Knight Foundry’s Blacksmith Class
General Course Description
Welcome to our California Blacksmith Level 1 & Level 2 Blacksmithing classes at the Historic Knight Foundry. Located in the heart of California’s Mother Lode gold mining district, Knight & Co. stood for generations as one of California’s pre-eminent industrial facilities, serving the needs of the gold mines and later the hydro power, timber and agricultural industries. Today the Foundry is undergoing restoration as a world-class industrial education center, focused on preserving the fundamental industrial skills that used to be taught in public schools.
Knight Foundry is excited to announce that we are now offering California Blacksmith Association Level #1 and Level #2 classes. These classes will be given by CBA certified instructor Dennis Tingle. To sign up for these classes you must be a CBA member prior to the first meeting. For more information on what will be covered in the Level 1 and 2 classes or to join CBA please go to www.calsmith.org
Please scroll down for the description of California Blacksmith Association Level 1 & Level 2.
Classes are held on the fourth Saturday of every month, unless changed by the class instructor. Classes start at 9am and end around 2pm. Cost is $50 per class, per student. There are no time constraints or expectations placed on the completion of these levels, as each individual has different levels of learning and access to a blacksmith shop.
We also offer an introduction to blacksmithing class 4 times a year. This is a class designed for the beginning blacksmith student. For more information on what this class covers please contact us. Dates for the 2024 Introduction to Blacksmithing classes are February 17th, May 18th, August 17th and October 19th.
If you are interested in signing up for our Blacksmith Classes, please fill out the application and our liability form and return to Frank Cunha, address below. You will receive a confirmation and your name will be added to our waiting list.
For more information please contact Alena Carnes or Jered Hampton, blacksmith@knightfoundry.com, 209-560-6160
We look forward to seeing you!
Frank Cunha, Director
Knight Foundry Alliance
2024 Introduction to Blacksmithing classes are
Saturday, September 7th
and October 19th.
Please fill out and submit the following:
CBA Level I: Basic Blacksmithing
Projects
This certificate will be awarded to those who have completed the Level I, basic training or the equivalent. They will have presented to their instructor the Farm Gate Latch (see website) and have passed a safety test. By doing so they have shown an understanding of the basic skills of a blacksmith, including:
- Safety
- Nomenclature of the anvil
- Hammers and types of hammer blow
- Tapers (Square octagon, round)
- Handheld punch in a round hole
- Hot cut (chisel or top tool)
- Heat treatment
- 7/8 x 1/8 slot Punch (or equivalent)
- Hammer, eye drift (1/2 by 7/8)
- Monkey tool (precursor to making a hammer – level 2)
- Butcher (chisel or top tool)
- Upsetting
- Round tenon
- Tenon Tool
- Forge welding
- Bending over the bick or horn
CBA Level II: Apprentice
Projects
This certificate is awarded to those who show competence in all the skills required at the basic level. In addition, they will show that they can apply those skills in the construction of articles, as well as pass a safety test.
They will begin to learn how to make the tools required for this and the third level, Forging to Dimension. To receive this certificate, the blacksmith will present to their instructor a complete rectangular frame that uses traditional joinery (two L-shaped pieces with one end tenoned and the other punched with an upset square corner between; refer to the Intermediate Grill Drawing).
The frame is to be filled with the four different ends as shown for each scroll and the scrolls collared together. It is suggested that the student first transfer the drawing onto metal and practice forging to dimension.
Passing this level demonstrates competence in the Intermediate skills of a blacksmith including:
- Leafing hammer
- Spring Fuller
- Making a heading plate for bottom tools
- Cape chisel (maybe needed for heading plate)
- Hardy tools (Bottom swage) (case hardening)
- Scrollwork and the scroll form
- E.G. Ribbon scroll
- Fish tail (scroll form)
- Half Penny
- Beveled Scroll
- Scrolling fork (case hardening – bottom tools)
- Scrolling Tongs (riveting) (draw out or forge-weld reins)
- Forge-welding (lap or drop tong weld)
- Open or flat jaw tongs (draw out or forge-weld reins)
- Collars
- Upset square corner