Blacksmithing Art Class at GAC

In this hands on 3 day workshop each student will learn the techniques and materials needed to make orishigane steel in small batches. Orishigane is a thousand+ year old process where Japanese swordsmiths make high carbon steel in a charcoal forge or furnace starting with iron. We will begin by building a charcoal furnace capable of producing a 3lb “bloom” of steel, then working in pairs students will run the furnace to produce their own orishigane steel. Once everyone has made their bloom we will begin the foundation forging. We will take the raw steel and through the techniques of forging, folding and forge welding create a bar of laminated steel which is ready for the student to form into a blade or tool of their design. Time allowing we can discuss what could be made from said bar and proper heat treating and other techniques. Students will need safety glasses, dust mask or respirator, leather work gloves, (welding gauntlets not needed) and should wear jeans, a non-flammable cotton shirt and/or jacket, and closed-toed boots or leather shoes. Our forge is an outdoor building that is only semi-enclosed; please dress accordingly. For full-day workshops, please bring a lunch to be on the safe side, as there may or may not be time to get food during a lunch break.