The Colonial Grid Iron

with

Derek Heidemann

Class runs: June 27-30

Tuition: $575

Material fee: $50

Skill level: Seasoned beginner and up

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Rotary gridirons are excellent examples of form and function working hand in hand. These pieces of cookware were common in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but are just as useful today for camping or hearth cooking. What makes these gridirons so fun and challenging to forge is the spinning grill platform. The iron ring is a blank canvas for the smith. Whether you are looking to practice your precision with a simple straight grill or interested in incorporating decorative leaf or scroll work, there are limitless possibilities. These decorative elements will all be forge welded in place, so this class will be a great opportunity to refine a series of traditional blacksmithing skills.

Derek started blacksmithing in 2001 as an apprentice blacksmith at Old Sturbridge Village. He specializes in making tools and hardware of the late-18th and early-19th centuries using traditional forging techniques and materials. From 2011 to 2017, he operated Resurrection Iron Works out of Millbury, MA. He was the Coordinator of Historic Trades at Old Sturbridge Village from 2014 to 2021. He is currently OSV’s Director of Collections and Research and has the privilege of working with the museum’s collection of antique wrought iron.

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