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.
In this class students will design, shape and carve a serving spoon. Skills explored include: making a template and transferring it to a blank, carving and shaping the bowl and back of the spoon, use of hand tools such as gouges, scrapers, coping saws, and spokeshaves, and sanding and finishing techniques. Students will leave class with a beautiful handcrafted hardwood spoon to use in their own kitchens or to give as a gift!
Create your own pine branch wall hanging with vines, leaves, and pinecones. Different size pipe will be pounded and textured on an anvil to make the branches and vines. The leaves and cones will be made from sheet copper, then textured. This class will also involve some soldering. The finished piece will be approximately 25" by 17".
Calling all fiber artists! Do you have a project you're in the middle of? Want some company while you work? Sounds like AFS Sewing Circle is the place for you! Quilters, knitters, and fiber artists alike are welcome to join us every month for an afternoon of quilting and camaraderie. Bring your works in progress, and enjoy sharing your experience and the company of your fellow quilters. Pre-registration is not required. All are welcome!
Everyone has a story to tell - what matters is how you tell it. Whether you want to write the next great American novel or simply spin a good yarn around a campfire, the elements of storytelling are the same. In this four-part, weekly two-hour class, students will focus on the basics of the "personal narrative" - a story told in first person that relates the story teller's own experience. Students will develop a five-minute story (approximately 750 words) through in class exercises and take-home assignments. You will learn how to mine your memories for story ideas, structure your thoughts for maximum effectiveness, and find the details that will bring your story to life. At the end of the course, participants will be given the opportunity to share their work in front of a small audience.
In this class students will learn basic sheet metal forging and riveting while creating a small camper's frying pan. We'll start with a disk of heavy-gauge sheet metal and forge a frying pan suitable for campfire or stove top use with a decorative forged handle. This class is recommended for students who have taken a basic course or who have some blacksmithing experience. Quality hearing protection is recommended, along with leather gloves.
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
Whether drying herbs and flowers for tea, medicine, or natural dyes, this basket design is useful for both harvesting and drying. The bottom is "openwork," allowing airflow from underneath. Students will weave the corners in such a way as to raise the base as well. The sides are "continuous weave" in a two-by-two twill, creating a beautiful stepping-up pattern.
A heavy chopping knife is an invaluable tool for clearing brush and splitting kindling. This is a comprehensive introduction to bladesmithing. Each student will forge a blade using a gas forge and hand hammer, grind, heat treat and finish the blade with a wood handle. Emphasis will be placed on ergonomic design, edge geometry and heat treating to maximize performance of a working knife.
A bat can eat up to 12,000 biting Adirondack insects a night! Build a comfy little condo for our furry friends and keep the bugs in your area under control.
A heavy chopping knife is an invaluable tool for clearing brush and splitting kindling. This is a comprehensive introduction to bladesmithing. Each student will forge a blade using a gas forge and hand hammer, grind, heat treat and finish the blade with a wood handle. Emphasis will be placed on ergonomic design, edge geometry and heat treating to maximize performance of a working knife.
Learn all about Square Foot gardening from a local gardening guru. Square Foot gardening is the practice of planning small but intensively planted gardens. It combines concepts from other organic gardening methods, including composting, closely planted raised beds and attention to a small, clearly defined area. It is a high-yield, space-saving and time-saving gardening technique. Come learn from a pro, watch nature do her work, and then come back during the summer to tend your garden and harvest your efforts. Though the class is geared to vegetable gardening, the techniques discussed are applicable to other types of gardening as well. A terrific class for beginning gardeners or experts alike - and a great way to get out in the sun and enjoy our Adirondacks!
