The February contest will be two classes .1st class .matching set pritchal and stamp. Will be judged by form and function so get creative anything goes as long as its usable. post picture of the tools and a short description of materials used. And a pic of a piece of stock demonstrating there use both with and without the nail of your choice.2nd class. hoof pick judged by form and function any thing goes. You may enter one or both contest's i will be looking for creativity but not over usability. Close ties will be decide by the difficulty of the forging. Use the materials of you're choice but make it appropriate to the tool made. Deadline February 28 th Good luck and thanks
Bill throw in and make it out of 13" of 3/8"×1" mabe Smitty will forgive you but please have it in by at least the 31st
View attachment 5460 Made this "fast an dirty" a few days ago to replace a worn out one (included in pics). Figgured if I couldn't win, at least I'd be "first".
Started a contest below for non farriers . Good place to enter your kids, grandkids and familys works of art
I'm in. I need to get some tools steel. Can someone tell me what is best to get and how to temper It properly. I only have a forge and anvil. No torches.
Monty: Can I submit something made by someone post mortem, kind of a tribute to the person that trained me almost 30 years ago. Made me a hoof pick for top of the class, (it was a really low class of individuals) Let me know! Rob Johnson
great Michel . If your forge will reach critical (NON MAGNETIC) no problom .different steels have different quenches air, oil, water. I usaly recycle ,truck springs, races ,old car axels they are carbon steel maybe not the best but cheep and plentiful and happy in a oil quinch. this may be the wrong way to do it but it works for me. Bring it to critical and quinch the lower half of the tool in hot oil (Cold will crack it,i use olive oil just smoking) buff the workin end with emery quickly then watch the colors move down from the still hot end some times you have to play with your temper but i find blue to be good for stamps ,chisels and pritchals in carbon steel .when it has reached the target color quinch the working end again keep it in the quinch allowing the struck endof the tool to cool slowly so that it wont be brittle . There are a lot of good tool steels on the market the manufacture should give you info on proper temp and quinch ask your steel supplier . S 7tool steel is a good all around but im cheep and know how to recycle .modle t axels mm good stuff . good luck
These are pics of my set made for E-5 slim. Both the pritchel and head of the fore punch are made from tool steel I bought from Sweden. The handle is welded on with stainless steel rod. Seems to hold much better. Also my standard hoof pick I make. I've had many customers comment they sit real well in the hand and are very good to use, so!!
Hi Mikel, Where in Sweden did you get the tool steel. I have gotten hold of som steel from springs from industrial robots. Don't know the "number" of it though. Makes nice stamps, maybe a little on the soft side though
I made this stamp and handle and pritchel when I was 16 on my first college block, I have only ever used the stamp in exams and the pritchel is my back stabber and I use it all day every day, when it's gone I will retire.... They both got tidied for the photo shoot
