Open a new chapter in your wood working journey by making your own hand tool. Shape the wood body, harden and temper steel for the blade and make your first shavings all in one day!
This two-day workshop yields time enough to explore three styles of Shaker carriers; Fixed Handled, Swinging Handled and Divided carriers. Construction steps and hardware application will be demonstrated, and all participants will put their hands-to-work on their own carriers. These projects have a firm place in Shaker history as they were a very popular offering to "The World's People" by Shaker craftsmen.
Interested in blacksmithing but unsure how to start? Open Forge Night is the place for you! Every third Wednesday of the month during our blacksmithing season, come see demonstrations by expert blacksmith Steve Gurzler. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. If you want to try your hand at blacksmithing there is a $20 fee to cover the cost of materials. Safety precautions must be followed - including hard shoes with no open toes, long pants, goggles (supplied) and gloves (supplied).
This two-day workshop yields time enough to explore three styles of Shaker carriers; Fixed Handled, Swinging Handled and Divided carriers. Construction steps and hardware application will be demonstrated, and all participants will put their hands-to-work on their own carriers. These projects have a firm place in Shaker history as they were a very popular offering to "The World's People" by Shaker craftsmen.
If you've taken Taste of the Forge or another basic blacksmithing class at AFS, then you're ready for Taste of the Forge II! This class, taught by blacksmith Steve Gurzler, builds on the students' prior experience to bring them to the next level, pursuing more advanced skills. Like in Taste of the Forge, we will follow the Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America (ABANA) curriculum in a small class format. Students can expect to create 2 or more useful or decorative objects over the course of 3 weekday evenings.
One of the most iconic items of Shaker woodworking, nesting oval boxes share elegance, simplicity and functionality equally. Using carefully prepared thin strips of wood each participant will carve the "swallowtails" of "fingers" on one end before soaking them in a hot water bath to soften for bending. Copper tacks are installed to hold the oval hoop together before top and bottom boards are fit and held by wooden pegs. Each student will construct five nesting oval boxes from cherry wood in this two-day workshop.
Learn the discipline of Metal Working known as Embossing. Students will transfer an image of their choosing from a paper template to a sheet of copper by using various sizes of stylus and other hand tools to create a textured picture. Students will find that copper is a very workable material. Your finished piece will fit in with any Adirondack decor or even in a rustic birch frame! This piece is 12" x 12".
Drawing from over 30 years of fine instrument making, Martin Macica will share his knowledge of the principles of making a ukulele, leading students through the process of making their own ukulele from scratch using hand tools. This intensive course covers every aspect of ukulele making. Participants will leave with a working knowledge of ukulele making, and a handcrafted instrument ready for a lifetime of making music.
This introductory class is geared toward beginner to intermediate photographers who wish to build a solid understanding of the foundations needed for improvement and success. Dave will share an intro slideshow of his work and a discussion on ethics, safety, subject knowledge and increasing your success rate. There will be a handout that covers discussion points of basic camera use, lens selection, composition and more. Discussion will also cover local shooting locations according to participants' interests along with questions from participants.
One of the most iconic items of Shaker woodworking, nesting oval boxes share elegance, simplicity and functionality equally. Using carefully prepared thin strips of wood each participant will carve the "swallowtails" of "fingers" on one end before soaking them in a hot water bath to soften for bending. Copper tacks are installed to hold the oval hoop together before top and bottom boards are fit and held by wooden pegs. Each student will construct five nesting oval boxes from cherry wood in this two-day workshop.
In this class students will create a beautiful copper bowl from a 12" x 12" sheet of 16-gauge copper. Students will pound and hand tool the sheet into an 9" diameter, approx. 2" deep bowl. Students will also make a decorative vine with leaves from copper that will be attached to the rim of the bowl. Some soldering will be involved in this
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.
