Entry No. 59 — the Missoula file — filed under: hands-on
MUD Project (Missoula Urban Demonstration Project) Blacksmithing Workshop
The MUD Project (Missoula Urban Demonstration Project) is a nonprofit tool library and skills hub that runs 20-30 hands-on sustainability workshops a year, and its long-running blacksmithing class is a local favorite. Instructor Mark Vander Meer, who has smithed for more than 30 years and led the MUD workshop for about a decade, walks small groups through lighting the forge, heating iron, and using anvil, hammer, and tongs to transform a raw spike into a finished coat hook. The class runs at Vander Meer's home forge in north Missoula (not MUD's Wyoming St tool library), and registration goes through MUD. It is a genuine locals-know community-built program, not a tourist attraction.
The story
If you pull up to MUD's tool library on Wyoming Street expecting to find glowing coals and heavy anvils right next to the lawnmower rentals, you're in the wrong place. The Missoula Urban Demonstration Project—a grassroots nonprofit hub running 20 to 30 self-reliance and sustainability workshops a year—handles the registration, but the actual iron work takes place off the grid at instructor Mark Vander Meer's private home forge in north Missoula.
Vander Meer has been smithing for more than three decades and has spent roughly ten years teaching MUD students how to bend steel without burning down the shop. There are no theatrical, resort-style demonstrations here. You get handed a raw iron spike, tongs, and a heavy hammer, then spend the session learning how to read the heat color of glowing metal, strike the face of an anvil, and shape raw iron into a finished, functional coat hook.
Because MUD is a genuine community tool-sharing network rather than a commercial tourist venue, this long-running class stays strictly small-scale. Spots on the workshop calendar fill up almost immediately with local Missoulians looking to pick up an old-world trade from a master craftsman.
What it's like
Show up dressed for real shop work—that means heavy leather boots and pure cotton clothing, because flying forge sparks will melt right through synthetic jackets. Vander Meer keeps the group small, walking you through lighting the forge, managing heat zones, and moving heavy hammer blows efficiently so your arms don't quit before the metal takes shape. Expect loud clanging, coal or gas smell, and a very satisfying hand-forged piece to take home.
The move: Catch the next blacksmithing workshop on MUD's calendar and forge matching iron coat hooks to take home and hang side by side.
📍 Before you go Workshops are offered on rotating dates a few times a year, not on demand; watch the MUD workshops calendar and register early since spots are limited.
- 📍 Missoula
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1527 Wyoming St, Missoula, MT 59801
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Missoula Urban Demonstration Project (MUD) — Check out MUD's main Wyoming Street site and tool library hub before heading north to Vander Meer's forge for your class.
- Silver Park Sculpture Park — Trade your small-scale ironwork session for a walk among the massive outdoor steel and metal sculptures along the Clark Fork River.
- Throw Ceramics — Follow up an afternoon pounding red-hot metal with a hands-on wheel session shaping wet river clay along the Milwaukee Trail.
- Westside Lanes & Fun Center — Wash off the forge dust on the Westside with a cold drink and a few rounds of retro bowling down the street.
Good to know
Where does the blacksmithing class take place?
Although MUD's primary tool library and office sit at 1527 Wyoming St, the blacksmithing workshop is held off-site at instructor Mark Vander Meer's personal forge in north Missoula. Full address details are sent after registration.
How often are workshops held and how do I register?
MUD offers the class a few times throughout the year on rotating dates. Because capacity is capped for hands-on safety, you need to monitor the MUD workshop calendar and sign up online as soon as dates drop.
What project will I make during the session?
You will take a raw metal spike and use traditional smithing tools—anvil, tongs, and hammer—to taper, twist, and bend it into a finished coat hook.
Do I need any previous metalworking experience?
No prior experience is required. Vander Meer breaks down basic forge safety, metal heating, and striking technique right from the start.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-06-24