Description

Date/Time:  April 5, 2025  9:00 am-2:30 pm or later

Prerequisite – None
Class fee $ 135  (all materials provided) non-refundable
This class has no minimum age restriction but children under age 18 MUST be accompanied with a parent and there would be separate class fees.  Contact Michael at [email protected] if you have further questions.
10 tickets maximum
Michael Gillespie, Stephanie Ann and other instructors
Location: 2748 Dogtown Rd, Goochland, VA 23063

This is both an instructional and hands on type class where we explore many different ways to apply color to our metal projects.  We will explore various paints like enamel, acrylic, latex, etc. and determine which is best for our project.  Chemical colors may include guilders paste, plating solutions, household chemical treatments and similar items.  Do you want enamel, acrylic or polyurethane for your finish? Find out which works best.  Paste wax, beeswax, candle wax – you get to decide.  Learn the secret of using a propane torch to color your steel or copper or use a brass brush for a unique finish on steel.  There is plenty of opportunity here to explore many ways to color your metal.

Class demonstrations will include both cold or hot patina finishes, use of paints, dyes, powders, inks, acrylic epoxy (making, tinting, using), coloring of metals by heat treatments, airbrushing intro, enameling demo (fusing glass powder to metal), making and using various chemicals for patina type finishes.  We might even throw in some hydro painting (floating paint on water) if time permits.

You will not be doing all these various things as some are just demonstrations while others will require your hands on involvement.  Many of the demonstrations in this class would need a separate class per topic as we can’t teach you to how to do all these things in one class period.  Things like airbrushing, hydro painting, enameling or epoxy work all would have extensive training needs to utilize those skills.  Classes on those things will be available in the future.

The Banton-Smith Center for Blacksmith and Metal Arts has established a “No-Show Policy” for our classes. When you sign up to take a class, you understand there are no refunds. There may be circumstances where we do not get sufficient enrollment to have the class take place. In this case you are given credit for the amount you paid and can apply that to a different class offering or we can issue you a refund. Should we have to cancel a class, we will advise you (normally several days in advance of the class) and ask what you prefer.

The second part of this policy is geared more towards those who have signed up to take a class and do not show up. We have seen several instances where people fail to contact us to advise they will not be at the class. We sometimes have folks on a waiting list to take a class, yet you fail to advise us in advance so we may offer the class to someone on the waiting list. We understand emergencies do arise but when you fail to notify us about your absence, we do not issue you any credit for the missed class. Oftentimes we have purchased and committed materials for a specific class, have hired an instructor and assistant, arranged for a forge master to be present, etc. These are fees we have incurred to provide this class and if you fail to show up we do not issue you any refund.