sorry misread the post , i thought you said impotent LOL , John its great you get free tuition and hands on practice with all top men at the practice sessions and your on the floor with the judges seeing hearing and talking , experiences that cannot be found anywhere else
Swans is up the road from me, looks like its £15.00 http://gasforges.co.uk/tools-supplies/fire-welding-compounds
I have some 3* wedge aluminum shoes I bought for 25 cents; yes for $0.25 ........here in the states......they are big enough to practice making a small #1 bar alu barshoe 3* wedge/ or leave it as #3 wedge shoe for a warmblood/TB cross.
you have to; they are not even punched; just plain stock that is sized out and wedged; you have to do the rest. it's the 25 cents = 1 pence is what I was trying to get you jealous about