What Can I Expect

Coat rack forging workshops in Kent! Spend the day with the blacksmith learning how to forge and create a rather lovely rack of leaf-shaped coat hooks that you can take home to proudly display (and use!) on your wall.

Michael’s workshop is just outside the village of Horsmonden near Tunbridge Wells. He’s a very talented blacksmith with excellent teaching skills. In just one day you will be giving various smithing techniques a go to create your coat rack.

And we have to say, the design is really pretty and beautiful in its simplicity. Three textured leaves hold three hooks, which are attached to the stems and the metal backplate. As well as being stunning to look at, the piece is practical, as you can hang up your hat, clothes, jackets and so on!

You will learn how a 30-ton hydraulic press is used to make the leaf shape. The hook shapes are hand-forged, using the anvil and the hand tools. You will also forge the back plate to the shape and style you fancy, ready for the screw hole positions to be marked out.

Once you’ve got all the elements of the coat rack made and ready, it’s time to learn how to hot rivet the metal pieces together and before you know it, you’ve got a finished and very lovely and very usable forged metal coat rack!

Group sizes for these coat rack forging experiences in Kent are kept nice and small, so that each participant gets their own gas forge, anvil and hand tools to work with.

When Is It Available

• Fridays throughout the year
• The course does not operate in July and August
• Sessions generally start at 9:30 finishing around 17:30

Suitable For

• Minimum age 15
• Under 18s must be accompanied by a participating adult
• Due to the nature of this activity a good, general level of fitness is required

Spectators

• Not suitable for spectators

Anything Else

• You will be required to sign a disclaimer form on the day