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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!

A bar of soap with a label with a picture of a goat on it.

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.

Intro to Toolmaking

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

Blacksmiths have always made their own tools and it's a skill every smith should know. This class will work with carbon steel to make a punch and a chisel that will be hardened at the working end and soft at the striking end. Each student will leave with two usable tools and the understanding of how to create more.

Summer Weaving – Place Mats

Want to try out weaving on a floor loom? This class starts with a loom all set up and ready to go - no prior weaving experience is needed! Brighten up your patio table with colorful placemats that shout "summer". Each class will include an introduction to the loom and instructions on how to operate it. Several color choices will be available. You'll be weaving away in no time!

Summer Weaving – Place Mats

Want to try out weaving on a floor loom? This class starts with a loom all set up and ready to go - no prior weaving experience is needed! Brighten up your patio table with colorful placemats that shout "summer". Each class will include an introduction to the loom and instructions on how to operate it. Several color choices will be available. You'll be weaving away in no time!

Mortise and Tenon Construction

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

This class will focus on the proper making of mortise and tenon joinery for gate and railing construction. You'll make the tooling, punches, drifts, monkey tools and more. Special tools used by professional smiths to increase consistency of dimension will be shown and made. The secret of forging angled tenons easily and accurately will also be taught.

A pair of silver triangular dangling earrings on a grey background.

Silver Metal Clay Exploration

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

Explore the many ways that you can use silver in a metal clay formulation to create jewelry designs of your own. The newest way of working with silver is metal clay which can be shaped like clay to produce uniquely textured surfaces, resulting in durable beautiful silver jewelry. Students will learn metal clay working techniques and make pendants, earrings, charms and rings. Fresh leaves will also be used to create a silver piece of nature. The class will also cover techniques for setting and firing stones directly in metal clay. Each student will leave with at least four finished pieces of jewelry. No previous experience necessary.

Birch Bark Bowls

Learn how to cut, fold and shape from a rigid sheet of birch bark. Add pine needles or a tree branch for the rim and stitch with waxed linen. Students will make one bowl in class and leave with material to make another at home. This is a nice birch bark set to display! Low bowl: 6" x 7.5". Round bowl: 3.5" x 3.5" x 12.5" around.

Mortise and Tenon Construction

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

This class will focus on the proper making of mortise and tenon joinery for gate and railing construction. You'll make the tooling, punches, drifts, monkey tools and more. Special tools used by professional smiths to increase consistency of dimension will be shown and made. The secret of forging angled tenons easily and accurately will also be taught.

Rustic End Tables

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

The Adirondack Style is unique. It combines traditional furniture making with the materials found in this region: birch bark, twigs, logs and more. Found in the earliest Great Camps of our region, the skilled craftsmen who made this unique furniture were inspired by the world around them. In this class you will be guided from start to finish: from the selection of the materials and their preparation, to the joinery required, as well as the aesthetics that will help you make a fine end table suitable for your Great Camp or home.

Perfect Pictures Every Time

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

Understanding photography basics is the key to taking control of your camera and knowing you got the shot when you were taking it. If you would like to take your skill level from shooting in Auto to having full control over your camera, this intensive class is for you! A step-by-step PowerPoint presentation helps teach the basic principles of photography including: camera options and set-up, peripheral equipment, image exposure and histograms, and will touch on shooting for HDR and working with motion, depth of field, and composition. The class is paced to allow time for questions and interaction, with about half of the day in the classroom experimenting with the cameras, and the other half spent in the field, practicing camera techniques and shooting options. A comprehensive handout will include all the major points covered in the presentation. While the class instruction is mostly landscape based, these techniques and principles can be applied to all photographic situations.

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.