FORGE A VIKING PADLOCK
A guided forge-it-yourself experience in 5 webinar sessions, on Thursday nights, two weeks apart.
Viking-era Scandinavians (8th-11th C) kept their goods locked in wooden chests- the size of your key ring was an indication of your wealth. We will work on a reproduction of padlock found in the Viking trade town of Hedeby. *
DATES: May 13th & 27th
June 10th & 24th
July 8th, 2021
TIME: 5:30-7:30 pm, PDT
INSTRUCTOR: Beth Holmberg has been teaching blacksmithing for CBA since 2005. She was a blacksmith for the reconstruction of a 21 meter buried Viking longship in Denmark, and has demonstrated at Viking markets and open-air museums.
EXPERIENCE LEVEL: You should be able to forge and heat treat simple hand tools, forge tapers and bend with a bit of precision, and have forge welded once or twice.
LOCATION: Online live streaming via Zoom - Login and password will be provided once you have registered
CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Beth Holmberg: 619-293-3211 (8 am-7pm only; land line!) or blacksmithbeth@gmail.com
PRICING: $100/participant for CBA members
$140/participant for non-members
REGISTRATION: Limited to 12 participants
Register here (online)
- 12 participants maximum
- Registration cutoff date is 12 May 2021
- Instructions for Zoom access to this meeting will be sent to all registrants.
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
*All locks are based on similar technology. This is a great first hand-forged lock for building an understanding of how they work. The focus will be on understanding how all the parts work together in this simple lock, and traditional methods for shaping and piercing metal. There will be lots of parts and joinery, including mortise and tenon joints and brass brazing in the fire! And we’ll explore how to make a precision, multi-part piece without blueprints and measurements (like a real Viking).
We’ll work through the lock-making process, step-by-step, in bi-monthly sessions. There will be pictures, story boards, and chalk-talk… and a homework assignment! There will also be time to share your progress, and get some coaching and trouble-shooting. The class will emphasize traditional (Iron Age) methods, but we’ll talk about some useful modern short-cuts, too.
Participants will be emailed lists of tools, materials, and supplies needed, and an 19 pg. “how to” .pdf to print and scrawl notes over. Plan to put in 6-10 hours of work on your lock between sessions. Sessions will be recorded for review by registered participants. Expect lots of cold work (filing, cutting, punching) at small scales, some fussy forging, new uses for fire, and lots of tweaking.
