Horseshoes , Has anyone used CNC to make them or used any other methods

[masterfarrier]

Hi , Could anyone advise if they have CNC aluminum or steel horseshoes or made them by any other machine methods .If you have it would be great to here from you .

Cheers Chris

Brisbane Australia

[jalessi]

http://www.stayinintheloop.com/stori...eshoesheis.cfm

[Andre' B]

Let me see if I have this correct.
Someone who calls themselves a masterfarrier is asking where to find, "CNC machined aluminum horseshoes".

You have to tell us what’s wrong with building a fire, grabbing a length of bar stock and start heating & beating.

[Geof]

I doubt that 'heating and beating' is applicable to aluminum horseshoes.

[HuFlungDung]

How about horseshoes with carbide inserts? If you're going to machine them, might as well have a good excuse for it

[Geof]

Originally Posted by HuFlungDung How about horseshoes with carbide inserts? .....

I seem to recall running into these in Europe, little carbide pegs for use in icy conditions.

[masterfarrier]

Nothing wrong with grabbing a bit of bar stock and flogging it , Ive been doing that for the past 25 years 5 days a week .... looking for something a bit more automated and larger production numbers

[Geof]

Would they have the same wear characteristics?

When I read your first post I neglected to look at your location and thought you were maybe asking about making horseshoes for the game that is played with them in North America.

How are aluminum horseshoes made? My experience with horseshoes is limited to cranking the blower on the forge in the little blacksmiths shop on the farm I grew up on in New Zealand and that was some 55 years ago; I doubt whether aluminum horseshoes were even contemplated then.

Are you figuring on machining from a solid blank or bending a bar into a U-shape first to reduce the amount of material that as to be removed? It sounds like a practical idea and we need the other CNCzone member who is a farrier to chip in and tell us if he has heard of it being done up here. But I cannot recall seeing him around for quite a few months.

To run away with the concept a little bit you need to incorporate some dental techniques as well:

Trim the hoof and then use some of the molding compound dentists use to take an imprint of the base of your teeth when you are getting gold caps.

Stick this imprint into your CNC machine and probe it to get a point cloud for the three dimensional shape, or if you have tons of money get a laser scanner to do the same thing.

Then throw the shoe blank in the machine and carve it out to fit the hoof. You should be able to have a stock of blanks finished on the ground contact face in different sizes so you only need to do the individual detail machining on the side contacting the hoof.

I wonder how the time would compare with doing it the conventional way; certainly it wold be less energetic and not as hot. You would also be able to make shoes out of longer wearing alloy steels; something like rail line steel that works hardens.

Or am I totally out to lunch with my musing.

[joeybagadonuts]

The link that jalessi posted mentions Aluminum horseshoes that are made on a CNC.

JoeyB

[Andre' B]

Originally Posted by masterfarrier Nothing wrong with grabbing a bit of bar stock and flogging it , Ive been doing that for the past 25 years 5 days a week .... looking for something a bit more automated and larger production numbers

In that case these guys are talking 4 million a year with this setup.
http://www.anvilmag.com/farrier/011f0.htm

Edit:
And some more interesting info
http://www.cottamhorseshoes.com/about_us.htm

[Bigrhamr]

I was a full time Farrier for 10 years and kinda off and on for another 10. If there's a tougher way to make a living I've never found it and wouldn't want to. I've cut blanks on my CNC plasma for sliding plates, toe weights and heart bars, plus some different configurations of hospital shoes.
I still do a batch of the sliding plates for another guy once in a while. The creases (if any) and nail holes are still done the old fashioned way.
Aluminum shoes can be worked in the fire, just a lot less heat and if you overheat one it crumbles when you hit it.

[D.L]

Hi Chris,

http://www.horseshoes.com.au

Build your cnc first, I hope your design ideas work out.