McLellan Blacksmithing

Beginners I
2025-09-13 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | McLellan Blacksmithing, 6961 Horseshoe Bar Road, Loomis, CA, 95650, United States
Class to cover basic techniques of forge work, with projects to practice those techniques.
We will discuss:

Equipment and fuels.
The proper way to use a coal fire.
Basic operations of getting a proper heat, tapering, twisting, punching, bending, and welding.

The project will be a tent stake that incorporates tapering, twisting, and forming a shoulder.
Classes Require:

Safety glasses or sunglasses.
Gloves can be useful, but not necessary.
Cross Peen hammer, about 2 to 2½ lbs. Sometimes called a blacksmiths hammer.
Ball Peen hammer, about 1 lb. (16 oz. as they are usually marked). Vaughn has very good ones…Harbor Freight…usable and much cheaper.
Tongs, Vise Grips or large pliers can be handy…you can get by without for now.
Matches or a lighter
Newspaper to light your fire is a good idea.
And if you’re sensitive to dust…a dust mask doesn’t hurt.

We have tool kits available if you need

Beginners II
2025-10-11 09:00 - 17:00
Class to cover the considerations of shop layout and anvil tooling.
Project: Square, octagon, round, and chisel tapers for the Level 1 certification. A simple leaf for Level 1 can also be done if there’s time.
Classes Require:

Safety glasses or sunglasses.
Gloves can be useful, but not necessary.
Cross Peen hammer, about 2 to 2½ lbs. Sometimes called a blacksmiths hammer.
Ball Peen hammer, about 1 lb. (16 oz. as they are usually marked). Vaughn has very good ones…Harbor Freight…usable and much cheaper.
Tongs, Vise Grips or large pliers can be handy…you can get by without for now.
Matches or a lighter
Newspaper to light your fire is a good idea.
And if you’re sensitive to dust…a dust mask doesn’t hurt.

We have tool kits available if you need

Toolmaking
2025-11-08 09:00 - 17:00
Class to cover basic techniques of hardening and tempering in a coal forge, with projects to practice those techniques.
We will discuss:

Basic Metallurgy of iron and its alloys
Heat Treating
Tool Steel Classifications
Tool Design

Project: Round punch, hot cut chisel, and cold chisel.
Classes Require:

Safety glasses or sunglasses.
Gloves can be useful, but not necessary.
Cross Peen hammer, about 2 to 2½ lbs. Sometimes called a blacksmiths hammer.
Ball Peen hammer, about 1 lb. (16 oz. as they are usually marked). Vaughn has very good ones…Harbor Freight…usable and much cheaper.
Tongs, Vise Grips or large pliers can be handy…you can get by without for now.
Matches or a lighter
Newspaper to light your fire is a good idea.
And if you’re sensitive to dust…a dust mask doesn’t hurt.

We have tool kits available if you need

Tongs
2025-12-06 09:00 - 17:00
Class will cover basic styles of tongs and methods to make them.
We will discuss:

Shapes of tongs
Materials to use for tongs
Methods of forging tongs
Demonstration of forging basic styles of tongs.

Project: Set of flat jaw tongs for 1/4″ material.
Classes Require:

Safety glasses or sunglasses.
Gloves can be useful, but not necessary.
Cross Peen hammer, about 2 to 2½ lbs. Sometimes called a blacksmiths hammer.
Ball Peen hammer, about 1 lb. (16 oz. as they are usually marked). Vaughn has very good ones…Harbor Freight…usable and much cheaper.
Tongs, Vise Grips or large pliers can be handy…you can get by without for now.
Matches or a lighter
Newspaper to light your fire is a good idea.
And if you’re sensitive to dust…a dust mask doesn’t hurt.

We have tool kits available if you need

Forge Welding
2026-01-10 09:00 - 17:00
Class will cover how to join metal with the use of heat and pressure.
We will discuss:

The fire
Weld preparation
Fluxes
Different weld configurations

Demonstration of different types forging welding with the project to be to weld some rings and make a chain. Other types of welds can be tried also as time permits.
Classes Require:

Safety glasses or sunglasses.
Gloves can be useful, but not necessary.
Cross Peen hammer, about 2 to 2½ lbs. Sometimes called a blacksmiths hammer.
Ball Peen hammer, about 1 lb. (16 oz. as they are usually marked). Vaughn has very good ones…Harbor Freight…usable and much cheaper.
Tongs, Vise Grips or large pliers can be handy…you can get by without for now.
Matches or a lighter
Newspaper to light your fire is a good idea.
And if you’re sensitive to dust…a dust mask doesn’t hurt.

We have tool kits available if you need

Roses
2026-02-07 09:00 - 17:00
Just in time for Valentine’s Day…The mystery of the rose that never dies. Forge roses from steel, copper, brass, etc. How to form lifelike flowers.
Classes Require:

Safety glasses or sunglasses.
Gloves can be useful, but not necessary.
Cross Peen hammer, about 2 to 2½ lbs. Sometimes called a blacksmiths hammer.
Ball Peen hammer, about 1 lb. (16 oz. as they are usually marked). Vaughn has very good ones…Harbor Freight…usable and much cheaper.
Tongs, Vise Grips or large pliers can be handy…you can get by without for now.
Matches or a lighter
Newspaper to light your fire is a good idea.
And if you’re sensitive to dust…a dust mask doesn’t hurt.

We have tool kits available if you need

Tomahawks
2026-03-14 09:00 - 17:00
Learn one of the traditional techniques for producing handled, edged weapons and tools. How to form the body of mild steel and weld in a tool steel edge. Discussion of making mandrels to shape the eye for a handle.
Project: Forge a tomahawk
Classes Require:

Safety glasses or sunglasses.
Gloves can be useful, but not necessary.
Cross Peen hammer, about 2 to 2½ lbs. Sometimes called a blacksmiths hammer.
Ball Peen hammer, about 1 lb. (16 oz. as they are usually marked). Vaughn has very good ones…Harbor Freight…usable and much cheaper.
Tongs, Vise Grips or large pliers can be handy…you can get by without for now.
Matches or a lighter
Newspaper to light your fire is a good idea.
And if you’re sensitive to dust…a dust mask doesn’t hurt.

We have tool kits available if you need

Basic Knife Making
2026-04-11 09:00 - 17:00
Discussion of the intricacies of forging and finishing blades of all sizes. We will cover some of the popular steels for forging blades and their idiosyncrasies.
Project: Forge a “low tech” knife with an integral handle.
Classes Require:

Safety glasses or sunglasses.
Gloves can be useful, but not necessary.
Cross Peen hammer, about 2 to 2½ lbs. Sometimes called a blacksmiths hammer.
Ball Peen hammer, about 1 lb. (16 oz. as they are usually marked). Vaughn has very good ones…Harbor Freight…usable and much cheaper.
Tongs, Vise Grips or large pliers can be handy…you can get by without for now.
Matches or a lighter
Newspaper to light your fire is a good idea.
And if you’re sensitive to dust…a dust mask doesn’t hurt.

We have tool kits available if you need
