TwoSmiths

I was visiting to take site measurements for a railing up on the Bruce Peninsula near Tobermory, Ontario. Had dinner and a fire with the client and was reminded that we forged this fire grate several years ago.

I often say that I couldn't care less what happens to pieces I forge - they could end up at the bottom of the ocean - it's the process of making that interests me. But seeing this little piece was like visiting an old friend.

Two Smiths is running a new 14 week Introduction to Forging and Fabrication Course
that will provide individuals with a comprehensive understanding of how to shape and
join metal to create three dimensional structural, ornamental and sculptural work in a
medium that offers compelling opportunities for personal expression.

We have over 30 years of experience designing, forging, fabricating and installing
architectural ironwork and public art. We specialise in working raw material by hand. We
forge our own tools and then use those tools to make hundreds of unique objects in
steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, b***e and aluminum.

This forging Intensive is for people who want to work with their hands, it's for crafts
people who want to investigate a new medium; for artists who want to create metal
sculpture and for architects who are passionate about material.

www.twosmiths.ca

Two Smiths is offering a three month long Introduction to Forging and Fabrication
course. Students will learn basic hand forging skills using solid fuel coke forges
They will transition from forging consistent, simple shapes and forms to exploring the
possibilities that forging has to offer in the bigger picture of contemporary sculpture and
architectural metal fabrication. We will look at the history of ornamental ironwork as a
way of tracking how forged forms evolved relative to architectural styles. We'll delve
into the design development process and investigate how tig welding and mechanical
fasteners might be employed to join various forged forms and / or dissimilar metals.
Students will learn the language of engineered architectural drawings and develop a
vocabulary for communicating formal design ideas. We will work primarily with carbon
steel with a brief dive into hollowing and raising sheet copper.
We will also cover tool making: forging, heat treatment, sanding, polishing and finishing
a variety of tools that can then be used to develop specific shapes and forms.
This introduction to forging and fabrication will provide individuals with a comprehensive
understanding of how to shape metal, join it, create three dimensional structural,
ornamental and sculptural work in a medium that offers compelling opportunities for
personal expression.

Dates: January 12- April 24, 2026 Monday- Friday 9:00-5:00

Cost: $6 500.00
Includes material costs, all necessary forging tools, safety glasses, ear protection and a
basic kit of drill bits, abrasives, measuring tools etc.

Location: Two Smiths.8 Grand Ave. Unit B. Kitchener, ON N2K 1B3

John Woodrow, my shop neighbour for the past nine years, died yesterday, November 4th, 2025.

He was a good person. Right from the start he offered to help unload our milling machine and power hammer, drill presses – all the heavy stuff that requires a forklift. He was a person who wanted the balance to always rest on the side of him giving more than he would take. He taught Toby (who is deaf) how to weld by way of lip reading and writing in soapstone on the welding bench. He loaned us tools and we gave him welding rods and tubes of polyurethane. We designed and set up a website for his business and he turned the large head of the needle for Stitch on his lathe. There was an easy back and forth over the years and the constant was mutual respect for one another.

John was a person with a large character. He loved talking with people and I often had to rescue my employees from the grip of his story telling. My shop won’t be the same without him as a neighbour.

Copper is a semi-precious metal that's surprisingly easy to work with - once you understand the material properties; how to anneal it and how it work hardens.

We offer a variety of one and two day copper smithing workshops: Copper Bowls, Copper Repoussé, Copper Wildflowers.

Copy and paste www.twosmiths.ca/all to see the course listing and schedule for upcoming classes.