Blacksmithing Tools Workshop at the Rare Trades Centre

Join blacksmith and founder of Eveleigh Works, Matt Mewburn in this two-day workshop that will take you to the foundation of blacksmithing: making your own forging hammer and pickup tongs. On the first day, you will create a pair of tongs using hand hammers, sledgehammers, and striking tools such as fullers and flatters. Working both individually and in the ancient tradition of the blacksmith and the striker, you will forge reigns and jaws and rivet the pieces together to complete a functioning set of tongs. On the second day, you will use your tongs to create the quintessential blacksmith’s tool, the hammer. You will punch a hole, drift it to size and choose the desired pattern for your hammer that suits most applications and preferences. At the end of the workshop, you will have made your own blacksmithing tools to accompany you on your rare trades journey. Held at Ballarat's Australian Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, a world-class facility dedicated to learning and preserving Australia’s rare arts and trades through a series of workshops, masterclasses, events, and residencies.