Blacksmithing Experience Day - led by Max Anderson with the assistance of Giles Clarke. Priced per person and limited to 8 students.

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Your course takes place at the Rowhurst Forge blacksmithing and heritage site, where decorative ironwork of a world-class standard has been produced by the Quinnell family since 1932. You will based in the teaching area of our forge, and you will have the chance to see the beautiful work of leading British artistic metalworkers in our well-known Fire & Iron Gallery.

Your course will start promptly at 9:00am and finish at approximately 5:00pm (may go on a little longer if required).

NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!

Your tutor will guide you through the various techniques involved in the fascinating craft of forging hot iron (‘blacksmithing’). All items you make, you can take home with you.

You will warm up in the morning by getting stuck in straight away with hands-on introductions into some of the key blacksmith processes whilst making a leaf keyring(s), a bottle opener and a leaf coat hook (items may vary slightly on the day). You will be taught how to correctly use a variety of hand tools and equipment. By the end of the day you will have learnt to manage your own fire, alongside a variety of skills and techniques required to manipulate the metal. You will have also utilised the following blacksmithing processes: Drawing down/tapering, bending, punching a hole.

Please bring a packed lunch with you.

• Tea, coffee & bottled water is provided all day. (decaf tea and coffee also available)

• Homemade cake and/or brownies, and a selection of biscuits (not homemade) on offer throughout the day

• Beer (pale ale or lager from the local ‘Pilgrim Brewery’ in Reigate) or a J2o will be provided to end the day to ‘test’ your bottle opener!

• All required PPE is provided (with the exception of boots - see notes below)

Feel free to take a look at our photo gallery to get an idea on what to expect.

We will provide tea, coffee, bottled water and biscuits, but please bring a packed lunch with you for both days.

Our booking terms can be found via the menu on our website or by following this link

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This experience day is suitable for absolute beginners (adults, and teenagers from the age of 14 upwards***).

Classes are limited to 8 students, each with their own forge, anvil, leg vice and all necessary hand tools. PPE is provided - safety glasses, leather gloves, leather apron, and optional earplugs & face masks. For hygiene reasons, you are required to bring your own safety boots - please read our health & safety information for further details on this.

Students are encouraged to discover the properties of hot iron, with the sympathetic expert guidance of our excellent tutors. The emphasis is on learning basic techniques of hot forging during the making of decorative and/or useful objects.

Past students have described the experience as 'amazing' and 'mind blowing', and the satisfaction of proud makers showing off their achievements at the end of the weekend is very evident. With our decades of experience, and over 1600 very happy students to date, we can confidently guarantee that you will enjoy yourself enormously!

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or queries QSB@fireandiron.co.uk - 01372 360494

**** We can take younger students, down to 11 years old, but only on condition that if under 16, they must have a parent or close family adult member also booked on the course with them, they must be well-motivated and really want to take the course and must have reasonable stamina. Alternatively, we offer shorter and tailored ‘one on one’ courses, suitable for younger students - with these, an adult does not need to participate, but must be present and can observe throughout. Please contact us to discuss before booking.