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 or chisel that will be hardened at the working end and soft at the striking end. Each student will leave with a usable tool and the understanding of how to create more. The details of metallurgy and hardening will be discussed in depth.
Students will weave these striking snowflakes from hardwood maple and cherry wood splint. Several patterns may be woven, depending on the chosen splint. Students will weave one large 10" diameter snowflake, and two smaller 7" snowflakes, which make a beautiful grouping hung together on a tree or in a window. Additional kits will be available for sale.
Spend the morning crafting these lovely hanging hearts, sure to brighten your holiday decor or perfect for gift giving. The hearts are woven from hardwood maple splint and are hung from hand-dyed silk ribbon in various colors. Students will weave two large and two smaller hearts. These hearts can be filled with small items. Additional kits will be available for sale.
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.
There's nothing like the beauty of the winter season in the Adirondacks! Make a holiday ornament for yourself or your loved ones. Over the course of this day students will progress from making a simple wooden Christmas ornament to one requiring the skills you will have achieved during the day. The course will include instruction on the safe use of the power scroll saw, pattern transfer, the cutting of multiple ornaments using the stacking process and the process of making interior cuts in a piece of wood using a scroll saw. Appropriate for beginning woodworkers and those with some experience.
In this three-day class students will create a hand forged high carbon steel kitchen knife with a wood handle. Forging, grinding, and sharpening skills will be covered.
In this class students will create one fall inspired wreath using many natural materials: feathers, corn husks, pinecones, and other dried materials. Students will also make a bow for the wreath.
In this three-day class students will create a hand forged high carbon steel kitchen knife with a wood handle. Forging, grinding, and sharpening skills will be covered.
On the afternoon of April 8, 2024, about 95% of the Adirondack Park will be shadowed in the totality of a solar eclipse as the path of totality darkens a swath of the Earth from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic, from Mexico to Newfoundland. Having experienced and photographed the August 21, 2017 total eclipse in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I thought I'd share tips and techniques that could help others photograph the 2024 eclipse. Standing in the dusky darkness of totality, and looking up to the dark side of the moon, surrounded by the eerie glow of the sun's corona is a lifetime experience you will not want to miss. Having the right equipment and practicing photo techniques ahead of time will allow you to capture stunning eclipse photos, and also be relaxed enough to enjoy this unique experience. The suggested equipment and information will help you photograph the sun at any time, capturing sunspots and other solar features with additional equipment, as well as offer settings for photographing the sun during the eclipse. This is the last total solar eclipse to traverse the continental United States until August 12, 2045.
Internationally known cheesemakers Sheila Flanagan and Sal Speights return for this second course in the Art of Cheesemaking. In this course students will learn to make fresh cheeses including chevre, fromage frais, and fromage blanc. This class will also include discussion of flavoring and packaging variations. Please note: Students will check in at the Folk School, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY. They will then travel to Nettle Meadow's Plant/Tasting Room 1256 Lake Ave., Lake Luzerne, NY for the duration of the class.
Sharpening and honing of blades is a mystery to most people these days although our ancestors knew the skill intimately. Technology of honing has definitely improved over the past 100 years and there are many technologies to choose from. Howard will demystify the sharpening process and you will leave the workshop with the skills to sharpen your own blades. Students should bring one or two blades to hone for the class.
In this three-day class students will create a hand forged high carbon steel kitchen knife with a wood handle. Forging, grinding, and sharpening skills will be covered.
