This basic class will give you the foundation needed to start out on your journey of blacksmithing. You'll learn fire management, hammering methods, drawing out, upsetting, cutting, splitting, twisting, and convenience bending along with a demo of forge welding. Make punches and chisels and learn to harden and temper them. Heating material and heat management will be taught and much more.
No weaving experience is necessary! The looms are dressed and ready to go, all you need to do is bring your creative spirit and to leave with a finished one-of-a-kind rug. Students will have a choice of making a traditional Rag Rug using recycled fabric strips or making a Sock Rug using remnants from a sock factory. Colors and choices of fabric and remnants vary from class to class depending on availability. The rugs are 24" wide, and up to 45" long.
The original Wee Lassie was a lapstrake-built open cedar canoe made in 1863 by J. Henry Rushton of Canton, NY. Rushton was one of the most famous canoe builders of his era. George Washington Sears, who wrote of his adventures under his pen name of Nessmuk as he recorded his paddling adventures throughout the Adirondacks, popularized these small, finely crafted canoes. Come spend 11 wonderful days with master instructor Larry Benjamin building your own Wee Lassie. You will be guided through every step of the building process. Leave with a beautiful, lightweight canoe that handles well in the water. Open to all level of student.
This basic class will give you the foundation needed to start out on your journey of blacksmithing. You'll learn fire management, hammering methods, drawing out, upsetting, cutting, splitting, twisting, and convenience bending along with a demo of forge welding. Make punches and chisels and learn to harden and temper them. Heating material and heat management will be taught and much more.
In this extended class you will learn to warp the rigid heddle loom and see why Janet loves this loom. The tension and weaving process is gentle enough to use knitting yarn for both warp and weft.
The original Wee Lassie was a lapstrake-built open cedar canoe made in 1863 by J. Henry Rushton of Canton, NY. Rushton was one of the most famous canoe builders of his era. George Washington Sears, who wrote of his adventures under his pen name of Nessmuk as he recorded his paddling adventures throughout the Adirondacks, popularized these small, finely crafted canoes. Come spend 11 wonderful days with master instructor Larry Benjamin building your own Wee Lassie. You will be guided through every step of the building process. Leave with a beautiful, lightweight canoe that handles well in the water. Open to all level of student.
In this extended class you will learn to warp the rigid heddle loom and see why Janet loves this loom. The tension and weaving process is gentle enough to use knitting yarn for both warp and weft.
The original Wee Lassie was a lapstrake-built open cedar canoe made in 1863 by J. Henry Rushton of Canton, NY. Rushton was one of the most famous canoe builders of his era. George Washington Sears, who wrote of his adventures under his pen name of Nessmuk as he recorded his paddling adventures throughout the Adirondacks, popularized these small, finely crafted canoes. Come spend 11 wonderful days with master instructor Larry Benjamin building your own Wee Lassie. You will be guided through every step of the building process. Leave with a beautiful, lightweight canoe that handles well in the water. Open to all level of student.
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 $25 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).
The original Wee Lassie was a lapstrake-built open cedar canoe made in 1863 by J. Henry Rushton of Canton, NY. Rushton was one of the most famous canoe builders of his era. George Washington Sears, who wrote of his adventures under his pen name of Nessmuk as he recorded his paddling adventures throughout the Adirondacks, popularized these small, finely crafted canoes. Come spend 11 wonderful days with master instructor Larry Benjamin building your own Wee Lassie. You will be guided through every step of the building process. Leave with a beautiful, lightweight canoe that handles well in the water. Open to all level of student.
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.
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.
