Adirondack Folk School

Open Forge Night
2022-08-17 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
Interested in blacksmithing but unsure how to start? Open Forge Night is the place for you! Every third Wednesday of the month during our blacksmithing season, come see demonstrations by expert blacksmith Steve Gurzler. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. If you want to try your hand at blacksmithing there is a $20 fee to cover the cost of materials. Safety precautions must be followed – including hard shoes with no open toes, long pants, goggles (supplied) and gloves (supplied).

Weaving 101: Introduction to Weaving on a Floor Loom
2022-08-17 10:00 - 13:00, 2022-08-16 10:00 - 13:00 | NY
Students will learn to weave through instruction and hands on experience! Students will learn about equipment, terminology, and the procee of weaving, including planning, winding a warp, dressing a loom, weaving and finishing. Students will make a sampler of plain and twill weaves. No prior look experience needed.

Intermed. Blacksmithing - Forging Transitions & Set-Ups for Various Shapes
2022-08-17 09:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-16 09:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-15 09:00 - 16:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
Forging a bar of stock into a particular shape, be it a cooking utensil, latch or other items requires two things. First, you need to know how much material is necessary to create the shape, the “set-up”, and second, how to forge out that shape, the “transition”, ensuring that they are both graceful and structurally sound. This class will explore traditional 18th century forging techniques with an emphasis on set-ups and transitions by forging a smiple spatula for hearth cooking as well as a more complicated key-hole spatula. Later we will explore latch making with the same emphasis. And lastly, finishing of your work by filing it to bring out its beauty and add details. Many examples of latches and hearth cooking utensils will be available for students to examine. Students should have a wrking knowledge and bility to manage a coal fire, basic hand forging knowledge and the ability to forge weld.

Sagamore Chair
2022-08-15 09:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-14 09:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-13 09:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-12 09:00 - 16:00 | NY
Over 100 years ago, the famous Sagamore Hotel was built as an exclusive resort on Lake George in the Adirondacks. Its luxurious and spacious accommodations attracted the millionaires of the day, and the hotel continues to bring people from around the world to its spectacular spot on the lake. Come create a bit of history as you build a Sagamore chair using patterns struck from one of the original chairs; all the forms and patterns necessary are provided. Learn how to steam bend local Adirondack Red Oak into the graceful forms of this one-of-a-kind chair that is both beautiful and comfortable. Working with a variety of hand tools, you will bend and fasten the slats, laminate frame elements, join everything together and sand, finish and complete a beautiful chair ready for a prominent spot in your camp or home. Some prior woodworking experience is helpful, but beginners are welcome too.

Rugs from Rags
2022-08-14 12:00 - 16:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
No weaving experience is necessary! The looms are dressed and ready to go, all you need to do is bring your creative spirit and to leave with a finished one-of-a-kind rug. Students will have a choice of making a traditional Rag Rug using recycled fabric strips or making a Sock Rug using remnants from a sock factory. Colors and choices of fabric and remnants vary from class to class depending on availability. The rugs are 24″ wide, and up to 45″ long.

Introduction to Traditional Joinery
2022-08-14 09:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-13 09:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-12 09:00 - 16:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
Take that next step in your blacksmithing journey by learning traditional joinery work. The project is a fun, simple forgiving project where students will learn several processes: traditional corners, collars, tenons, rivets, slitting/drifting, beveled scrolls, fish-tail scrolls and regular scrolls where you will also learn how to determine the lengths of steel required to achieve a finished dimension. Learning these processes will enable you to move forward to projects limited only by your imagination!

Double-Bottomed Bushel Basket
2022-08-14 09:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-13 09:00 - 16:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
This is a great class for a first-time weaver, as well as for those who would like to learn some new weave patterns to create a unique piece. A variety of techniques will be discussed, including arrow weave and four-rod wale, as well as the use of color to create pattern. Students will begin by weaving a double-bottomed twined base. As they weave up the sides with the stop-start method, students may then choose to incorporate a variety of color and pattern which interests them. The basket is finished with a pair of leather handles made during class. With a double-bottomed base, this is a very sturdy and functional basket, as well as uniquely yours. Dimensions approx. 10″ diameter, 8″ high.

Adirondack Dulcimer Making
2022-08-13 09:00 - 17:00, 2022-08-12 09:00 - 18:00, 2022-08-11 09:00 - 17:00, 2022-08-10 09:00 - 16:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
Drawing from over 30 years of fine instrument making, Martin Macica will share his knowledge of the principles and practice of dulcimer making, leading participants through the process of making their own dulcimer from scratch using hand tools. This intensive course will cover every aspect of dulcimer making, including the carving of the scroll. Participants will leave with a working knowledge of dulcimer making, and a handcrafted instrument ready for a lifetime of making music.

AFS Sewing Circle
2022-08-11 10:00 - 14:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
Calling all fiber artists! Do you have a project you’re in the middle of? Want some company while you work? Sounds like AFS Sewing Circle is the place for you! Quilters, knitters, and fiber artists alike are welcome to join us every month for an afternoon of quilting and camaraderie. Bring your works in progress, and enjoy sharing your experience and the company of your fellow quilters. Pre-registration is not required. All are welcome!

Beginning Crochet - Make a Dishcloth
2022-08-10 18:00 - 21:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
Learning to crochet is a snap! Don’t feel intimidated by the lovely creations that you see. You can learn to make them, too. Patricia will help you learn several different stitches as you make something beautiful for your home or a gift. Ages 8 and up.

Fancy Field Basket
2022-08-07 09:00 - 17:00 | NY
Using natural and dyed reed the 2/2 twill makes the continuous weave fast going as you shape this square basket. When you get to the rim, the braided design in natural reed adds a fancy touch. You’ll find many uses for this basket! Color may vary slightly. 8.5″ x 8.5″ x 8.5″

Paper Birch Basket
2022-08-06 17:00 - 21:00 | NY
The colors of the bark used along with pine needles and the applied rim accent show nature’s beauty at work in this project. There’s no limit to what you can use this basket for! This basket is woven with birch bark harvested from Dona’s trees in Vermont and lashed with waxed linen. When complete, this basket feels as soft as leather. 4″ x 3″ wide x 3″ high

Birch Bark Bowls
2022-08-06 09:00 - 14:00 | NY
Learn how to cut, fold and shape from a rigid sheet of birch bark. Add pine needles or a tree branch for the rim and stitch with waxed linen. Students will make one bowl in class and leave with material to make another at home. This is a nice birch bark set to display! Low bowl: 6″ x 7.5″. Round bowl: 3.5″ x 3.5″ x 12.5″ around.

Mortise and Tenon Construction
2022-08-05 09:00 - 16:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
This class will focus on the proper making of mortise and tenon joinery for gate and railing construction. You’ll make the tooling, punches, drifts, monkey tools and more. Special tools used by professional smiths to increase consistency of dimension will be shown and made. The secret of forging angled tenons easily and accurately will also be taught.

Blacksmithing 102C: Make Like a Tree
2022-07-31 09:00 - 13:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
Nature has been a source of artistic inspiration for thousands of years. Leaves have been a part of decorative blacksmithing for a long time, and there are many different types of leaves one can make. This class is intended for students who have taken a basic/beginner class and who understand the basic techniques and concepts. We will start by making leaves with just the hammer and anvil, and then begin using tools like chisels and decorative punches.

Blacksmithing 102B: Using Jigs and Making Batches
2022-07-30 14:00 - 18:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
Hooks are one of the most useful things a new blacksmith can make. Russ started off making them as practice pieces but found that they get used wherever they end up. They are used in many projects, and this makes them an excellent stepping stone for learning how to manufacture things in bulk. We will start by making hooks by hand with just the hammer and anvil. After that, students will use various tools and jigs to speed up production. The goal is to produce 5 matching hooks. This class is intended for students who have taken a 101 class and understand the basics of forging and how to manage a coal fire.

Natural Details: Photographing Nature in Motion
2022-07-30 09:00 - 17:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
This class is geared towards beginner to intermediate photographers who want to learn solid fundamentals and put them into practice with instruction, with an emphasis on photographing nature closeup, waterfalls, grasses, plants etc. This should allow almost anyone with a digital camera to create artistic shots without relying on waiting for animals or birds. Participants should have access to a tripod. Dave will share an intro slideshow of his work and a discussion on ethics, safety, subject knowledge and increasing success rate. There will be a handout that covers discussion points of basic camera use, lens selection, composition and more. This class will include shooting in the field at a location picked dependent on the time of year.

Blacksmithing 102A: Bottle Opener
2022-07-30 09:00 - 13:00 | Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 12846, United States
This class follows the lessons learned in Blacksmithing 101. First students will use top tools and punches to make decorative faces. To make the bottle opener, students start with bar stock and will learn how to fuller, punch and drift, as well as work in a team with another smith.
