In this class, students will be guided by a professional prop maker in the art of replicating objects using two-part silicon rubber molds. Building on the concepts of Mold Making I, this course focuses on creating more complex molds. Students will learn techniques to replicate small objects, such as chess pieces, through hands-on task and demonstrations
Participants will gain skills in creating mold flask, mixing and pouring rubber, de-gassing, and duplicating pieces using materials like wax, silicone, and resin. This class is designed to teach the essential techniques for making multi-part molds, enabling students to produce duplicates just like those used in the movie industry for prop making
Note: this class involves the mixing of reactive chemicals, and allergic reactions are a possibility with contact. All students will be required to wear eye protection and vinyl gloves in a well-ventilated area during class.
Work involved – building a flask “container”, mixing two part compounds, adding release agents, unmolding
Tools/Materials Utilized- (two part rubber mold compound, sculpting clay, Duplo Lego blocks. Acrylic, Mold release spray, razor blades, wax, rubber, silicone, resin).
What to wear: At RMM, you must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing (100% cotton), long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed.
About the Instructor: Class is taught by Kenneth of Fire & Brimstone Forge
Age: there are no age restrictions to the class. Please read carefully the disclaimers and guidelines
Refund and Cancellation Policy
Note: Though it is not required, this class strongly suggests the 101 mold-making course before attempting this class to build off of previously learned skills and to expedite workflow. It is recommended that the piece to be cast in metal has been previously made or cast in wax and this can be accomplished within the previous mold making class.
Tools/Materials Utilized- Mold release spray, razor blades, venting red wax, rubber molds. 5 kg of silicon bronze per student, casting furnace, 10 kg graphite crucible for bronze. Borax flux, skimmer, heat resistant safety gear, ceramic slurry, various grits of silica sand, zircon, burn out oven, large metal tray, modeling brown wax, electric eye burner, propane burner, sculpting wax tools, soldering iron, pots, figurine, crucible shank, safety equipment
Spend an hour long session with hot glass artist Garrett Pesta of whimsieshotglass to make as much glass art together as you can. From color pickup to shaping and blowing, what comes out is truly your work of art. Items include bowls, vases, flowers, ornaments, etc. No experience required!
Hour long sessions are open to 1 to 4 people, so come make your own set of one of a kind pieces, or share the hour with friends, family or loved ones!
To request sessions for more than one hour or more than 4 people, please email classes@redmountainmakers.org.
In this basic belt class, we will teach you how to cut a strap from a hide using a strap cutter, size the length of the belt correctly, and install a buckle and belt keeper. You will also learn how to dye and seal the belt as well as finish the edges. The length of the finished belt will be limited to 42 to 44 inches and be a width of 1-1/2 inches due to the length of the available leather hide we will be cutting from.
About the Instructor: This class is taught by Matt Volpe, the manager of your local Tandy Leather store here in Birmingham, Alabama. Matt has been doing leathercraft in some sort for over 15 years now and has been working at the Tandy Birmingham location for almost 13 years. He has taught hundreds of classes on the art of leathercrafting at Tandy Leather and has always enjoyed working with leather and teaching about the craft. He really enjoys teaching students about leathercraft and spreading the knowledge of leatherworking to the next generation of crafters.
What to wear: At RMM, you must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed.
About the Instructor:
Sharpen your skills (and our tools!) at Tool Teaching Tuesdays: Woodshop Edition.
Join us every last Tuesday of the month during extended open hours for the opportunity to:
Learn from fellow makers: Our experienced volunteer hosts will be on hand to share their knowledge and teach members how to safely and effectively use our Woodshop equipment.
Master maintenance: Get hands-on experience performing regular maintenance on our saws, sanders, drills, and more. This not only keeps our tools running smoothly, but it also helps you understand how they work better.
Become a workshop whiz: Whether you're a seasoned woodworker or just starting out, Tool Night is a great opportunity to ask questions, gain new skills, and become more confident using our Woodshop.
*Free* and open to all members, regardless of experience level!
Drop in anytime during the extended open hours (5 to 9pm) on the last Tuesday of the month.
Together, let's keep our woodshop tools in tip-top shape and empower everyone to create amazing projects!
Work involved – smelting metal, lifting 10 lbs. coordination, pouring metal, unmolding, grinding and cleanup
Tools/Materials Utilized- Approx. 5 kg recycled Aluminum per student, One mold, one ingot per student. One 10 kg aluminum crucible.
Work Involved - (cutting, tracing, soldering, foiling edges, grinding, filing, framework)
Tools & Materials - (Lead came/U channel, copper foil, 60/40 lead solder, soldering irons, various color and styles of stained glass, latex gloves, tracing sheets, pliers, glass cutters, T pins/flat nails, pin hammers, cutting oil, glass grinder, decorative chain, tinned wire, tinned jump rings, plastic water color brushes, small plastic paint cups, paper towels, flux, and patina)
What to wear: At RMM, you must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing (100% cotton), long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed. The CDC has a guide to acceptable cloth masks that help prevent the spread of infection..
Work Involved - cutting, soldering, grinding, filing, framework
Tools & Materials - Lead came/U channel, copper foil, 60/40 lead solder, soldering irons, various color and styles of stained glass, latex gloves, tracing sheets, pliers, glass cutters, T pins/flat nails, pin hammers, cutting oil, glass grinder, decorative chain, tinned wire, tinned jump rings, plastic water color brushes, small plastic paint cups, paper towels, flux, and patina)
From light bulbs to fiber optic cables, vases to garden sculpture -, everything in glass starts with a "gather". In this class students use traditional glassmaking tools to learn the basics and sculpt hot glass into a desired shape or design. Our focus is to gain the beginning skills of glasswork imperative to working in a "Hot shop"
What to wear: At RMM, you must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing (100% cotton), long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed. The CDC has a guide to acceptable cloth masks that help prevent the spread of infection.
Work Involved - cutting, soldering, grinding, filing, framework, assembly of small pieces
Tools & Materials - kaleidoscope kit, first surface mirror 6”x8” sheet, copper foil, 60/40 lead solder, masking tape, soldering irons, various color and styles of stained glass, latex gloves, diamond files, tracing sheets, pliers, glass cutters, T pins/flat nails, pin hammers, cutting oil, glass grinder, decorative chain, tinned wire, tinned jump rings, plastic water color brushes, small plastic paint cups, paper towels, flux, and patina
Develop fundamental skills in joining metal objects under the instruction of Stephen Charles, a former Welding Engineer and owner of Metalcraft Creative. This is an introductory class with no prior experience necessary. It includes a crash course in the MIG welding process, metal cutting, grinding, as well as the basics of hand tool use and shop safety.
Students will leave with a wide familiarity of skills and studio techniques.
NOTE: This class is a pre-requisite for the Project-Based Metalcraft class.
About the Instructor: Stephen Charles is a former Welding Engineer with many years of experience in production welding and custom fabrication. He has taught hundreds of beginners in the basics of welding and fabrication. Also, he’s pretty funny, so if you don’t have a sense of humor just laugh when everyone else does and no one will notice.
Note: The lamp base IS included in the class price
Tools & Materials - Lead came/U channel, copper foil, 60/40 lead solder, soldering irons, various color and styles of stained glass, latex gloves, diamond grinder, tracing sheets, pliers, glass cutters, T pins/flat nails, pin hammers, cutting oil, glass grinder, decorative chain, tinned wire, tinned jump rings, plastic water color brushes, small plastic paint cups, paper towels, flux, and patina
Get introduced to the beautiful craft of woodworking by making your own cutting board.
You will choose from a variety of designs composed of different native hardwoods, learn proper assembling, gluing, sanding and finishing techniques and will be taught how to correctly use thickness planer and orbital sander.
After this 3-hour course, you will bring home a stylish ~ 8.5" x 11" handmade board that you can show off to your friends and family.
Check out the designs available to make during this class here
What to wear: You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long sleeves should be avoided if possible and rolled up if necessary. Long hair must be tied back and dangly necklaces, earrings or other accessories shall be removed before starting the class. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed.
About the Instructor: Terry Tingle is the president of the Alabama Woodturners Association and is a member of The American Association of Woodturners. Terry has been doing woodworking since 2014, and has taught students how to create cutting board designs, cut segments, glue and use a variety of clamps, and how to use planers and orbital sanders, and how to use the right finishes to preserve cutting boards. Terry is knowledgeable and experienced in making long grain, edge grain, and end grain cutting boards. He especially enjoys seeing the expression of a student who has just learned how to make something that looks great and is so useful. And cutting boards make great gifts!
Learn the beautiful craft of pen-turning
In this introductory course to wood turning, you'll be shown how to turn a beautiful wooden pen on the lathe.
Over a couple of hours, you'll produce a gorgeous piece that is a perfect present for a dear one (or for yourself!) and learn the basics of woodturning, safety behind the lathe and its operations, as well as the different gouges to use in the process.
About the Instructor: Terry Tingle is the president of the Alabama Woodturners Association and is a member of The American Association of Woodturners. Terry has been teaching students how to turn pens for years, some of whom have had their exhibitions in Art and Craft Shows throughout Alabama, including Mentone.
Are Minors allowed? Yes, accompanied by parent.
What to wear: You must dress safely and appropriately. Arrive for class in long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long sleeves should be avoided if possible and rolled up if necessary. Long hair must be tied back and dangly necklaces, earrings or other accessories shall be removed before starting the class. Additional protective gear will be provided as needed. Masks may be required depending on circumstances.
Learn to make an elegant hand-crafted “Baron” Fountain Pen!
The “Baron” fountain pen is trimmed with nibs, clips and other elements made out of the highest quality silver plating which gives each pen a distinguished look in addition to durability. Experience in turning would be helpful but is not required.
The fountain pen features an ultra-smooth threading removable cap that screws on to both the bottom and top of the pen. The Baron Fountain Pen not only is a great looking pen, but it is also light weight and one of the smoothest writing instruments available for everyday use and has a two-tone German made nib with an iridium tip. The artistic fittings are hand worked and polished and the solid metal external components add to the pens expensive and hardy feel.
The Baron comes with both a siphon pump and blue ink cartridge. This hand-crafted pen will make a unique gift to others or yourself and will be completely one-of-a-kind!
Each pen will be turned from beautiful exotic woods such as: King Cocobolo, Olivewood, Burmese Rosewood, Cherry Burl, Boxelder Burl, Red Mailee Burl, Bocote, Spalted Tamarind, Box Elder, etc. Students may choose silver plated or gold for the pen kit.
Work Involved - cutting, soldering, grinding, filing, framework, refurbishing, wire work, painting, and using the kiln
Tools & Materials - Lead came/U channel, lead came H channel, 60/40 lead solder, soldering irons, various color and styles of stained glass, latex gloves, diamond files, tracing sheets, pliers, glass cutters, T pins/flat nails, pin hammers, cutting oil, glass grinder, decorative chain, tinned wire, tinned jump rings, plastic water color brushes, small plastic paint cups, paper towels, flux, powdered glass paint, temp controlled glass kiln, and black patina
Students will decorate a clear 7" x 7" piece of glass using colored glass, glass confetti, noodles, stringers, dots, and other compatible components. Their plate will then be fully fused in a kiln and then shaped in the form they choose.
Plates will be available for pickup 2 weeks after class.
Minimum Enrollment: This course has a minimum enrollment of 6 students. If the minimum enrollment is not met, the course will be cancelled and a full refund will be issued to all registrants.
About the Instructor: Rhandie Weaver is the owner and artist at Blue Dragon Glass. She has been working with glass for over 25 years. She is mostly self taught and loves to share her knowledge of glass. Her work can be seen at The Birmingham Zoo, as she was awarded one of the "Vulcans on Parade" and created "Indigenous Vulcan". She works with stained glass, sandblast carved glass, fused glass, and mosaics. Check out Blue Dragon Glass on their website and Instagram.
What to wear: At RMM, you must dress safely and appropriately. Students must wear close toed shoes and have long hair tied up. No sandals or flip flops.
Cancellations: Please see our cancellation and rescheduling policy here.
In the intermediate glassblowers class we will explore the blowing portion of glass work. Starting with a "seed bubble" we hope to grow our seed into basic forms in glass like the tumbler or ornament. Shaping and focusing on the centering aspect of our work. Team exercises are inevitable in glass and we will be working as a team to help each other reach our desired design. Blowing glass adds a much more detailed focus in glass as opposed to sculpting and requires swift but purposeful movements to get where we want. In this class attention to movement is a large part. If you move right, the glass will move right.
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810 4TH AVE N, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35203, UNITED STATES | 205.588.4077 | secretary@redmountainmakers.org
RMM is a proud Birmingham AL nonprofit | © 2021 | Nonprofit Tax-ID: 46-2234591