Get Hands-On With Craftsman Avenue!

Over the last few months, many of us have become better DIYers, and more in tune with our artsy side. If you’re looking for a way to hone in on that craft with the right tools, while taking it to the next level, Craftsman Avenue may be your answer! In search of a fun way to get hands-on myself, I stopped in for a workshop, where I got the chance to make my very own copper lamp from scratch!

Located in Gowanus, Brooklyn, Craftsman Avenue step up shop about five years ago. They reopened this September once it was deemed safe to conduct classes. The first words seen on their website pretty much describes what they’re all about. “Hands-on Workshops, led by Artists and Craftspeople.” This one-stop shop’s past workshops include calligraphy, chocolate making, lettering, jewelry making, and leathermaking, just to name a few! After looking over their calendar, I knew I HAD to take part in their copper lamp making class, where I would get the chance to make my own lamp using the soldering method. You might have heard of the term ‘soldering’ when it comes to plumbing or electronics, but I learned that it’s actually been around for thousands of years.

We attended a class by the GM Chris, and Rowan, in-house artist, both with some pretty awesome skills and knowledge on all things crafty. After spending an hour or so sketching out and landing on our lamp’s structure, we pieced together copper pipes, which had to be cut down to the size, and connectors to create our masterpieces.

I turned to the internet for some ideas, but there were also plenty of examples around the shop, which got the creative juices flowing, and gave me some ideas as well.

The steps it took to create our lamps, was a lot easier than I envisioned, and after the second go-around, it was like clockwork. Below are the steps we took as demonstrated by Rowan, another one of our instructors. First, we had to clean the outside of the pipes and the inside of the connectors with a brush tool, then we brushed a ‘flux’ material onto the outside of the pipe we were working on. It’s meant to create a chemical reaction as heat is applied, helping to fuse the connection points.

Once the pipe was attached to the connector, it was time to light it up! After clamping it into a vice, we torched the section where the flux was applied. Once the flame turned green, in response to the chemical reaction, it was time to run the solder wire against the connection point. After this, the metal is extremely hot, so with a wet rag, we carefully removed it from the clamp and placed it into a water bath to cool down. Then we started the process again, piece by piece until it call came together! Just check out our finished lamps below!

As you can see the options are really endless. Overall I enjoyed learning a new skill and having something I can look at and say I made by hand and from scratch. A very cool-looking copper lamp at that! We had to return for a second day to complete our lamps, but I think that was mostly because we choose to create somewhat difficult structures. If you dream up a simpler blueprint, one class should be enough for you to finish it off in one go. What I also liked was that my instructor was there every step of the way to help if I ran into any difficulties. Once I got home, I knew exactly where my lamp would be going. So far I’ve been using it every night and I am very much in love with it!

Currently, Craftsman Avenue has 6 core classes you can take part in, they include woodworking, mask making (NEW- classes are also paired with mimosas), welding, knife smithing, knife making, and soldering. The latter is the same copper lamp workshop class we took part in. The great thing is once you have your soldering skills down pat, you can make anything really, past student creations have included wine racks, jewelry racks, menorahs, and more! Not sure which class you would like to try? Well, you can be one of the firsts to try their new workshops! Craftsman Avenue is launching its Test Drive series. Essentially, when they develop a new workshop, they need folks to test out the class and give feedback, and you can be one of them! These classes are also discounted, so be on the lookout for when they happen.

Want to take part in a workshop as a pair? Luck will have it, Craftsman Avenue has recently launched their Date Nights, which go down on Saturdays evenings. The next three classes will be on October 10th, 17th, and 24th. You can look forward to an intimate, artist-led workshop, followed by a bottle of wine from Gowanus Wine Merchants and a pizza from Table 87 to enjoy together in their studio or on their roof. I can assure you that Table 87 pizza is very good, as we had a slice or three during our breaks. All of this is included at no additional charge, including the beautiful rooftop views of  Gowanus. Below are the topics each class will cover:

October 10th – Introduction to Soldering (Build a Copper Lamp)

October 17th – Introduction to Welding (Craft Custom Metal Roses) This sounds awesome! 

October 24th – Introduction to Stained Glass (Details To Be Announced)

If you’re interested in participating in more than one date, you can email hello@craftsmanave.com for special pricing and availability. One ticket is required per couple.

In regards to COVID-19 precautions, when working inside of the studio all participants must wear a mask, and classes are also capped so it doesn’t get too crowded in the space.

Want to know which classes you can look forward to in the upcoming weeks? You can check out their calendar here. Classes are usually 2.5 to 4 hours and range from $175-$280.

Happy Building!