Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy
​Blacksmithing                                                                                         Spring 2020

​Students and teachers must be able to readily switch to online lessons at any point in the semester in order to register for classes.

All students must complete a project for this class.


Instructor:Ted Guimond 
Contact Information: tguimond@comcast.net
Guimond Metal Art Studio, 04160 County Road 689, South Haven, MI

Additional registration at the location is required!        ***These classes fall under both Humanities and Vocational Education in registration***                 
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​ Guimond Metal Art Studio requires that at least one adult representative from each class remain with the class to provide instructor with “two deep leadership” for safety and liability purposes.  Parents to work this schedule out among themselves.

                                     ****Required Materials for all Classes****
-Students should wear natural fiber clothing: (100% cotton, flax, bamboo, silk or hemp shirt and pants). 
-Students should wear closed toed shoes (preferably leather).
-long hair tied back
-no jewelry
-pencil and notebook
-personal water

Blacksmithing for the Younger Crowd
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages: 9-11
Description: An introduction to the art of blacksmithing for children aged 9 to 11 years old. Students will learn the basics of working with a coal forge and a gas forge, hand forging, decorative twists and the use of special tools.Students will begin with simple projects such as nails, kabob skewers, and "S" hooks using lighter guage materials than are used in Blacksmithing I. More complex projects are possible depending on the student's ability. Students who have previously taken this class will be offered alternative projects to replace the ones listed.
​Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: $15
Syllabus

Blacksmithing I
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages: 12+
Description: Blacksmithing 1 is an introduction to the art of blacksmithing. Students will learn the basics of working with a coal forge and a gas forge. hand forging, decorative twists and use of special tools. Students will begin with simple projects such as nails, kabob skewers, "S" hooks, coat hooks and letter openers. More complex projects are possible depending on the student's ability. Students who have previously taken this class will be offered alternative projects to replace the ones listed.
Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: $15
Syllabus

Blacksmithing II
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages: 14+
Description: This class is designed for the blacksmithing student who has some forging experience or is at least 14 years old. Projects will build on the skills taught in Blackmithing I. Greater Emphasis will be placed on design elements and more complex projects. The projects include, but are not limited to: making a pair of blacksmith tongs, candle holder, towel bar, forge welded poker handle, tool making, and heat treating. The student will use coal and gas forges and various blacksmith related tools while learning and practicing the blacksmithing skills of hand forging, drawing a taper, twisting, scrolling, bending, splitting, forming rings, drilling, and forging decorative elements. Students who have previously taken this class will be offered alternative projects to replace the ones listed.
Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: $15
​Syllabus

Upcycled Blacksmithing 
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages: 12+
Description: Upcycling is converting used or discarded items for a new purpose.  Upcycled Blacksmithing is the use of materials that have been picked up from a scrap pile, or discarded from one purpose and are forged into new and useful items in the blacksmith shop.  Examples are, but not limited to: kitchen knife from industrial coil spring, herb chopper from lawn mower blade, barrettes and pendants from political lawn sign support rods, dinner triangle chimes from old re-rod, letter opener from railroad spike…many possibilities
Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: Cost of materials in excess of $20
Syllabus

​Hand Forged Items for Around the Home
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages: 13+ 
Description: Student will use coal and gas forges and various blacksmith related tools while learning and practicing the blacksmithing skills of hand forging, drawing a taper, twisting, scrolling, bending, splitting, drilling, joinery and forging decorative elements while making several hand forged items for use around the home. Projects include a back scratcher, door pull, coat hooks, toilet paper and towel holders, candle holder, tablet/book stand, trivet, boot scraper, and large serving fork. Students who have previously taken this class will be offered alternative projects to replace the ones listed.
Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: $20
​Syllabus

Advanced Projects: Hand Forged Campfire Cooking Set
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages: 14+ 
Description: Students in this class will make a campfire cooking set consisting of: 3 kabob skewers, 3 "S" hooks, a fire poker, a fire pit combination horizontal and tripod fire pit stand, fire pit stand crane, and an adjustable trammel hook. The student will use coal and gas forges and various blacksmith related tools while learning and practicing the blacksmithing skills of hand forging, drawing a taper, twisting, scrolling, bending, splitting, forming rings, forming spirals, drilling, and forging decorative elements. Students who have previously taken this class will be offered alternative projects to replace the ones listed.
Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: $25
Syllabus
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Advanced Projects: Hand Forged Fireplace Set
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages: 14+ 
Description: Students in this advanced class will use the blacksmithing techniques of hand forging, drawing down a taper, bending, twisting, scrolling, punching, riveting, threading rods, and fabricating to create a fireplace tool set consisting of a poker, a shovel, an ash rake, a broom, and a stand to hold the tools. Emphasis will be placed on decorative design elements. 
Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: $20
Syllabus

Advanced Projects: Items for Historical Reenactors
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages: 14+ 
Description: This class is designed for the blacksmithing student who has some forging experience or is at least 14 years old.  Projects will build on the skills taught in basic blacksmithing lasses. Greater emphasis will be placed on functionality of design.  Projects are all geared toward use in historical reenactment camping gear. Projects will be based on Early American through civil war design and include: tent stakes, fire blowpipe, fire poker, jam hook for lantern, free standing lantern hook, tent hook rifle slings, flag pole holder, horse shoe puzzle.
Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: $25
​Syllabus

Advanced Independent Projects
Days/Times: Contact Instructor to arrange eight two-hour sessions. Sessions will be in groups of 2-4 students.
Ages:  Minimum of 14 years old and prior experience required.
Description: Blacksmithing: Advanced Independent Projects is a class designed for the student who has successfully completed at least two blacksmithing classes, or has other experience deemed a sufficient prerequisite by the instructor.  Individual students will propose their personal projects for the instructor’s review and acceptance. Students will work on their selected projects under the guidance of the instructor. Metal for projects will be the responsibility of the student’s family.  Number of projects completed will depend on project difficulty and student skills.
Materials fee charged to student's parent/guardian: Cost of materials in excess of $20.
Syllabus

*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
Teacher of Record: Tom Hurst