Engineering clubs open new paths for U of A students
From wall hooks to wizard wands, Wildcat Forge Club members turn heated metal into finished pieces they can take home.
The College of Engineering currently hosts a record number of student clubs. University of Arizona students explored 53 different groups at the College's annual club showcase.
At a forging and casting facility, the Wildcat Forge Club turn heated metal into everything from wall hooks to blunted blades.
“It's all practical skills,” said Ranger Stevenson, club president and materials science and engineering PhD student. “We teach everyone how to work the metal, from holding a hammer to forging something of their own.”
Students from any major can join; no previous experience is required.
Stevenson also ties the work to materials science, explaining how a metal's microstructure changes during heating and quenching.
For cyber operations engineering sophomore Jacob Mann, the club offered a chance to pursue a childhood interest.
“When I was little, my father took me to Renaissance fairs and bought swords. I’ve always wanted to make my own,” he said.
Members then put their skills to the test at the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society Bladesmithing Competition, a biennial international contest in which teams design and forge a blade.
In 2024, the club placed third with “The Copper Head,” a tanto, or Japanese short sword, made with copper, rattlesnake leather and mesquite wood.
“This year, we’re going to do bigger projects like making a railroad spike knife and maybe even attempt an axe,” Stevenson said.