Frequently Asked Questions
Based on our production shop’s show schedule, we only schedule a handful of Work Shops every year. We typically have people flying in from all over the country and occasionally from the other side of the world. Considering these things, we need to have each Work Shop full with 6 participants. If there was a date scheduled far out and we only had 3 people in it and they all had their reservations for flights, rental cars, hotels, and travels planned, we can’t cancel or reschedule because there are not enough people to fill the class.
This is typically how we schedule our Metal Shaping Work Shops:
In the Winter months, we take down all the interested participants’ contact information and create our “To Call List”.
In March/April we begin figuring out our yearly schedule. We then begin calling and contacting everyone interested and work with them to fill in the dates we have chosen. Typically, we will have 2-3 dates open right away and plan for additional classes later in the Summer/Fall after the Spring/Summer classes are filled.
If you are interested in participating, please go to our Workshops Contact Page:
2 Days
Saturday 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Sunday 8:00 AM to 4:00/5:00 PM
Two in total, the first Work Shop day is primarily a lecture with one Instructor. The second day is the hands-on portion which is managed by two Instructors.
Unfortunately not, our Work Shop curriculum is designed in a way to teach the principles in the classroom the first day and then apply those learned principles/techniques with the hands-on training the second. However, you are encouraged to share pictures from past, present, and future projects to ask questions that may help you and apply what we are learning to your projects
No, we limit each Work Shop to 6 participants. We have discovered that six is just the right amount with two instructors. It gives the students time to figure things out on their own without someone hovering over them while still having someone right there to ask questions/assist when it is needed.
During the hands on portion we make our projects with 19 gauge (*0.042”) cold rolled steel. We answer any questions during the lecture about working with different alloys.
Yes, students are encouraged to take their projects home. We can also assist you in packaging and shipping your projects if you are flying in and out.
The only things you are required to bring are; safety glasses, hearing protection, work gloves(No Mig welding gloves), and a welding helmet(optional). We supply all the necessary materials, tools, and equipment needed.
You shouldn’t need to unless you have dietary restrictions. We provide snacks in the morning and throughout the day. We have coffee, water, & soda pop readily available. We also provide lunch on both days.
Yes, we encourage you to take pictures and videos. Rarely do we request that a specific vehicle in the shop is not photographed or filmed. If that is the case, that vehicle will typically be covered so there isn’t really any concern.
Yes, our shop is only *50 miles West from Chicago’s largest airport O’hare. Other close airports are Midway and Rockford however flights & times are often limited.
We recommend you Google “Hotels in Sycamore.” There are a handful of hotels in Sycamore and they are all within 10 minutes of our shop. This way you can find a hotel that best meets your needs and budget.
We recommend you reserve a rental car at the airport to make getting around easier on yourself and less stressful. We are in a rural area so ride sharing programs like Lyft and Uber are sometimes costly and have excessive wait times in comparison to more urban areas.
