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Moving Metal: The Art of Raising
Join master metalsmith and renowned instructor Greg Wilbur for a comprehensive introduction to the art of raising in this four-session virtual class. Raising is the process of creating dimensional forms from flat sheet using hammers, mallets, and stakes to selectively stretch and compress the metal. Resulting forms can be functional (like a teapot or vase) sculptural, or somewhere in between!
We'll start with an overview of the required tools, followed by step-by-step instruction from preparing your blank, to raising courses, annealing and finishing. Special attention will be paid to how to hold and strike your piece during each course of raising. Students are encouraged to work alongside the instructor during class time or in the week between sessions to receive personalized feedback about their technique. A helpful PDF guide will also be provided for students to keep. Participants will leave with the knowledge they need to continue exploring raised forms on their own.
For more information about virtual courses, visit our Virtual Course FAQ page.
Meet the instructor
Greg Wilbur is a metalsmith/artist/teacher. He has practiced the art of raising metal for 50 years and is especially known for “extreme” raising; hammering single flat sheets of copper, brass, pewter or silver into necked-in, closed sculptural forms. He seeks to make fine objects in which the observer can find beauty, meaning and substance and shares his skills when he can.
Born and educated in Oregon, this Nation made him a war veteran after serving in the Navy in Vietnam. The GI Bill allowed him to finish formal schooling at the University of Oregon in 1978 with degrees in Fine Art and Art Education.
Greg’s teaching actually started in sixth grade, when he started coaching his sister’s softball team and the link to sports and education in his career has always been strong. The throwing skills he honed playing baseball directly translate to “throwing” a hammer with precision. Playing on sports teams also contributed to his love of the camaraderie of collaboration, which manifests today in his participation in artist collaboration events around the world. After attending the Emma International Collaboration in 1998, he was determined to bring the life-changing experience back to Oregon, first in the form of collaborative pieces at Art in the Pearl, eventually evolving to a weeklong event which continues today as the Frogwood Collaboration. Greg is a longtime active supporter of the Creative Metal Arts Guild, Sitka Center of Art and Ecology, Seattle Metals Guild and Society of North American Goldsmiths; and was a founder of Art in the Pearl in Portland. He has taught his art form all over the US and internationally in Canada, New Zealand and France. He has participated in over 100 exhibitions all over America including the Smithsonian Craft Fair and Philadelphia Crafts Show. He’s currently working on an artist’s book reflecting on his career, which will be published in 2026.
Materials & Tools
The following supplies will be used for course demonstrations and objectives. A suggested item and/or vendor has been provided below for reference. Click the vendor name to be redirected to a page where you can view the item. The quantities needed for each item are listed first. If ordering, please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. We recommend not opening an item's packaging until the day of the workshop. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is not required - observers are welcome.
Raw Materials/Consumables:
- 1 x 12in x 12in (ideally), but 6in x 12in will work of copper sheet, 20ga, dead-soft (PepeTools) - or other supplier
Additional Tools:
- 1 x Respirator or dust mask (amazon)
- 1 x Nitrile Dipped Gloves - like this or similar (amazon)
- 1 x Hearing Protection (amazon)
- 1 x Eye Protection (amazon)
- 1 x Stainless Steel Tongs (amazon)
- 1 x Peddinghaus 403 Raising Hammer (RioGrande)
- 1 x Peddinghaus 60 Planishing Hammer (OttoFrei)
- 1 x Peddinghaus 51 Embossing Hammer (OttoFrei)
- 1 x Durston Rawhide Mallet - Medium 85mm x 50mm (OttoFrei)
- 1 x Iron Mountain Small Dixon Style Bick (PiehTools)
- 1 x Crescent Wiss Offset Snips — Left Cut (amazon)
- 1 x Grobet Round Precision Files — 0, 2, & 4 Cut (OttoFrei)
- 1 x Gladron-Valrobe 6” Half Round Slim Precision Files - 0, 2, & 4 Cut (OttoFrei)
- 1 x Horticultural Pumice (amazon)
- 1 x Cake Pan or Other Metal Container (amazon)
- 1 x PH Decrease - Any mild acid will do (amazon)
- For 6" or smaller work:
- 1 x Bernzomatic T8700 Torch - or your usual jewelry torch (amazon)
- 1 x Bernzomatic T8700 Torch - or your usual jewelry torch (amazon)
- For larger work
- 1 x Weedburner Torch (HarborFreight)
The more forming hammers and stakes you have, the more options you will have.
Here are some styles that can work for raising:
- Peddinghaus 53 Raising Hammer (OttoFrei)
- Peddinghaus 57 Grooving Hammer (Otto Frei)
- Iron Mountain Raising Iron (PiehTools)
If you already have these tools, they are helpful, but not necessary for this course: