ABS classes

artificialj

artificialj

Joined
Dec 9, 2010
Messages
153
Hey guys. So I was wondering if anyone had taken any ABS classes? I registered for the Intro to Bladesmithing class at Haywood that starts in 3 weeks, am super excited, and have tons of questions. Figured I'd post this here (also crossposting in the ABS forums), as the ABS forums seem to be fairly low traffic, so I thought I might find more input here.

Just gonna list some questions:

What do I need to do to prepare?

What should I bring?

Can I take pics during class?

Should I email the two MS teaching the class and ask about prep? Or should I not bother them?

So I haven't figured out where to stay in Clyde yet, any recommendations?

What all is there to do in Clyde?


Sure I have more questions, but those will do for now.

Thanks,
Jay Wilson
 
Jay,

It's been 10 yrs since I took the Intro Class. I don't think you would go wrong following the advise from these links on the ABS Forums.

http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/index.php?/topic/155-preparing-for-classes/

Allen Newberry's experiance
http://www.americanbladesmith.com/i...8-abs-intro-to-bladesmithing-week-one-of-two/

That said I would suggest:
- the most comfortable shoes you own keeping safety in mind, you will be on your feet for two weeks
- non-flamable shirt and pants, stick with cottons, synthetics will melt
- a nice leather apron
- a good pair of safety glasses with side shields, if your persciption glasses aren't rated as safety glasses, get some non-fogging goggles to wear
- paper mask or a respirator for grinding and even working green coal, you will blow black boogers for a month if you don't
- I like to wear a baseball cap when using coal or grinding, it keeps some of the dirt out of my hair and you can burn the top of your head while grinding without it
- gloves, and several pairs of them, I usually grind thru the index fingers when grinding bevels, the type/types are up to the individual - keep in mind when grinding you will get them hot and wet
- water or your favorite beverage, it can get hot

Tools - along with what is mentioned in the above links, suggestions but not required are:
- your favorite hammers and tongs
- soap stone to draw on anvil and blades to mark while hot
- black magic marker to mark when not hot
- knife sketches or patterns you want to make
- precision square and ruler
- filing jig if you have one and your favorite files
- dial caliper or micrometer if you have one
- notebook , digital and or movie camera

To Do while there:
- check out the ABS Master and JS directory, also the http://www.ncknifeguild.org/ and contact a few about arranging a visit while in the area in the evenings or weekend, don't forget about the rest of your class - get the ok for them to come also, don't just show-up with 15 people when he is expecting just you
- visit https://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/index.php
- if you can't make other arrangements for the weekend, drive up to Smoky Mountain Knife Works and go thru the museum and visit the knife co-op

Steve Seib
 
if it helps any i find that welding gloves work the best, they are insulated and the leather keeps your hands nice and unburnt
 
Hi Jay,

You lucky dog. Being able to forge knives full time for two weeks (with expert guidance and in the company of fellow forging peers) how cool is that?!

What do I need to do to prepare?
Looks like your off to a good start with these questions!
​
What should I bring?
Sounds like you've gotten some good advice. If you've made any knives already, bring some along for input on them.
​
Can I take pics during class?
I've seen quite a few photos posted by students from their classes. Seems like it should be alright. It would be a GREAT way to "take notes!"
​
Should I email the two MS teaching the class and ask about prep? Or should I not bother them?
I haven't seen this one answered yet. The answer is a resounding YES email them! If they didn't want to hear from you they wouldn't be teaching for the ABS. I've yet to meet an ABS smith that wasn't receptive to inquiry and dialog, never mind teachers' who are being paid to.
​
So I haven't figured out where to stay in Clyde yet, any recommendations?
Got me????
​
What all is there to do in Clyde?
Definitely connect with other smiths and suppliers in the area. There might even be a club around there?
​
You're going to have a blast! If you have a laptop maybe bring it so you can link up and post pix of what y'all are up to.

All the best, Phil
 
Thanks for all the responses guys!

Phil - Yeah, I'm super excited to get to forge all day for 2 weeks. I will email the guys teaching it, thanks. Also, will try to borrow a good digital camera so I don't have to post crappy cellphone pics.

brets-ftw - I too prefer welding gloves for almost everything, including cooking.

Steve - Wow, looks like you wrote out a pretty good packing list for me! Thanks. Also, I had no idea that blacksmithsdepot was located so close - I will definitely need to bring some spending money now. Also thanks for the links to those ABS forum threads, I had read them a while ago, but forgotten about them, and one reminded me of a necessary item: giant bottle of advil!

Thanks again guys,
Jay
 
You're gonna have a great time. Greg Neely is a great guy and if you email him, I am sure he would be glad to give you tips on what to bring.

Do not wear tennis shoes. Get a good pair of work boots. I wear steel toe work boots while forging and working in my shop. One has a one inch cut across the toe, so, its good that they are steel toed. They are comfortable and saved me from bleeding more than once.

Some type of light pain killer is a must. You might be suprised how sore you are going to be about the third day. If you already do some forging and have a favorite hammer or tongs, that's great but usually not necessary. You will learn in the class what to look for in a good hammer and/or good tongs.

I found that in the intro class, it is important to understand what is happening to the metal in each step of forging, quenching and tempering a blade. Hammering out a blade comes from a lot of practice. Quenching and tempering are the important things to learn correctly. It will make a big difference in your future blades.
 
Here is one thing that I did before the class...


I did perfect push ups for a week or two prior to the class. I got sore when I did the push ups at home and not so much when I was hammering at school.
 
At the moment I cannot answer any of your questions. I will be taking Joe Keeslar's Brut de Forge class at Haywood next week, so hopefully I can offer a little insight thereafter.
 
JC in SC said:
At the moment I cannot answer any of your questions. I will be taking Joe Keeslar's Brut de Forge class at Haywood next week, so hopefully I can offer a little insight thereafter.
Click to expand...

Are you staying in a hotel in the area, or are you close enough to drive there every day? If staying in a hotel, let me know which one it was, and if it was ok.
 
I stayed at the Super 8 that is about 5 minutes from the campus. Certainly not the nicest place I've ever stayed, but not the worst either. In my opinion, on par for the $39.95 per night rate (if you book online - cannot be cancelled though). I think it is normally $49.95 (booked over the phone and with 24 hours cancellation notice).

The school itself is well equipped. All you need is your safety equipment. Kayne and Sons is a short drive away (maybe 30 minutes) if you decide you want to buy any of the cool tools that your classmates or instructors have. They stayed open late one night so that several of us from the class could come by afterward.

My only complaint about the school is that I never got any confirmation nor information back once I registered. I got a little anxious when I arrived at the campus and had literally no idea where to go. The classes are taught in the same building as welding. Unfortunately, they are doing some road construction (apparently completely reworking the road to that section of the campus), so the signage isn't very helpful. I went the night before class and couldn't find much in the dark. The morning of I got there 30 minutes early and found a student and got pointed in the right direction. Turn onto Freedlander drive (the main road that runs through campus) and drive through to a stop sign. You can either turn left or right. Turn right and drive to the top of the hill. There should be a sign for advanced technologies (automotive, welding, etc.) directing you straight ahead. The road changes from pavement to gravel and the surroundings will make you think you're going somewhere you aren't supposed to. You'll pass a saw mill as well as a new steel building being erected on your right. Proceed up a small incline where you get back on the pavement. Go straight another 100 yards or so and the welding building will be on your right. Hopefully those directions will make finding the place a little easier on you. Overall, I thought it was a very nice campus.
 
JC in SC said:
I stayed at the Super 8 that is about 5 minutes from the campus. Certainly not the nicest place I've ever stayed, but not the worst either. In my opinion, on par for the $39.95 per night rate (if you book online - cannot be cancelled though). I think it is normally $49.95 (booked over the phone and with 24 hours cancellation notice).

The school itself is well equipped. All you need is your safety equipment. Kayne and Sons is a short drive away (maybe 30 minutes) if you decide you want to buy any of the cool tools that your classmates or instructors have. They stayed open late one night so that several of us from the class could come by afterward.

My only complaint about the school is that I never got any confirmation nor information back once I registered. I got a little anxious when I arrived at the campus and had literally no idea where to go. The classes are taught in the same building as welding. Unfortunately, they are doing some road construction (apparently completely reworking the road to that section of the campus), so the signage isn't very helpful. I went the night before class and couldn't find much in the dark. The morning of I got there 30 minutes early and found a student and got pointed in the right direction. Turn onto Freedlander drive (the main road that runs through campus) and drive through to a stop sign. You can either turn left or right. Turn right and drive to the top of the hill. There should be a sign for advanced technologies (automotive, welding, etc.) directing you straight ahead. The road changes from pavement to gravel and the surroundings will make you think you're going somewhere you aren't supposed to. You'll pass a saw mill as well as a new steel building being erected on your right. Proceed up a small incline where you get back on the pavement. Go straight another 100 yards or so and the welding building will be on your right. Hopefully those directions will make finding the place a little easier on you. Overall, I thought it was a very nice campus.
Click to expand...

Josh -

Thanks so much for responding! Yeah, I was really nervous about not getting any confirmation or anything, so I finally called the lady who runs the program registration, and she let me know that I was, in fact, all set.

Thanks a lot for the directions. I was going to try to scout it out the day before too, but not sure what time I'll be getting in to town, so the directions are great (I do well when given details like "gravel road" and "sawmill," helps me feel like I'm going the right way.)

Was there parking near the building?

Also just booked at the Super 8, was not really expecting it to be great. Did you have a coffee maker in your room by chance? I should probably just bring my own, as I definitely will not be satisfied with the tiny 2 cup coffee pots that hotels usually have...

Anyway, thanks again,
Jay
 
Is this class the same thing as the ABS Hammer Inn thing and Battle Of The Bladesmiths that is taking place this coming weekend? If so, I'm registered and headed that way today(with a 3 day stop in Gatlinburg).
 
artificialj said:
Josh -

Thanks so much for responding! Yeah, I was really nervous about not getting any confirmation or anything, so I finally called the lady who runs the program registration, and she let me know that I was, in fact, all set.

Thanks a lot for the directions. I was going to try to scout it out the day before too, but not sure what time I'll be getting in to town, so the directions are great (I do well when given details like "gravel road" and "sawmill," helps me feel like I'm going the right way.)

Was there parking near the building?

Also just booked at the Super 8, was not really expecting it to be great. Did you have a coffee maker in your room by chance? I should probably just bring my own, as I definitely will not be satisfied with the tiny 2 cup coffee pots that hotels usually have...

Anyway, thanks again,
Jay
Click to expand...

Hello Jay,

I thought I'd do the same and scout it the night before. Unfortunately, I didn't get into town until around 10:30pm, so it was hard to see much of anything. There is plenty of parking beside the building. The campus is really laid back compared to the other college campuses I've been to.

Yes, the rooms have a coffee maker, but it is a tiny 2 cup as you expected. The free continental breakfast was a little sad, but if you like waffles or bagels, you should be ok. They also have coffee down there, so I'd fill up my travel mug each morning before heading to campus.

You are going to have a great time. I wish I could go to this class as well.

Danbo said:
Is this class the same thing as the ABS Hammer Inn thing and Battle Of The Bladesmiths that is taking place this coming weekend? If so, I'm registered and headed that way today(with a 3 day stop in Gatlinburg).
Click to expand...

Hi Danbo,

You should have a great time at the hammer-in. If I hadn't just come back, I'd probably be going myself.

The ABS class that Jay will be taking is a two week introduction to bladesmithing. It will likely be broken down into class time (for learning about the processes and principles of bladesmithing) and hands-on time at the forge. One Mastersmith will likely teach the first week and another the second. I have heard a lot of great things about this course, but couldn't manage two weeks off of work and away from the family. I haven't been to the ABS hammer-in, but I expect that it will be filled with demonstrations, the Battle of the Bladesmiths and even a little hands-on. It won't be as intensive as a class though. Please share your experiences when you return.
 
Josh - thanks again, getting really excited.

Danbo - I think this weekend is the Great Smoky Mountain Symposium. Sounds really awesome, wish I could come down a couple days early and see what it's all about. No, as Josh said, I'm coming down for the Intro class that starts on Monday. Have fun, and let us know how the event this weekend goes.


- Jay
 
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