Your Guide To Everything Metal
Learn To Work with Iron, Steel, Silver, and More
Forging, welding, soldering, casting—metalworking encompasses all the ways artists work to transform and manipulate metal into functional furniture, ornamental cast bronze, delicate jewelry, and so much more.
In these guides, we collect the expertise of our 150+ faculty and master craftspeople to share with anyone interested in learning how to make their own objects by hand. In this section, you will hear from faculty members and guest artisans in our Blacksmithing, Foundry, Jewelry, and Welding Departments. We will cover everything from how to forge a knife in Blacksmithing to setting a gemstone in Jewelry.
Power Hammers 101: How To Use a Power Hammer
Learn how to work with power hammers and how they work in this introductory guide to blacksmithing with a power hammer....
Foundries 101: What Is A Foundry? What Foundry Workers Do?
Have you wondered what a foundry does? Learn the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals and how to start a foundry career....
Bronze Casting 101: Process of Casting Bronze [+How To Learn]
Learn the different uses for bronze casting in foundry and jewelry making, and how to get started in this beginner's guide to bronze casting....
Lost Wax Casting Guide
Learn the different types of lost wax casting, from metals to glass, and how to get started in this beginner's guide to lost wax casting....
16 Blacksmithing Techniques
Learn how to build your own blacksmithing forge and become a blacksmith with this step-by-step guide....
Beginners Guide to Metal Casting
Learn everything you wanted to know about metal casting from types of molds to different casting methods....
Metalworking 101: The Basics of Metalworking
In this beginner's guide to working with metal, learn everything you wanted to know about metalworking from techniques to how to get started....
Guide To Sword Making: Learn How To Forge A Sword
This guide will show you exactly how to forge your own sword—from exactly what tools you need to the history of sword making....
MIG Welding 101: Everything You Need To Know Before Learning MIG Welding
Learn the basics of how to start MIG welding in this introduction to how it works, the process, resources, and more....
TIG Welding 101: Everything You Need To Know Before Learning TIG Welding
Learn the basics of how to start TIG welding in this introduction to how it works, the process, resources, and more....
Guide to Jewelry Making
Learn how to start making jewelry, including key techniques, materials, steps, studio set-up, where to learn, and more....
Understanding the Different Types of Welding
There are many different types of welding to choose from, each with specific practical applications. Here, we cover the basics and more....
History of Welding: A Brief History
The origins of welding can be traced back thousands of years. Here, we cover the history from the Bronze age to the modern-day....
Welding 101: The Comprehensive Online Guide
Learn the basics of how to start welding in this introduction to four types of welding....
Blacksmithing Forge 101: How To Make Forges At Home
Learn how to build your own blacksmithing forge and become a blacksmith with this step-by-step guide....
Forge Welding 101: Beginners Guide To Forge Welding
Learn how to forge a knife and become a bladesmith with this 9-step guide that walks you through knife forging in a blacksmithing shop....
5 Blacksmithing Projects for Beginners to Learn
Start blacksmithing with these 5 projects for beginning blacksmiths. You can forge spoons, forks, hooks, and more in the smithy....
Bladesmithing
This guide will show you exactly how to start bladesmithing—from the fundamentals to exactly what tools you need to become a bladesmith....
Blacksmithing
Learn the basics of how to start blacksmithing in this introduction to becoming a blacksmith and setting up your own blacksmith shop....
How to Forge a Knife: Guide to Forging Knives
Learn how to forge a knife and become a bladesmith with this 9-step guide that walks you through knife forging in a blacksmithing shop....
Explore Other Mediums
The Crucible is the largest industrial arts nonprofit in the country, where we offer classes and studio time in 19+ areas. In these guides, we break down our studio areas and focus on sharing the knowledge of our instructors with you. You can explore our guides, defined by our four main areas: Earth, Glass, Metal, and Machine.
Want to Learn Something You Don’t See Here?
The Crucible’s Guides to Industrial Art are a work in progress. We are constantly working to provide the most up-to-date, informative guides to the industrial arts. Let us know what information you would like to see by filling out the form below.
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The Crucible has new classes offered weekly.
Youth Mexican Tin Art
Learn how to create tin art inspired by repujado and hojalata done in Mexico. After a brief history of the tradtional cultural practice and demonstration of techniques, emboss your...
Enamel Drawing
Line drawings can evolve into beautiful pieces of decorative or wearable art when interpreted in vitreous enamels on copper. Students will practice using transparent enamel to...
Stone Carving II
In this focused class, students will recreate a leaf in limestone using mallet and chisels. They will start by making a basic model of a leaf in wet clay to show depth and movement...
Throwing in Sections
In this intermediate to advanced class we will explore throwing large forms in parts on the wheel using measurements and heat to assemble a large pot! Students will then return the...
Pate-de-Verre Ornaments
One of the earliest techniques of glass manipulation, pâte-de-verre or “paste of glass” is a versatile kiln casting technique that uses glass paste. In this ornament focused...
3-Hour Taster: Framed Milagros
Design and fabricate framed Milagros inspired by traditional Mexican artwork and iconography. Create metal imagery like hearts, hands, and nature honoring the special moments in...
Ceramic Ornaments
Glaze your own ornaments to give to your loved ones! You will select three pre-fired ornaments to paint and glaze, learning about glazing techniques and color application. After...
Kiln Cast Glass Sculpture
Create one of a kind glass sculpture using wet clay. We will use ceramic sculpting techniques to create a solid shape that will be transformed into glass. Learn the basic skills...
Glass Bead Hearts
Open your heart to soft Italian glass, while making unique glass bead hearts in beautiful colors. Using table top Bravo torch, students will shape glass into heart beads, while...
Sand Blasting Imagery on Glass
Come learn some of the many ways we can use the sandblaster to etch images onto glass. In this three week intensive you will learn design principles for transferring images onto...
Youth Chibi: Miniature Figurines Weekend
Learn the basics of preparing, shaping, sculpting, cane making, and baking polymer clay. Use brightly colored clay to make small sculptures known as chibis, incorporating them into...
Youth Sandblasting
In this fun class you will use the Crucible cold shop to etch onto your own glass dishes and drink ware. You will learn to express your ideas in graphic images, how to hand and...
Exploration in Sand Casting
Learn the art of creating sand molds for casting hot glass into solid glass sculptures. Students explore various ways to work with ladle-cast glass, including using graphite blocks...
Pate-de-Verre Glass Bowls
One of the earliest techniques of glass manipulation, Pate-de-verre or “paste of glass,” is a versatile kiln casting technique that uses glass particles, mixed with a binder, and...
Lost Wax Kiln Cast Glass Sculpture
Make sculptural glass forms using the versatile lost wax technique. We will create a wax sculpture and cover it with refractory material to make our mold. The mold will be de-waxed...
