Making hooks in blacksmithing is a practical and enjoyable way to hone your forging skills. Whether you are creating simple utility hooks for hanging, or more decorative ones for artistic purposes, the process teaches fundamental blacksmithing techniques and can be applied to a wide variety of projects.

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 class will be a comprehensive overview of the table, Inclinding: 

• Review of individual components and proper set up (Adjusting blade height and angle - Fence adjustments, ect)

• Execution of the different types of cut (Rip cut, Cross cut, Miter cuts)

• Safety Procedures (From how and where to stand, to hand placement, to board manipulation,  we will be offering an in depth look at safe and repeatable operations while on the table saw during all of its varying cuts. Students will practice without the blade at first, to gain comfort and so they can review their execution of the process before moving on to actually making cuts.      

The main focus of this class is to provide a safe and fun experience on a machine that when operated properly can elevate a woodworker's capabilities going forward. From cutting joinery to dimensioning boards to finished lengths and width, the table saw is paramount to becoming an all around woodworker. 

Class Policies & Information:

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.

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Monday, March 31 at 8:00am.

The Book Arts League is excited to announce that we will now offer open studio hours! Our shop will be available monthly for you to print your work. Below are the open studio dates for the first quarter. BAL board members will be your hosts and will assist you with your printing projects. Please bring your own paper and get ready to print!

WEDNESDAY April 9th — 4:30-6:30PM

WEDNESDAY May 14th — 4:30-6:30PM

WEDNESDAY June 11th — 4:30-6:30PM 

Welcome to Quick Print! These one-time classes offer students a crash course in one specific type of print without the commitment of a multi-week class. Perfect for beginners, experimenters, or anyone looking for a fun way to learn a new skill fast!

Learn the basics of relief printmaking using linoleum. This class provides an introduction to carving a linoleum block to create a small series of prints. Linoleum is great for beginners and seasoned printmakers alike as it doesn't have a grain like wood so carving it is nice and smooth.

Students will try introductory techniques, including carving a linoleum block, mixing and rolling ink, and making a print using the press. Once you start carving, you won't want to stop!

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Wednesday, April 2 at 8:00 am.

Making metal folded flowers is a rewarding and creative blacksmithing project that combines the beauty of nature with the strength of metal. This process allows you to create abstract flowers out of metal by folding hot steel like paper.

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 Wednesday, April 2 at 8:00am. 

This class will be a comprehensive overview of the Chop Saw, Jointer and Planer, Including:

• Review of individual components of each machine and including set up (Adjusting fences, setting for square, ect)
• Execution of the primary purposes of each of these machines. (We will mainly focus on their primary and secondary functions as it pertains to the milling of rough lumber)
• Safety Procedures (You will be shown how and where to stand, How to operate and perform the functions for milling in a very calculated way that puts forth the safety of you and the people around you. 

The main purpose of this class is to help students feel comfortable on these machines, which are vital to the process of milling lumber for future projects in a way that emphasizes safety, why having fun, and introducing new and exciting processes. 

Each person will get hands-on experience, guided by an instructor, and will have ample opportunity to practice the procedure taught during the class.

Class Policies & Information:

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.

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Monday, March 31 at 8:00am.

Welcome to Quick Print! These one-time classes offer students a crash course in one specific type of print without the commitment of a multi-week course. Perfect for beginners, experimenters, or anyone looking for a fun way to learn a new skill fast!

Drypoint printmaking is a fascinating intaglio (incising a plate) technique where images are scratched into a plate with a hard-pointed needle or tool. The scratches create burrs (raised edges) that hold ink, making it easy to get started with printing your design. And don't worry, you don't have to be an expert at drawing - we have stacks of magazines you can trace images out of.

Drypoint is the perfect combination of precision, technique, and total creative freedom, offering endless possibilities for unique and expressive artwork. Enjoy the process, and let your creativity flow!

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Wednesday, April 2 at 8:00 am.

Join Julia Seko and Greg Robl in Pressure Printing is a fun method of printing on the letterpresses in our shop. It's an alternative image-making technique in which we put a type-high inked surface in the bed of the press. Participants create a low-relief collage on an acetate sheet, then layer it behind a clean sheet of paper and run both through the press over the inked block. The irregularities of the collage force some parts of the paper deeper into the ink, essentially transferring the collage images to the paper from behind. The resulting prints have a unique texture and soft quality that can be embellished with rubber stamps or used as a background for other letterpress printing techniques. Join us for a day of creative exploration!

To make sure everyone has a chance to refuel, we've scheduled a lunch break. Packing a lunch is recommended.

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Wednesday, April 2 at 8:00 am.