Thank you, Sir, I am taking this as a big compliment. Does anybody know if Mr. Smitty is okay? I am kind of missing his advice and criticism.... Regards, Steffi Kersten
First of all, let me say - no pics, sorry! Got to a place this week and needed a pair of bar shoes, so whipped out the concave steel (not good at measuring concave), measured up and made a pair. I ended up about a 1/2" too short, so I used my stick welder and made the weld. Shoes fit perfect. Smitty - how do you measure for concave as there is no stretch as in normal steel. My hoof was 12.5 cm wide, 14cm long. I added 2.5 inches for my bar, but came up short.
Mikel, all we are missing is furlongs and kilometres !!!! I have to say I am increasingly fitting a shoe and welding the bar in the back, I have made a jig, and then refitting it with the bar, just a touch down, and job is a good un as they say, quite quick, very accurate and cost effective.....
And there is nothing wrong with that, I do the fit and weld many times. This time, I thought I give making the concave a go, but fell short of my goal, although I did come out with a good shoe (glad I got my welder in the van).
Mikel talked to me in inches please. some things to consider when making shoes for feet shape of foot, section your using, width between the heels. is it a straight bar if so how you forge your hocky stick. how much you over lap your scarfs when welding we make all bar shoes we fit,would not dream of welding a bar in
Smitty, I don't have much problem making a barshoe from a piece of flat stock, but the concave is where I fall short. I've never used much concave, but am finding myself going over to it more and more. So want to get the measuring concave down better. I am thinking about practice exercises - taking a keg shoes of different sizes and making barshoes to fit those sizes. Hopefully will get me better into the ball park. When you hock stick concave, about how much do you bump into it (concave)?
its only measurments once your tuned into making shoes for feet its handy enough concave you have to be gentle with it
Smitty, I got a pair of bar shoes to put on and have the measurements - in inches - 5.5 W x 6.25L, Heals 3.35 to the outside. Using 3/4 x 3/8 concave. Please go through how you measure concave and what you allow for bumping and welding. Am going to give it a go Sunday. I've learned it's a soft hammer on concave and keep it leveled out at all times.
Mikel not knowing how you work iron if the foot was 6 1/4" x 5 1/2" I would allow 13/4" for toe bend mark 2" on each heel for hocky stick to make your bar. you might need 17" I might need less
I made one to see if it would be the right size. I cut 16 inches, and it was a little short. I did it before I read your post. Now will do 17 inches and see how it turns out.
Did another trial run today - 16.5 did the trick. Do you always allow 1" longer for concave, or does size make a difference?
I've heard it said that size doesn't matter. I've never believed that. But then I've never had a problem with size.
