year.

Blacksmithing 102B: Using Jigs and Making Batches

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

Hooks are one of the most useful things a new blacksmith can make. Russ started off making them as practice pieces but found that they get used wherever they end up. They are used in many projects, and this makes them an excellent stepping stone for learning how to manufacture things in bulk. We will start by making hooks by hand with just the hammer and anvil. After that, students will use various tools and jigs to speed up production. The goal is to produce 5 matching hooks. This class is intended for students who have taken a 101 class and understand the basics of forging and how to manage a coal fire.

Blacksmithing 102C: Make Like a Tree

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

Nature has been a source of artistic inspiration for thousands of years. Leaves have been a part of decorative blacksmithing for a long time, and there are many different types of leaves one can make. This class is intended for students who have taken a basic/beginner class and who understand the basic techniques and concepts. We will start by making leaves with just the hammer and anvil, and then begin using tools like chisels and decorative punches.

Harp Making

Come build a Paraguan harp. This harp is characterized by a large soundbox with a rounded base, very light weight, closely-spaced light tension strings (usually nylon), a relatively flat harmonic curve, and with the strings running up through the center of the neck, which are tuned with gear-style tuners (like a guitar). Almost all harps of this style are played with the fingernails, in very rhythmically intricate music. This is the national instrument of Paraguay, and is commonly found throughout South America, Central America and in parts of Mexico. Students will be using tools from the past and today, to fashion an instrument that will last a lifetime. After this class you may even want to learn to play your beautiful new harp!

Goat Milk Soap

Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

Goat milk soap is excellent for people with dry, irritated or sensitive skin. It is loaded with nutrients, proteins, fat, calcium and vitamins. It is an excellent natural moisturizer that helps hydrate, nourish and revitalize skin. We will discuss natural dyes and additives which you may wish to incorporate in your soap. You will be making a pound of soap to take home.

Join the Waiting List We are sorry, but this course is currently full. If space(s) become available, we will notify users in the order in which they requested to be added to the waiting list.