Thanks for this picture, Smitty, it gives me the opportunity for a question I always wanted to ask. The vertical side of the fullering helps beautifully to set the pitch of that nail. But what about when we want a pitch other than what the fullering dictates ? How do you go about that ? Is it correct to always pitch the stamp to match the vertical inside of the fullering and then allow for whatever difference in pitch with the pritchel only ? Or should one stamp more or less vertically for the last nailholes, disturbing the fullering and losing that perfect fit with the nailhead ? Wouldn't it be better with handmades, wouldn't it give a better fit to the nailheads if we started with the inside of the fuller vertical around the toe but pitched it to point a bit outwards as we come to the last nailholes ?
I mean that the pitch of the nailhead in the picture is exactly what the fullering dictates. How should one go about it when we want different pitch, more than that or less ? Punch it to the desired pitch or punch it as the fullering dictates and only pitch with the pritchel ?
In Rick's pictures, he punched straight down, with no pitch to the punch. As a result, the outside of the fullering does not have good contact with the nailhead. How do we fix that ?
Regardless of it being a plain fullered shoe or concave stock .You should be stamping vertical & not to the slant angle of the fullered shoe. The misconception has come about by Keg shoe manufacture & it being easier & more cost effective wear wise on tooling . Thicker set tooling can then be incorporated if it is punched following the angle of the fuller. The result though is an even courser shoe then the fuller would normally dictate & all the pit falls that go with it . Driving nails in shoes stamped that way leaves you wide open to & at a greater chance of pressing a horse when the nails are drawn up tight & clinched.
i always pitch to the angle of the hoofwall with both stamp and pritchel in both concave and flat shoes chris
How do you know what angle that's going to be Chris till you fit & drive your nails ? & do you expect to be driving to the same pitch on the medial side as you will on the lateral? Do you drive your nails at the same pitch near the Toe as you do the quarters.?
each nailhole is punched seperately to the angle of the wall , obviously more at the toe to upright at the medial heel , anyway why am i explaining it to you the jackass who knows everything ?
I do the same, Chris, and never thought there is a problem with nailhead fit in doing so, but rick and Smitty here got me doubting this now. I am trying to figure out what happens when we punch for a more or less vertical nail, how does the nailhead fit in the crease then ? Are both its sides in good contact with the crease ?
i only make shoes for E head nails and have never had a problem with nail fit in any shoe , only my negligence in keeping the tools maintained properly causes any issues . i was taught from day one to pitch for the hoofwall on all shoes , i have never heard or been told any different until it came up here chrid
Please ya self mate keep doing it the way you have been doing it. From a engineering prospective stamping that way will leave you with more metal on the inside of your impression.Making knocking the slug out cleanly with your pritchel difficult to achieve. the slug still remaining half attached or at best a burr.
Glad you are busy. Whenever you have the time, there's no hurry. I've been messing up nailholes for years, a few more days will make no difference.
