This is your point of departure into the blacksmith’s art. With these core skills you can go anywhere, and my other courses build upon these fundamentals. This course offers the blacksmith a full range of skills, Oh, there’ll be tears of course, impromptu explorations of the finer points on appropriate expletives, blisters, aches, pains, and a few short moments of pure joy. Sound sleep and healthy appetite are guaranteed.
Explore the fundamental tenets of blacksmithing as the course takes you through a variety of technically progressive projects, each building upon the last. This course is appropriate for novice and beginning smiths.
Projects for the course include Tapers (the only exercise), hot-cut chisel and heat treatment, wizard head bottle opener, scrolling tongs, monkey tool, flux spoon (your first forge weld) and a tenon. Emphasis is placed on dressing the hammer for success and an efficient swing. In short, when you have completed all of these courses you will have a very comprehensive foundation in the skills of a blacksmith and should feel comfortable working in your own shop.
These skills can be acquired by all, regardless of stature, strength, sex, and stamina. This course is designed to build successes for beginning beginners but will prove invaluable and even challenging to many intermediate smiths who have never received formal training. You can expect to improve your hammer control, learn to work more efficiently, and generally feel more well-rounded.
