For all blacksmithing classes, please provide your own OSHA approved safety glasses, personal hearing protection to 32 decibels, leather gloves, sturdy leather uppers or apron, denim or natural fiber pants, and long-sleeved shirt. You may bring your own hammers and other hand tools, or use tools provided by Touchstone.
April 16 – 18
Tapestry through Time
Richard Sheppard • All Levels • $195
Welcome to a weekend of fun and excitement as you create your own cooking utensils for indoor formal meals or outdoor cooking in the rough. During this two-day class, students will work on making a four-piece set including a fork, ladle, and spatula with hanger. Pieces can be authentic replicas of early American hardware of freestyle imaginations of your soul. This weekend class will include all instruction and materials to take home a completed set of utensils.
Minimum age requirement: 12 years old
Richard's Instructor Page
April 23 - 25
Beginning Blacksmithing
Jody Best • Beginner • $250
This entry-level class will allow aspiring, inspired, and soon-to-be-enthusiastic beginning blacksmiths with little or no previous blacksmithing experience to learn important fundamental techniques and to use these skills to complete several simple projects. During this workshop, building and maintaining a coal fire, tapering, bending, and twisting will be introduced. Resource materials will be provided and every trade secret revealed! Please wear hard shoes or boots, safety glasses, long pants, and long sleeves.
Jody's Instructor Page
April 30 - May 2
The 2nd Annual JIm Campbell Hammer-In
Demonstrators: Kim Thomas, Tom Boone, Phil Heath, and more! • All Levels • $TBD
May 6- 9
Tools for the Woodcrafter
Bob Rupert • All Levels • $300
This extended weekend class will explore Hot Metal Forge work with the Creation of a Socked Tool for the Wood Crafter. Examples might be a handled chisel or an adze for a sculpture. Each Artisan will design and create their own personalized tool or tools in this fun filled extended weekend in the Hart Moore Blacksmith Studio. Forge demonstrations will cover tool steel forging, forge welding, heat treating, and etching.
Bob's Instructor Page
May 14 - 16
Forge Welding
David Tucciarone • Beginner • $225
This course is designed for students who are able to build and maintain a forge fire and would like to learn about forge welding. The class will begin with simple welds and work towards mastering more difficult welds. Throughout the week, students will work on a progressive series of welding projects that will teach a different type of weld. At the end of the course, each student will have a set of examples at various welds.
Minimum age requirement: 16 years old
David's Instructor Page
June 6 - 12
Traditional Touchstone Campfire Cookware and Utensils
Wayne Apgar & Ken Carter • All Levels • $460
Campfire cooking has become a tradition at Touchstone. Burgers, hotdogs, chicken, and steak are just the start, and venison, goose, shrimp, and lazy cobbler may soon be on your campfire cookout menu after taking this class. Learn how to make and utilize the custom-made campfire crane and also the many utensils used in campfire cooking. This week-long class will cover bending, drawing out, slitting, upsetting, cutting, embellishments (including wizards and animal heads), and the basics of electric and forge welding. The motivated student can expect to complete a functional crane, a grill, and some utensils. We will have a cookout at the Touchstone campfire as weather permits.
Ken's Instructor Page
Wayne's Instructor Page
June 13 - 19
Small & Large Scale Joinery
Mark Aspery • Intermediate • $500
Complete Information is not yet available.
Mark's Instructor Page
June 20 - 26
Sculpting Animals in Iron
Darryl Nelson • Intermediate - Advanced • $460
This class takes Forged Animal Heads to another level, with the emphasis on detail. Bear heads so real you can distinguish the difference between the molars, incisors, and canine teeth. Learn the Tools and Techniques used to forge the bear's head as well as Lynx, Bison, Dogs, Horses, and several more. If you have an interest in Forging Animals, this class is not to be missed!
Darryl's Instructor Page
June 27 – July 3
Treadle Hammer Techniques and Tool Making
Richard Sheppard • All Levels • $460
This class will cover everything about using treadle hammers. Intermediate and advanced blacksmiths will find the class invaluable, but beginners will also gain from the experience. By the week’s end, you will have created tools and used them on the treadle hammer to produce a piece of functional or decorative art.
Minimum age requirement: 12 years old
Richard's Instructor Page
July 4 - 10
Advanced Door Hardware
Fred Crist • All Levels • $470
In this class we will forge and design general door hardware, including but not limited to latches, pulls, and hinges. We will study traditional motifs and more contemporary designs in the process of making one or more objects in the class. Please come prepared for a week of intensive class work at the forge and design table. An open mind is a prerequisite for the course.
Fred's Instructor Page
July 11 – 17
Carefully Calibrated Creativity: Constructing Compasses & Calipers
Peter Ross • Intermediate/Advanced • $495
Tired of opening the toolbox and finding humdrum store bought tools inside? Here's your chance to improve your kit. Nothing takes the measure of a man like the quality of his tools. In this class we will make calipers and other moving measuring tools. Students will start with a simple three leaf friction fit compasses and then move to larger versions with a wing and thumbscrew. The first pair will be used in making the second. More refined examples can be filed bright and decorated at the vise. A sampling of historic examples will be on hand for reference and inspiration. While not large, these projects will require careful forging, some forge welding, punching slots, and some filing during assembly. There should be time in the week for each student to make a variety of these essential tools and use them for a lifetime.
Peter's Instructor Page
July 18 - 24
Trefoils, Trivets, and Traditional Joinery
Dale Morse • Intermediate • $460
Complete information not yet available.
Dale's Instructor Page
July 25- 31
Irons in the Fire: Beginning Blacksmithing
Glenn Horr • Beginners • $460
This course is a great way to start or refresh your skills in the area of functional metalwork. Instruction will include building the coal fire and basic forging skills: drawing out, twisting, tool-making, forge-welding, punching, and scrollwork. Students will be able to finish a few small items. Beginners are welcome, as no prior experience is necessary.
Minimum age requirement: 15 years old
Glenn's Instructor Page
August 1 - 7
Introduction to Door Hardware
Lucian Avery • Intermediate • $460
This class will focus on using traditional forging techniques to make early American door hardware. As we progress, we will make specialized tools, discuss design and work on hammer technique. This is a good class for students of varying interests who want to hone their forging skills. Students can choose from several different types of thumb latches and strap hinges for their projects.
Lucian's Instructor Page
August 8 - 14
Locksmithing: Hasp-lock for a Chest
Tom Latané • Intermediate/Advanced • $500
Students will forge an early style hasp-lock as would be used on a chest. Participants may choose to forge a case that would stand out from the surface of the chest or mount the works on a surface escutcheon requiring that the face of the chest be carved out to receive the lock. A hasp will be formed to attach to the lid and fit into the front of the lock. The key will be forged and fitted to a ward assembly each student will make for his or her lock. Every student will forge, harden and temper a spring to act upon the bolt. The class will involve forging, filing, and fitting of a number of small parts.
Tom's Instructor Page
August 15 – 21
Blacksmithing Fundamentals
Susan Hutchinson • Beginner • $460
Complete information not yet available.
Susan's Instructor Page
August 22 - 28
Chasing Tools and Techniques
Bill Robertson • Intermediate • $460
Explore the tools and techniques used to decorate iron. Forge a set of basic tools and learn how to use them on a variety of small projects. Have fun turning the ordinary into the extraordinary as you learn to carve, embellish, texture and color iron. This is an intermediate class; basic blacksmithing skills are required.
Bill's Instructor Page
September 10 - 12
Get Your Iron in the Fire
Nigel Tudor • Beginner • $195
With hammer in hand, spend the weekend learning blacksmithing basics. Make a few fun projects, sharpen technical skills, and gain knowledge that will further your blacksmithing endeavors. No experience necessary. Just bring your interest and willingness to learn.
Nigel's Instructor Page
September 17 – 19
Cooking Utensil Weekend
Richard Sheppard • All Levels • $195
If you missed the chance in the summer to create your own cooking utensils for indoor formal meals or outdoor cooking in the rough, here is another opportunity. During this popular weekend class, students will work on making a four-piece set including a fork, ladle, and spatula with hanger. Pieces can be authentic replicas of early American hardware or freestyle imaginations of your soul. This class will include all instruction and materials to take home a completed set of utensils.
Minimum age requirement: 12 years old
Richard's Instructor Page
October 1 – 3
Early American Lighting
Kim Thomas • All Levels • $250
During this weekend workshop, students will have the option to choose form examples of period pieces and make a unique lamp of their own. There will be discussions on lighting of the period as well as correct methods of forging for that time. If students are re-enactors or living history enthusiasts, they may dress the part as well providing the clothing is safe for the blacksmith studio.
Minimum age requirement: 11 years old
Kim's Instructor Page