In this course, students will learn to bend and shape steel. Students will practice traditional blacksmithing techniques, such as tapering, bending, twisting, and punching; using the forge and anvil. This class will cover shop safety, fire management, tools and equipment, and the appropriate use of the various parts of the anvil. Students will leave with valuable skills in blacksmithing while gaining self-confidence with completed projects such as a bracelet, hook, fork, or spoon.

What to Wear in the Metals Studio?  

You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Layers are encouraged, as the studio can be very cold or very hot. 

Welding students are recommended to wear long sleeve shirts to prevent arc-flash burns. Additional protective gear shall be provided as needed. 

Personal Property: 

Personal materials will need to go home with you at the end of each class. We do not provide storage. 

All Monday and Tuesday classes will be available to register on Monday, February 3 at 8:00 am.

Ever wonder what goes on inside a metalworking studio? Come and try out a selection of metalworking techniques in our classroom studio! Sample practicing a variety of cold-work and hot-work processes! Students will try their hand at welding, blacksmithing, fabrication, and sheet-metal along with a highly experienced Metal-Fabricator!

What to Wear in the Metals Studio?  

You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Layers are encouraged, as the studio can be very cold or very hot. 

Welding students are recommended to wear long sleeve shirts to prevent arc-flash burns. Additional protective gear shall be provided as needed. 

Personal Property: 

Personal materials will need to go home with you at the end of each class. We do not provide storage. 

All supplies and materials will be provided.

All Wednesday and Thursday classes will be available to register on Wednesday, February 5 at 8:00 am.

In this 4 week class, students will use several of the fundamental techniques of blacksmithing to forge themselves two pairs of tongs. We will cover basic forging technique, hot punching holes, offsetting and isolating material, hot riveting, and the safe operation of a mechanical power hammer. These tongs are the perfect stepping-off point for students to continue their own pursuit of the forging art, as well as to dive into the exciting world of tool making. A prerequisite knowledge of forging is recommended, but not required for this class. Students who have taken the forging fundamental class will feel quite comfortable in this class, as it will build on the knowledge from the fundamentals class. Students with no prior experience are welcome, but may have to work a bit slower at first while gaining comfort and confidence.

What to Wear in the Metals Studio?  

You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Layers are encouraged, as the studio can be very cold or very hot. 

Welding students are recommended to wear long sleeve shirts to prevent arc-flash burns. Additional protective gear shall be provided as needed. 

Personal Property: 

Personal materials will need to go home with you at the end of each class. We do not provide storage. 

All supplies and materials will be provided.

All Wednesday and Thursday classes will be available to register on Wednesday, February 5 at 8:00 am.

Ever wonder what goes on inside a metalworking studio? Come and try out a selection of metalworking techniques in our classroom studio! Sample practicing a variety of cold-work and hot-work processes! Students will try their hand at welding, blacksmithing, fabrication, and sheet-metal along with a highly experienced Metal-Fabricator!

What to Wear in the Metals Studio?  

You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Layers are encouraged, as the studio can be very cold or very hot. 

Welding students are recommended to wear long sleeve shirts to prevent arc-flash burns. Additional protective gear shall be provided as needed. 

Personal Property: 

Personal materials will need to go home with you at the end of each class. We do not provide storage. 

All supplies and materials will be provided.

All Friday, Saturday, and Sunday classes will be available to register on Friday, February 7 at 8:00 am. 

Metal Studio Clay Stamp 1 Day Class

Tired of the same old clay textures? Want to add a unique, personal touch to your pottery? Then dive into the exciting world of metal stamp making! Join us for a fun, hands-on, 2-hour workshop where you'll transform ordinary metal into extraordinary tools for your clay creations.

What's the Scoop?

Metal Magic: Step into our metal studio and discover the surprisingly accessible art of metalworking. We'll start with a quick and easy demo covering basic filing and hammering techniques – no prior experience necessary!

Stamp It Your Way: Get inspired by our provided examples, or let your imagination run wild! Create custom stamps with patterns, textures, letters, or anything your heart desires.

Clay's Best Friend: These handmade stamps are perfect for adding intricate details and unique textures to your pottery projects.

Fun & Friendly: This workshop is designed to be approachable and enjoyable for all skill levels, especially clay enthusiasts! 

Creating a metal cuff is an excellent project for learning metalworking techniques such as shaping, filing, texturing, and finishing. A metal cuff bracelet can be simple or highly decorative, depending on your design.

What to Wear in the Metals Studio?

We wish for all students to have a safe and enjoyable learning experience. Proper safety equipment and PPE will be provided for use within the studio.

Please dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class inall-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heelshoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair should betied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are notrecommended around machines, equipment, or processes that can producehot fragments, sparks, or flames. Please avoid synthetic blends, as100% cotton is recommended. Layers are encouraged, as the studio canbegin cool then become very hot.

Welding students are recommended to wear long sleeve shirts to preventarc-flash burns (much like a sunburn). 

All students participating in activities involving sparks or hot metal are encouraged to wear leather boots or older shoes.

Please bring a re-fillable water bottle!

Class Policies & Information:

Open Lab: This class includes access to the studio during Open Lab hours. Open Lab is exclusively for students who are currently enrolled in the program. You are allowed to attend one Open Lab session per week, totaling 3 hours during the duration of your class. You may only attend the Open Lab session for the class in which you are registered. This time is intended for independent work on your class project. While studio staff will be present, they are there to ensure you are using the tools safely, not to provide instruction.

Class Make-Up: Our studios are full with adult and youth classes 7 days a week, 48 weeks a year. Typically, every class is full, which means there is simply no space for students to make up classes. If we cancel an entire class due to weather or other emergencies, we can not guarantee we will be able to schedule a make-up class. Individuals who miss a class will not be able to make it up. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about missed classes.

Studio Clean Up: Clean-up is critical! Please help our hardworking staff and volunteers by beginning clean-up 30 minutes before the end of class, helping out with common areas, and leaving class on time.

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Friday, April 4 at 8:00am. 

This hands-on blacksmithing course is designed for young makers who want to explore the ancient craft of blacksmithing in a fun, safe, and engaging environment. Students will practice traditional blacksmithing techniques such as tapering, bending, and twisting, while learning to use the forge and anvil. Alongside developing valuable crafting skills, participants will gain confidence as they complete a range of creative projects, including but not limited to: a bracelet, hook, and snail.

Throughout the class, students will receive expert guidance on shop safety, fire management, proper tool usage, and how to work effectively with the anvil. By the end of the course, each participant will have the opportunity to leave with their very own handmade metal projects and a basic knowledge of blacksmithing.

What to Wear in the Metals Studio?

We wish for all students to have a safe and enjoyable learning experience. Proper safety equipment and PPE will be provided for use within the studio.

Please dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class inall-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heelshoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair should betied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are notrecommended around machines, equipment, or processes that can producehot fragments, sparks, or flames. Please avoid synthetic blends, as100% cotton is recommended. Layers are encouraged, as the studio canbegin cool then become very hot.

Welding students are recommended to wear long sleeve shirts to preventarc-flash burns (much like a sunburn). 

All students participating in activities involving sparks or hot metal are encouraged to wear leather boots or older shoes.

Please bring a re-fillable water bottle!

Personal Property: 

Personal materials will need to go home with you at the end of each class. We do not provide storage. 

All Monday and Tuesday classes will be available to register on Monday, March 31 at 8:00am.

“Totem” stems from the Algonquian meaning “kinship group”

Kinship between the earth (materials- clay and metal) and with one another. In this unique class you will be designing and creating your own totem.  These stacked forms will consist of clay and metal forms.  We suggest you bring in found wire such as copper, brass or steel if you would like to incorporate this kinetic movement into your totem.  

We will look at several examples and have demos on different construction methods (slab, pinch, coil, and ribbon) as well as the surface treatment of your individual beads for your totem.  There also will be an opportunity to make several pieces and exchange pieces with other students to create a different look to your totem, if you so desire.

The first 2-3 weeks of class we will be hand building clay beads of all shapes and sizes including spacers and totem toppers (birdhouse, birdbath, animal or other forms).  

We will have glaze demos, including: wax, tape, decals, and painting.  We will be spending part of week 3 and all of week 4 glazing.  A few questions to ponder:  will your pieces be glazed differently or will they all have similar textures, colors and designs? Do they tell a story or are they a mixture? Are they for inside your home or for your garden/yard?

The next three weeks will be in the metal studio making the base, metal beads, spacers and or toppers.  There will be demos and discussions throughout the classes on how these two materials work together creating an overall flow to your piece.

The last week we will be assembling your totems which will tell the story of your interests, creativity, experiences, influences and curiosities.  

Bring your ideas, sketches or images of what you would like to build.  

What to Wear in the Metals Studio?  

You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Layers are encouraged, as the studio can be very cold or very hot. 

Welding students are recommended to wear long sleeve shirts to prevent arc-flash burns. Additional protective gear shall be provided as needed. 

Personal Property:  Personal materials will need to go home with you at the end of each class. We do not provide storage. 

All supplies and materials will be provided.

This class takes place in the hand building studio and metal shop at the new Groundworks Studio Space at 3750 Canfield Street Boulder 

Age 16+

Level 2 Hand building - Must have Level 1+ clay experience

Clay- first 4 weeks of class

Metal- second 4 weeks of class

Fusion of clay and metal will be the assembly of your totem the final week of class with potluck and discussion of work

Will be available for registration Wednesday, April 2 at 8:00am