The Peters Valley Craft Center in northern New Jersey offers a wide range of classes as summer workshops for those looking to learn the art of blacksmithing. They offer classes for students who are just beginning to learn the basics of the craft all the way to specialized classes in Damascus Steel and Hot Sheet Forming.
The workshops take place throughout the late spring, summer and early fall. Students can live on the premises and take advantage of the center’s meal program if desired.
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Blacksmithing
2009 Peters Valley Blacksmith Workshops:
Basic Blacksmithing by Dick Sargent: 2 Day Beginners Level Workshop
Saturday and Sunday, May 16, 17, 2009 [skills taught: drawing out, upsetting, punching, slitting and hammer control]
Beginning Blacksmithing, Natural Forms by Jim Wyckoff: 3 Day Beginners Level Workshop
Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 23, 24, 25, 2009 [using natural forms as inspiration the class focuses on forging skills]
Basic Blacksmithing by Dick Sargent : 3 Day Beginners/Intermediate Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, May 29, 30, 31, 2009 [skills taught: drawing out, upsetting, punching, slitting and hammer control]
Foundations of Damascus Steel by Neil Kessler: 5 Day Beginners/ Intermediate Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, June 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 2009 [skills taught: forge welding, folding techniques, basic pattern production]
Into the Mystery by Bill Brown: 5 Day Beginners/Advanced Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, June 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 2009 [class focus is on personal creativity with the materials and tools]
Tool Making for Anvil, Power or Treadle Hammer by Clay Spencer : 5 Day Beginners/Advanced Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, June 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 2009[students will make tools for their own shop]
Forging Damascus by J. Arthur Loose: 5 Day Intermediate/ Advanced Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, June 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 2009[skills taught: basic pattern making, development, and aesthetics of bladesmithing]
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Early American Hand Forged Knives by Jim Batson: 5 Day Advanced Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, July 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 2009[skills taught forging carbon steel into blades, blade finishing, blade halting]
Feeding the Fire and the Blacksmith by Joe Anderson: 5 Day Beginner/Intermediate Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, July 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 2009 [skills taught: blacksmithing and manufacture of kitchen utensils]
Hot Sheet Forming, Planning & Practice by Vivian Beer: 5 Day Intermediate/Advanced Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, July 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 2009 [class focus is on working sheet metal to achieve artistic ends]
Beginning Blacksmithing by Eric Cuper: 5 Day Beginners Level Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, July 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 2009 [skills taught: basic forging fundamentals, techniques and processes]
Forging Fundamentals by Andy Dohner: 5 Day Beginner to Advanced Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, July 31, August 1, 2, 3, 4, 2009 [class focus: fundamentals of steel shaping, creating a functional object, structure, design, tools]
Sketches in Iron by Bob Compton: 5 Day Intermediate/Advanced Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, August 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2009 [class focus: manufacture of more complex objects like furniture and/or architectural ornamentation, forging , tooling, design and joinery]
Flora & Fauna by Holly Fisher: 5 Day Beginners/Advanced Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, August 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 2009 [basic blacksmithing techniques applied to making hand forged naturalistic items]
Basics for Beginners by Mark Emig: 3 Day Beginners Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, August 21, 23, 23, 2009 [skills taught: basic techniques like: drawing out, making a taper, upsetting, chiseling and piercing]
“It’s Alive” Forged Metal Sculpture by Randy McDaniel: 3 Day Intermediate to Advanced Workshop
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, August 28, 29, 30, 2009 [skills taught: create small and large sculpture from bar, sheet and plate metal]
The Iron Spiral, The Making & Using of Scrolls by Peter T. Swarz-Burt: 3 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, September 5, 6, 7, 2009 [skills taught: scroll making, one-off scrolls, jig construction, panels]
Know Your Tools by Dick Sargent: 2 Day Beginners/Advanced Workshop
Saturday, Sunday, September 12, 13, 2009 [class focus: shop theory, sharpening, file care, bench work, layout, taps, dies, shortcuts and tricks]
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Peters Valley is located in Layton in Sussex County in North Jersey. It is located a few miles from the Delaware River, the Pennsylvania state line and just south of the charming little town of Milford Pennsylvania.
Peters Valley Craft Center
19 Kuhn Road
Layton, New Jersey 07851
973-948-5200
Peters Valley Craft Center Website
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