Blacksmithing has always intrigued me: intrigued me in a sense of "well that's neat." It wasn't until I had seen some of my friend, Brad's, creations that I became interested in wanting to learn how to do that. When my friend, Nona, had mentioned Goat n' Hammer in Atlanta, I quickly visited their website and saw they offered classes.
Under the guidance of the ever-patient and entertaining Mark Hopper, I have been honored and humbled to explore the realm of blacksmithing with the 4-part Introductory Series of classes: J-hook and S-hooks, fire poker, copper spoon (now steel spoon,) and a railroad spike knife.
After my first class, I couldn't feel my forearms and burned myself in two places. After my second class, Nona couldn't feel her forearms. Mark and Jessica told us about some exercises we could do to strengthen a "teeny tiny muscle" that is a flexor muscle.
If you succeed at other forms of art and hardwork, and you go into trying blacksmithing and apply things you know about whatever, you'll be sorely disappointed. Blacksmithing is quite a bit more than heating up some metal and smacking it with a hammer. There are body mechanics. There are ways various types of metal move under heat and when cold. It's like chasing a herd of cats, and then when you're done, you have this finished piece. This chasing cats activity is even more prevalent in working with copper. There was a point (the first hour and a half) where Nona and I looked at each other and said, "I have no idea what I'm doing, but apparently, I'm doing it right." We just followed instructions and continued from there. Hammer here, hammer there, file here, do this, go here, do that, not too much heat, more heat needed, and voila! A spoon! Okay, it's a bit more than that, but OUR first time? That's what it felt like.
Goat n' Hammer is located off Foster Street in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Goat Farm Arts Center. Classes are offered in the four part introduction series and now a blacksmithing curriculum as well. Mark and John are both very patient with newbies, and they offer open anvil sessions referred to as "Hammer Therapy" and open anvil without any form of guidance sessions called "Church."
And now....pictures....
Under the guidance of the ever-patient and entertaining Mark Hopper, I have been honored and humbled to explore the realm of blacksmithing with the 4-part Introductory Series of classes: J-hook and S-hooks, fire poker, copper spoon (now steel spoon,) and a railroad spike knife.
After my first class, I couldn't feel my forearms and burned myself in two places. After my second class, Nona couldn't feel her forearms. Mark and Jessica told us about some exercises we could do to strengthen a "teeny tiny muscle" that is a flexor muscle.
If you succeed at other forms of art and hardwork, and you go into trying blacksmithing and apply things you know about whatever, you'll be sorely disappointed. Blacksmithing is quite a bit more than heating up some metal and smacking it with a hammer. There are body mechanics. There are ways various types of metal move under heat and when cold. It's like chasing a herd of cats, and then when you're done, you have this finished piece. This chasing cats activity is even more prevalent in working with copper. There was a point (the first hour and a half) where Nona and I looked at each other and said, "I have no idea what I'm doing, but apparently, I'm doing it right." We just followed instructions and continued from there. Hammer here, hammer there, file here, do this, go here, do that, not too much heat, more heat needed, and voila! A spoon! Okay, it's a bit more than that, but OUR first time? That's what it felt like.
Goat n' Hammer is located off Foster Street in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Goat Farm Arts Center. Classes are offered in the four part introduction series and now a blacksmithing curriculum as well. Mark and John are both very patient with newbies, and they offer open anvil sessions referred to as "Hammer Therapy" and open anvil without any form of guidance sessions called "Church."
And now....pictures....
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