BGOP's Intermediate Blacksmith Classes are designed for people who wish to take their work to the next level, who have spent time building on what they learned as a beginner, and who are willing to work both in and outside class to complete a project reflecting a growing skill set.

Focusing on more advanced methods, this class will teach complex twists, scrolls, forging to exact dimensions, several styles of joinery, and forge-welding. The last two class periods are dedicated to a complex project each student will be designing and executing, using some of the new techniques they've learned. Because of the substantially larger amount of steel required and the preparation time, the class fee is $400.

The final project is a one-foot-square screen, incorporating several decorative elements, using three different methods of joinery. The screen can be a one-off artistic demonstration, or a model for more complicated projects like a fence or gate. The goal is to apply the techniques covered in this class with previous experience, personal design, and a purposeful build.

PREREQUISITES:

• You must be a member of BGOP in good standing.

• You must have taken the BGOP Beginner's class, or a similar instruction elsewhere.

• You must present (prior to class confirmation) a demonstration of consistent forging technique. Good examples might include several wall hooks, a set of forks, or a collection of leaves. Use your imagination, but demonstrate your ability to do consistent work, either in identical pieces, or staying within a purposeful style.

• You must be willing to do some work for this class outside class hours. Your design efforts, and possibly some forging, will not fit into our 18 hours together in the shop. For this reason, the Intermediate class is restricted to adults, as I cannot ask school-age students to make this commitment.

REQUIREMENTS:

• A hot chisel, and a center punch, which you are comfortable working with and re-dressing occasionally.

• A fresh, sharp, single-cut file.

• Metal ruler with 1/8" increments.

• Notebook and pencil for designs and notes.

• Marker for steel (soapstone, silver pencil, etc).

All the same forge rules apply (dress for the weather, hydrate, etc) and we hope the focus can be on the finer points of the work, rather than learning fire management and how to hold a hammer. The class will still follow a tell-show-do model like the Beginner's course, but with trust that the fundamentals are already tended to, and your instructor is there to help guide new skill development and refinement of techniques.

Class sessions are every Thursday evening from 6-9 pm, checks should be payable to "BGOP" and are collected at the beginning of the first class. Classes are limited to a maximum of seven students, and slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We maintain a wait-list in case people drop out at the last minute. Please send email to thetidewaterforge@gmail.com to RSVP.