Tips n' Clips

Track farrier here.. trying to improve my clipping skills. Problem lately has been getting my burns in the same spot and not accidentally rocking the shoe over and ending up with an ugly mark either beside/over my intended spot. Anybody got words of wisdom for getting them set in without an overburn? Do y'all mark, cut and burn in one heat or mark, return to forge, cut, return to forge and then finish burning?
Worked most of my career with aluminum and ugly hammered clips.. trying to up my game a little with some steel and heat. All advice is appreciated! Cheers folks

Known in the farrier trade ricky as double burning

What happened ricky he never got back?

Still here Smitty. Naturally if i'm not very good yet i'm not doin it for clients so one of these days ill get the urge to get out and work on a few of my own so yall can see some pictures.
Im usin blurton hot fit tongs, just seems to be a bit of a trick in not rocking one branch before another and burning 1 1/2x the width of the clip on the wall.
How specific are you fellas in your cut after the first burn? Ive been real detailed with the knife but not sure how much of that aint needed.
Got a mentor out here too but its hard as hell budgeting time for work, sleep and then work to do better work!
Cheers Folks - thanks for your interest Smitty

Who's horses are you working on ricky when you say your rocking from one side to another?

my own

What is your procedure ricky when hot fiting
from the time your at the anvil then going
to the horse?

Hey Ricky, I use a set of vise-grips to hotset with. You grab the shoe it holds it secure. I can set it on the floor if needed and it's still in the same place.

Never thought about that Mikel... that sounds real handy.
Smitty, my general procedure is trim foot, level, pick shoe, modify on anvil, cool, check fit. Last modifications on stall jack. Throw it into the fire and start trimming opposite hoof. Cherry red shoe comes out - light 2 second touch to mark wall, shoe down, cut clips in, finish burn (down for level and back for clip), cool and nail up.

I know im not the most efficient feller with my heating/cooling but you get so used to doing little mods cold that I tend to finish up that way if something needs changing.

Ricky, there's no reason to cool the shoe after you've shaped it. Take it to the hoof and check fit. Set the shoe lightly, flat on the hoof for a second or two. This will give you a light burn mark around the hoof to see if you have any high, low spots and how the shoe fits the hoof. Adjust if necessary. Throw it back in and do the same with the other hoof. The the warmed up shoe out, set firmly on the hoof leaving a nice burn mark. If I have any contact on the sole, just before nailing the shoe up, I will take my knife and just take the burn mark away from the sole as not to have any contact, making sure there is no sole pressure.

The norm for me ricky would be
trim up 3 feet and just before I start triming
the 4th foot I put in the set of shoes (4)
no need to be burning extra gas.
I like doing the hinds first this makes it easier
by the time I get to the front end, if a horse is a bit iffy.
I use a pritchel and have it in the last hole on outside
of shoe.
I dont get under the horse in front
for me this works better.
smoke can get away easier, and if the horse is acting up
I can work him better.
as your concerns are double burning of the clip
use apex of your trimmed up frog as your centre mark
when coming to the foot have an all round heath on the shoe
not to hot dul red will do, have your clip angleated to what you think
is good for foot.
come out and centre the clip with the frog
Then have a look at the burn mark you have made in relation
to the apex of you frog, if your on the money
make a half moon with your knife, depending how big
your clip is make the half moon smaler or bigger.
after you will be able to fit them like a glove

Smitty, where on the shoe are you placing the clips? I know you use a lot of handmades but for the sake of discussion let's take a kerkhart standard for example. Do you place the clips between the first and second nail holes or the second and third holes?

Wow thanks all for the advice. Smitty I think youre on the money with that technique. You use any specific references for quarter clips?

Also I have been toying with a bit of heating up aluminum. Seems I can heat a Kerck ok and makes things easier but i've thrown in some used race plates and they fall apart in layers like a club sandwich.. what gives? cheap metal? figured id just let it melt at that point and clean out some of the crud in the bottom of my forge

Draftshoer I buy hinds/fronts machiners cliped
but when making hinds lets say 12 1/2" up I put a dot 2 1/4"
from either side of centre and thats were my clip is as the shoes get bigger
I add more, this lets me fit the toe of the shoe under more

Ricky a pic always helps

Smitty, I also like to set the hinds first.

Hind machiner

Smitty what is your preferred method for pulling clips?