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Level II: Apprentice
This certificate is awarded to those who show competence in all the skills required at the intermediate level. In addition, they will show that they can apply those skills in the construction of articles, as well as pass a safety test.
They will begin to learn how to make the tools required for this and the third level, Forging to Dimension. To receive this certificate, the blacksmith will present to their instructor a complete rectangular frame that uses traditional joinery (two L-shaped pieces with one end tenoned and the other punched with an upset square corner between; refer to the Intermediate Grill Drawing below.)
The frame is to be filled with the four different ends as shown for each scroll and the scrolls collared together. It is suggested that the student first transfer the drawing onto metal and practice forging to dimension.
Passing this level demonstrates competence in the Intermediate skills of a blacksmith including:
- Leafing hammer
- Spring Fuller
- Making a heading plate for bottom tools
- Cape chisel (maybe needed for heading plate)
- Hardy tools (Bottom swage) (case hardening)
- Scrollwork and the scroll form
- Ribbon scroll
- Fish tail (scroll form)
- Half Penny
- Beveled Scroll
- Scrolling fork (case hardening - bottom tools)
- Scrolling Tongs (riveting) (draw out or forge-weld reins)
- Forge-welding (lap or drop tong weld)
- Open or flat jaw tongs (draw out or forge-weld reins)
- Collars
- Upset square corner
The Level II Student Packet contains the sign-off sheet, materials lists, plus detail requirements for each step in the progression on the way to Level II certification.
There are no time constraints or expectations placed on the completion of this level, as each individual has different levels of learning and access to the blacksmith shop. Consistent access to a shop and owning most of the basic tools are recommended for Level 2 smiths.
This certificate is awarded to those who show competence in all the skills required at the intermediate level. In addition, they will show they can apply those skills in the construction of articles and pass a safety test. To receive this certificate, the blacksmith will present to their instructor a complete rectangular frame that uses traditional joinery (two L-shaped pieces with one end tenoned and the other punched with an upset square corner between.)
The frame is to be filled with two ’S' scrolls (with different ends on each scroll) and the scrolls collared together. It is suggested that the student first transfer the drawing to metal and practice Forging to Dimension.
A photo of the completed grill must be provided to the CBA magazine for publication.
Level II Final Project
This dimensional drawing from the ABANA National Curriculum (below) gives the full details for the default design for the Level II Grille. Check the Level 2 Student handbook for alternative designs that can be built with pre-approval from the certification instructor.
ABANA Level II Grille option with scrolling detail
The Level 2 student handout provided several useful references.
Level 2 Student Handout CBA.pdf
Additional Resources
If you do not have a CBA class in your area, or just want to prepare for an upcoming class, we recommend checking out YouTube videos. There are lots to choose from. Below is a list if the best ones we could find for the specific projects or skills. In the future, we hope to have our own CBA instructions videos for our members. Be sure to check out this list again in the future.
CBA Level 2 YouTube Videos.pdf