Blacksmithing: Traditional Joinery

When designing and creating works of forged iron, how separate pieces are held together can be just as beautiful as the pieces themselves.  Rivets, collars, tenions, pins, and wraps can add depth, dimension, and beauty to a design while holding various pieces of iron together.  This added beauty is what Legendary Master Blacksmith, Francis Whittaker, was pointing to when he said, “If the design requires an ARC weld, I change the design.”

This two-day workshop will explore a variety of traditional techniques to join metal together, including rivets, collars, tenions, and wraps.  We’ll discuss the relative advantages and limitations of each technique so students gain a better understanding of when and how to employ them.  Students will take home samples of joints that they’ve made.  This course is particularly useful for people interested in creating more complex work (such as gates, pot racks, or fireplace tool sets) who don’t have access to an electric welder.  Students should be at least at the level of an intermediate-beginner, with some experience of working with a coal fire.  All workshops run from 9AM- 5PM with an hour for lunch in the middle of the day.

Skills and Techniques:

• Rivets
• Several types of tenions
• Half lap joints
• Pass-throughs
• Collars

Materials Fee: $15 paid directly to the instructor.

Special Tools or Equipment: The farm makes available to students eye and ear protection, gloves, and aprons. Comfortable closed toed shoes and street clothes are recommended. If you have forge tools you like working with you are welcome to bring them.

Please be sure to read our 2025 policies before you register for a workshop which can be found here Workshop Policies