Forge Your Own Blacksmithing Tools
Make a selection below
Class Days: Please make a selection aboveWednesday
Class Time: Please make a selection above6:30pm-9:30pm (15 total hours)
Age Group: Ages 16+
Class Code: Please make a selection above2BLK54B23-A
Continuing Class (See prerequisites in description) Blacksmithing
Description
All students must review and adhere to all Crucible Health and Safety Policies.
At this time, individuals are not required to show proof of vaccination or wear a mask inside our facility. We strongly encourage staff, faculty, students, and visitors to wear masks and stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations in order to keep our community safe.
Students wishing to transfer must first withdraw from their registered class, adhering to the Crucible withdrawal policy. Any refund or credit due after withdrawal can be applied to enrollment in a different class.
Refunds for classes regularly priced at $200 or less:
- Withdrawals made 14 or more days before the first class date: Full refund less $50 registration fee
- Withdrawals made 7-13 days before the first class date: Full refund less $50 registration fee plus $25 processing fee
- Withdrawals made 6 or fewer days before the first class date: Ineligible for refund or transfer
Refunds for adult classes regularly priced over $200 and youth classes outside of youth weeklong camps:
- Withdrawals made 14 or more days before the first class date: Full refund less $100 registration fee
- Withdrawals made 7-13 days before the first class date: Full refund less $100 registration fee plus $25 processing fee
- Withdrawals made 6 or fewer days before the first class date: Ineligible for refund or transfer
Refunds for Youth Spring and Summer Weeklong Camps:
- Withdrawals made 30 or more days before the first class date: Full refund less $100 registration fee
- Withdrawals made 7-29 days before the first class date: Full refund less $100 registration fee plus $50 processing fee
- Withdrawals made 6 or fewer days before the first class date: Ineligible for refund or transfer
Read our full withdrawal and transfer policy here.
If you wish to withdraw from a class or have questions about the class registration process, please email [email protected].
Select date to see instructor
Chris Niemer
Christopher Niemer was born with metal in his blood—both his father and grandfather were machinists. Chris Niemer has been Department Head of The Crucible's Blacksmithing Department since its first opened it doors in 1999. “For me, metalsmithing is a form of alchemy, forging the past into the future using the tools that are present.” Keep reading.
The most prominent thing that Chris sees students getting out of the smithy is a tactile understanding of physical properties and geometry and an appreciation for how things are made. The results of a wrong hammer blow are very graphic. Learning how to work with metal teaches students how to understand angles, positioning, and force and how that is applied to material. Students also gain a new perspective on metalwork and walk away with being able to see the difference between machine-made and handmade. As Chris put it, “when things are exactly alike, you know a machine made it. When things have variance, you know that a human hand was involved.”
Chris credits The Crucible with giving him the greatest source of unrestrained creativity in his artistic work and he is grateful to have gotten the chance to build the smithy into one of the Bay Area’s best places to swing a hammer!
Upcoming Classes
Sign up to be notified the next time new sessions are added.
You Might Also Be Interested 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...
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...
Makers Mark and Leather Bag
Students will design a personalized stamping tool used to mark their signature on embellishable goods. By the end of this week-long immersive experience, student will have a deep...
Jewelry and Metals III
Working in base metal, students add to their skill levels by focusing on soldering long seems, precision cutting, and new construction concepts. Makers create a Box with a Lifting...
Techniques in Ornamental Iron Work
Take your skills to the next level and begin producing work that sells! This class covers traditional decorative ironwork methods and introduces the power hammer. You will explore...
TIG Welding I
TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) or GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) is the type of welding commonly used for delicate work and non-ferrous metals. It uses an AC/DC power source, a...
MIG Welding
MIG (metal inert gas) is the most common type of modern welding. It is a process by which a welding machine focuses electricity along a moving metal wire that is fed through a hose...
Blacksmithing II
Deepen your knowledge in this sequel to Blacksmithing I. This class is designed to develop your basic skills along with techniques including scroll-making, collaring, basic...