The Early American Industries Association Eastfield Historic Trades Sampler, is scheduled for Thursday, July 28th through Sunday, July 31, 2016, at Historic Eastfield Village, East Nassau, New York. The program includes making domed wooden boxes, carving fish decoys, blacksmithing iron utensils, tinsmithing, decorative painting, flint knapping, making an atlatl* and black power shooting. Each project is led by an experienced tradesman including master tinsmith Bill McMillen, blacksmith Olof Janssen and woodwright Bill Rainford. The name Eastfield Historic Trades Sampler reflects what we actually offer—a sampler of various trades with an opportunity to learn about them while completing a small project related to the craft. Learn not only how things are done, but how to do them!
There are two different workshops each day. The classes start at 9 A.M. and there is a lunch provided in Eastfield’s historic tavern from noon until 1 P.M., at which time the afternoon session of the workshops resume. The workshops end around 5 P.M.
In addition to the lunches provided each day, which are included in the registration fee, two nights are accented by games and drinks in the tavern, and on Saturday a terrific dinner is cooked over a wood fire in the tavern kitchen. Helping with the preparation of the dinner is a fun and educational experience in itself. On the other nights, the group generally goes to a local restaurant for dinner at their own expense.
Eastfield is a village of historic buildings that Don Carpentier brought to the east field of his father’s farm in East Nassau, New York, over a period of forty years. Students are welcome to stay in several of these buildings which have been restored to their 18th and 19th century appearance; however there are hotels and other accommodations nearby. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend this year; the dates are Thursday, July 28, through Sunday, July 31, 2016. Registration information and a full schedule is available on our Web site. EAIAinfo.org
Seating is limited so classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $485 for the four days and includes the daily workshops, morning coffee, & lunches. Some of the workshops will have a modest materials fee.
Send your payment to:
Early American Industries Association
PO Box 524
Hebron, MD 21830
Or contact us by phone at (703) 967-9399 or email EAIA1933@verizon.net
*atlatl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A spear-thrower or atlatl (/ˈɑːt.lɑːtəl/[1] /ˈæt.lætəl/; Nahuatl: ahtlatl Nahuatl pronunciation: [ˈaʔ͡tɬa͡tɬ]) is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in dart-throwing, and includes a bearing surface which allows the user to store energy during the throw. It may consist of a shaft with a cup or a spur at the end that supports and propels the butt of the dart. The spear-thrower is held in one hand, gripped near the end farthest from the cup. The dart is thrown by the action of the upper arm and wrist.
The throwing arm together with the atlatl acts as a lever. The spear-thrower is a low-mass, fast-moving extension of the throwing arm, increasing the length of the lever. This extra length allows the thrower to impart force to the dart over a longer distance, thus imparting more energy and ultimately higher speeds.[2]