• Rustic End Tables

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

    The Adirondack Style is unique. It combines traditional furniture making with the materials found in this region: birch bark, twigs, logs and more. Found in the earliest Great Camps of our region, the skilled craftsmen who made this unique furniture were inspired by the world around them. In this class you will be guided from start to finish: from the selection of the materials and their preparation, to the joinery required, as well as the aesthetics that will help you make a fine end table suitable for your Great Camp or home.

  • Mortise and Tenon Construction

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 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.

  • Perfect Pictures Every Time

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

    Understanding photography basics is the key to taking control of your camera and knowing you got the shot when you were taking it. If you would like to take your skill level from shooting in Auto to having full control over your camera, this intensive class is for you! A step-by-step PowerPoint presentation helps teach the basic principles of photography including: camera options and set-up, peripheral equipment, image exposure and histograms, and will touch on shooting for HDR and working with motion, depth of field, and composition. The class is paced to allow time for questions and interaction, with about half of the day in the classroom experimenting with the cameras, and the other half spent in the field, practicing camera techniques and shooting options. A comprehensive handout will include all the major points covered in the presentation. While the class instruction is mostly landscape based, these techniques and principles can be applied to all photographic situations.

  • Rustic End Tables

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

    The Adirondack Style is unique. It combines traditional furniture making with the materials found in this region: birch bark, twigs, logs and more. Found in the earliest Great Camps of our region, the skilled craftsmen who made this unique furniture were inspired by the world around them. In this class you will be guided from start to finish: from the selection of the materials and their preparation, to the joinery required, as well as the aesthetics that will help you make a fine end table suitable for your Great Camp or home.

  • Mortise and Tenon Construction

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 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.

  • Silver Metal Clay Exploration

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

    Explore the many ways that you can use silver in a metal clay formulation to create jewelry designs of your own. The newest way of working with silver is metal clay which can be shaped like clay to produce uniquely textured surfaces, resulting in durable beautiful silver jewelry. Students will learn metal clay working techniques and make pendants, earrings, charms and rings. Fresh leaves will also be used to create a silver piece of nature. The class will also cover techniques for setting and firing stones directly in metal clay. Each student will leave with at least four finished pieces of jewelry. No previous experience necessary.

  • Mortise and Tenon Construction

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 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.

  • Intro to Toolmaking

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

    Blacksmiths have always made their own tools and it's a skill every smith should know. This class will work with carbon steel to make a punch and a chisel that will be hardened at the working end and soft at the striking end. Each student will leave with two usable tools and the understanding of how to create more.

  • Goat Milk Soap

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, United States

    Goat milk soap is excellent for people with dry, irritated or sensitive skin. It is loaded with nutrients, proteins, fat, calcium and vitamins. It is an excellent natural moisturizer that helps hydrate, nourish and revitalize skin. We will discuss natural dyes and additives which you may wish to incorporate in your soap. You will be making a pound of soap to take home.

  • Blacksmithing 102C: Make Like a Tree

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 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

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 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

    Adirondack Folk School 51 Main St., Lake Luzerne, NY, 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.