Warning: I was burning the heels on my quarter clips for months until a client's horse in Bend went lame and the vet pointed it out.

Honestly, I was using way too much heat and not letting the shoe cool enough before setting it, which made the clips too brittle and they'd crack under stress, so what's the best way you guys manage your forge temp for clips?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowank692mo ago

My old coal forge ran way too hot for clips, I was getting the same cracks. I started pulling the shoe out at a dull red, not a bright cherry, and just letting it air cool for a full minute before I even touched it with the hammer. That extra wait time made a huge difference, the steel stayed way more workable. I mean, it feels slow when you're in the rhythm, but it beats having a shoe fail on you later.

torres.drew2mo ago

Man, @rowank69, that's a SOLID tip about waiting that extra minute.

claire_ramirez222mo ago

Ugh, that's such a good point, and @torres.drew is right, it's solid advice. Waiting feels wrong but it saves so much headache later.