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• Blacksmithing Basics 2

  • Start
    Sun, April 06, 2025
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  • End
    Sun, June 15, 2025
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  • Schedule
    8 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    0

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  For blacksmiths with experience, this class is aimed at continuing to develop your knowledge and skills. The approach will be less structured than Blacksmithing Basics 1 and more focused on your individual projects and exploration. You'll be able to take on new forging challenges including slitting, punching, and drifting as a lead in to forged joinery, along with variations on twists that require slitting and multiple passes. You'll practice drawing and tapering multiple splits in wider bar by making leaves. You'll leave this class able to design projects that combine multiple elements either in a single piece or multiple parts. Coming with a few design ideas will help you focus on skill development.

  Prerequisite: Blacksmithing Basics 1 (with gas forge) or equivalent experience/permission from instructor. 

  $365 ($310 tuition + $55 materials)  |  8 weeks
  

  Open to ages 16 and up. 

  Instructor: Brad Buxton

  
  

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• Coal Forge Blacksmithing Basics 1

  • Start
    Thu, May 22, 2025
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  • End
    Thu, July 17, 2025
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  • Schedule
    8 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    6

  Join us for a 8-session dive into the basics of blacksmithing at Dodge Nature Center's new smithy at Shepard Farm! CAFAC is thrilled to announce a new partnership that will extend opportunities to learn blacksmithing in the metro area.

  
  

  
  

  Register here through Dodge Nature Center. (Please note: classes at Dodge are not eligible for CAFAC scholarship awards.)

  Questions? Get in touch with us at info@cafac.org.

  

  This course is designed to ignite your passion for blacksmithing and introduce you to the seemingly endless ways of expressing yourself by shaping iron with fire and hammer. You'll gain basic knowledge of iron and its characteristics, an understanding of the dynamics of a coal forge, and the ability to safely shape iron with heat and a hammer.

  By the end of class, you'll have covered the basic forging processes, including drawing and tapering, drifting, punching, twisting, and setting shoulders. You'll develop those skills through projects such as: quick tongs, scribe/center punch, round punch/drift, basic heat treating, hooks, multi hook rack, trivet… and you'll know what a clinker is!

  $400 (includes all materials and supplies)  |  8 sessions 
  Open to ages 16 and up.

  Instructor: Dan Osadchuk
  

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• Blacksmithing Project Shop: Forged Flowers & Leaves

  • Start
    Tue, May 27, 2025
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  • End
    Tue, June 24, 2025
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    1

  Register

  Transform inorganic material into organic shapes in this hands-on workshop. You’ll learn how to manipulate metal into delicate, lifelike forms inspired by nature. Discover the intricate balance between strength and finesse as you hammer, bend, and texture steel to mimic the flowing lines of flower petals and leaves. By the end of the session, you’ll not only create a beautiful, hand-forged piece but also gain a deeper appreciation for the artistry and precision involved in blacksmithing while practicing essential forging techniques.

  
  

  $235 ($195 tuition + $40 materials)
  Open to ages 18 and up.

  Instructor: Sergey Vaynshenk

  
  

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• Blacksmithing Project Shop: Charcuterie Set

  • Start
    Fri, June 06, 2025
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  • End
    Fri, June 20, 2025
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  • Schedule
    3 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    3

  Register

  Combine your love of food and craft! Dive into the world of blacksmithing with our hands-on workshop in which you’ll create a stunning hand-forged cheese knife and fork set. This class is designed for enthusiasts of beginner to intermediate skill levels who are eager to learn the traditional techniques of metalworking and craft their own eating tools.

  In this class you will gain a solid understanding of blacksmithing basics by learning key forging techniques such as drawing out, tapering, twisting, and scrolling. You will start by forging a handle and blade to shape. Then, you will move on to making a unique twisted fork to complete your bespoke charcuterie set. On the last day of class, students are invited to bring their favorite meats and cheeses to share in a charcuterie potluck meal.

  $150 ($115 tuition + $35 materials)
  Open to ages 18 and up.

  Instructor: Sergey Vaynshenk

  
  

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• Forged in ASL

  • Start
    Sun, June 08, 2025
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  • End
    Sun, June 29, 2025
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  • Schedule
    2 sessions
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    1

  Register

  This class is for anyone who is interested in forging by hand, while speaking with their hands! In this introductory blacksmithing workshop, we will be forming copper discs into artisanal scoops with forged iron handles. Techniques covered will include dishing, planishing, shouldering, twisting, and riveting. You should have a completed spoon, conditioned in food-grade beeswax, to take home by the end of class.

  As the smithy can be a loud place, visual language can be our superpower! ASL Interpreters will be present to translate the workshop from spoken English to American Sign Language. Signers of all levels welcome!

  $120 ($105 tuition + $15 materials)   
  Open to ages 18 and up, or 16-17 with a parent/guardian present.  

  Instructor: Dani Sanchez

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Blacksmithing Project Shop: Soup Spoons

  • When
    Sun, June 15, 2025
  •  
    1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    0

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  Dip your fingers into basic blacksmithing and come out with a spoon, suitable for slurping soup (or anything else you'd  eat with a spoon). In this one day workshop, we'll learn basic blacksmithing techniques and have fun designing and creating a unique and functional piece. At the end of class, you'll get to try out your spoon on some ice cream! No experience necessary. 

  $80 ($65 tuition + $15 materials)
  Open to ages 16 and up.

  Instructor: Gaea Dill-D'Ascoli

  
  

  
  

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• Coal Forge Blacksmithing Project Shop: Bottle Openers for Beginners

  • When
    Sat, August 09, 2025
  •  
    10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    8

  Join us for a one-day intro to the basics of blacksmithing at Dodge Nature Center's new smithy at Shepard Farm! CAFAC is thrilled to announce a new partnership that will extend opportunities to learn blacksmithing in the metro area.

  
  

  
  

  Register here through Dodge Nature Center.

  Questions? Get in touch with us at info@cafac.org.

  

  Build your blacksmith skills with a fun and useful project: making a bottle opener. They’re quick to make and can incorporate all basic blacksmithing processes in one compact project. You'll gain basic knowledge of iron and its characteristics and an understanding of the dynamics of forging using a coal forge. We'll end class with a celebratory bottle-opening to try out your new tool - that means a beer or soda is included! No experience necessary. 

  $95 (includes all supplies and materials)
  Open to ages 16 and up.

  Instructor: Jim Ricci is a jack-of-all-trades with decades of experience in woodworking and construction, who discovered his passion for metalworking right here at CAFAC. Once a student under David Mariette, Jim has been independently metalworking ever since. Some of his work can be seen in the gardens of the Circus Juventas Big Top. Jim attributes his love for craftsmanship in part to his grandfather, whose favorite saying was: “you can learn something new every day of your life.”
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Build Your Own Forge (TBD)

  • When
    Wed, December 31, 2025
  • Location
    3749 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN
  • Spaces left
    0

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  This class is generally offered twice per year. Click on 'Join Waitlist' to be notified when we schedule it again. When the class is opened for registration, everyone on the list is notified at the same time.

  Build a propane blacksmithing forge of your own to take home! In this introductory course, we will begin by learning the metal fabrication and welding techniques needed to build your own propane forge. This process will provide you with an intimate understanding of the equipment and how to safely operate and maintain it, inspiring the confidence to use it on your own. All supplies and materials needed to build your own forge are included.

  Please bring or wear the following personal protective equipment to class: safety glasses, head covering, long sleeves and long pants. Loose-fitting welding gloves are optional. Open to ages 18 and up.  |  Fee: $595 ($265 tuition + $330 materials)  |  8 weeks

  Instructor: Jim Ricci is a jack-of-all-trades with decades of experience in woodworking and construction, who discovered his passion for metalworking right here at CAFAC. Once a student under David Mariette, Jim has been independently metalworking ever since. Some of his work can be seen in the gardens of the Circus Juventas Big Top. Jim attributes his love for craftsmanship in part to his grandfather, whose favorite saying was: “you can learn something new every day of your life.”
  

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