In a world filled with smart phones and tablet computers, creating things by hand is becoming a lost art. However, there will always be a need for skilled craftsmen.
Arizona Western College is offering the perfect class for those who are curious about working with metal but want to start off small. It's also a great class for anyone who already works with metal and wants to try something a little different, or who are simply looking for a new hobby.
Micro Metalsmithing or (WLD 099) is finishing up its first semester, and will be offered again this spring semester.
In this class students learn to work with metals like copper and brass. It focuses on small projects like jewelry or miniature sculptures. Many of the materials come from repurposed metal such as old electrical wire, which students will learn to transform into amazing creations. They have the opportunity to work on various projects that will involve learning the basics of soldering, shaping metal and working with hand tools.
The class is being co-taught by Greg Bensel of Paul Bensel Jewelers and Shanen Aranmor. Bensel has been a professional jeweler for 31 years. Aranmor who was once an AWC employee and student, graduated from the welding program, and is currently the Southwest Region Training Consultant for Miller Electric Manufacturing Company. Aranmor first met Bensel when she was an AWC student on a field trip to his shop.
The class is the brainchild of Aranmor and Samuel Colton, AWC Professor of Welding and Coordinator of the Technical Instructional Department. Colton spent some time working in Bensel's shop and developed a relationship culminating in this unique class, which is an incredible collaboration of talent and experience all geared towards teaching the basics.
"There was a recurring theme of people of different ages who wanted to learn metal craft but were not able to, or were not wanting to focus on the industrial side," said Colton.
The techniques students will learn while working with copper and brass can be translated directly to gold or silver. For the spring class Bensel hopes to get skilled local craftsmen to talk to the class and perform demonstrations.
Students have been so excited about working with metal that they have been working on their projects at home in their free time.
"I never knew how it would feel to inspire someone to go and bend a piece of wire," said Bensel. "I hope my students will be inspired by what I have done at the bench, to take what they have and explore it and let their abilities grow."
This class follows the life-long learning theme that AWC has worked so hard to instill into the community. If there is enough interest, similar classes may be offered in the future, including an intermediate follow up to WLD 099, which will teach more advanced techniques and build on the skills that students have developed.
So ask yourself, do you have the mettle for metalwork?
Photo by Pam Black
