Wrought Academy Blacksmithing Classes
January to May 2017
An Open House and Mead Tasting
DATE: January 28th, 2017, 10am to 6pm (mead tasting will start at 3pm).
MORE INFO : http://forgedaxes.com/?wpsc-product=open-shop-and-mead-tasting
DESCRIPTION
Come and see James Austin's top-notch smithy and school - Wrought Academy, and taste the beverage of Viking royalty!
Introduction to Blacksmithing
DATE: February 11 and 12, 2017
MORE INFO : http://forgedaxes.com/?wpsc-product=fittings-chain-hinges-and-wrought-iron-introduction
DESCRIPTION
We will explore early blacksmithing as we reproduce iron hardware from the Viking and Middle Ages.
Forging Your Own Tongs
DATE: February 25 and 26, 2017
MORE INFO : http://forgedaxes.com/?wpsc-product=forging-your-own-tongs-2-days
DESCRIPTION
In this class students will start building up their own shop tooling as they learn to forge one of the blacksmith's most essential tools.
Forging a Pattern Welded Knife Blade
DATE: March 10, 11 and 12 (3 days), 2017
MORE INFO : http://forgedaxes.com/?wpsc-product=template-class-duplicate
DESCRIPTION
In this class students will forge weld and twist bars of iron and steel together to form sax (knife) blades with the same serpent patterns as sword from the age of the Sagas.
Forging a Viking Silver Arm Ring
DATE: March 18 and 19, 2017
MORE INFO : http://forgedaxes.com/?wpsc-product=viking-style-silver-armband-and-the-tools-to-decorate-it
DESCRIPTION
Students will forge and file their own decorative punches, then use them to create intricate designs of their own, hand-forged silver arm rings.
Making and Refining Viking Age Steel
DATE: April 8 and 9 , 2017
MORE INFO : http://forgedaxes.com/?wpsc-product=making-traditional-shear-steel-forging-and-using-a-fire-steel
DESCRIPTION
In this class students will learn how to infuse carbon into soft iron to create the steel used in the iconic weapons and beautiful tools wielded by the Vikings. This material will be used to forge the essential fire steel of the early Iron Age.
Forging Viking Age Broad Axes
DATE: April 21, 22 and 23 (3 days), 2017
MORE INFO : http://forgedaxes.com/?wpsc-product=class-forging-a-viking-age-axe-3-days
DESCRIPTION
In this class students will forge Viking style broad axes from soft iron and steel using thousand year old forging and welding techniques.
Forge Your Own Viking Age Anvil
DATE: May 6 and 7, 2017
MORE INFO : http://forgedaxes.com/?wpsc-product=viking-style-stake-anvil
DESCRIPTION
I will work with a small group of students to forge weld a Viking Age anvil for each student. The work is fairly strenuous but usually quite rewarding as we weld steel to iron to produce the blacksmith's primary tool - the anvil.
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Drop in on the Open House at Wrought Academy on Saturday, January 28th (10am to 6pm) to see a working smithy in the heart of industrial West Oakland. Part Alchemical Laboratory and part industrial arts facility, James Austin's shop is a gathering place dedicated to traditional crafts. At 3:00 pm we'll bust out the recent batch of Mead for tasting (adults only). We'd like to send you home with some great impressions of the shop and help us get the word out about the educational opportunities and resources at Wrought Academy!
Making Viking Age Tool Steel will be taught on April 8th and 9th. The students and I will delve into the alchemy of iron and carbon as we recreate the tool and weapon steel of the Viking age. Click HERE to see how this is accomplished at Wrought Academy.
