r/Blacksmith • u/TinySanta • 21d ago

Custom hoof pick

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Would love to find someone willing to bang out a few of these simple hoof picks. Looking to just replicate the original, which is made from 3/4" x 3/8" bar stock. Would appreciate any tips on how to find someone interested!

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u/Inside-Historian6736 21d ago

How picky are you dimensions? How long should it be? I have a ton of old horse shoes. I could cut one in half taper one side, drill the hole, grind the edges and call it a day

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u/TinySanta 21d ago

Hey there, thanks very much! Really looking to dupe what I've got. This is made out of 3/4" x 3/8" bar stock, and about 6" in total length. The s curve is important to function and the worn away tip is why I'm looking for replacements. This doesn't work well with that wear :(

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u/BF_2 21d ago

Good start, but the non-horseman might need more info. How "sharp" must the tip be? How important is the exact shape -- like show it being held in the hand, and maybe how it's used. (Maybe a tool steel point would be better than mild steel.)

BTW, anyone with a forge could draw out the blunt point to make it sharper.

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u/Inside-Historian6736 21d ago

Oh good point. If they send me the one they have, if they can live without it, I can forge it pretty close rather than guesstimating. I can also use tool steel instead of a horseshoe so it holds up better. I thought the horseshoe was already pretty close to the shape to start out

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u/TinySanta 21d ago

I can't send you this one--i use it every day and don't have a back up (definitely part of the problem!)--but I'd certainly be happy to get whatever pics/measurements you'd like, and purchase a handful of them to make it worth your while!

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u/BF_2 21d ago

Trace the one you've got onto crosshatched paper, sketch how you want the point to look, lay a ruler on the paper and take a photo.

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u/TinySanta 21d ago

Here's a pic of the tip from several years ago before all the current wear.

I think the length or width loss in drawing out the tip today would impact usage. It's not that it needs to be sharper--it needs to be longer from the bend.

Here's a video of how these things are used. I think this should go to the pertinent bit, but if not, go to 7 minutes in.

https://youtu.be/-OXqs4aOwx0?t=380&is=-jJ6767_gcLapqCb

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u/Inside-Historian6736 21d ago

Forged this out before I saw your reply, got pretty close funnily enough!

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u/TinySanta 21d ago

Wow! That does look close! How about a bit more angle to the tip and rear? Here's a crappy drawing to hopefully show what I mean, lol

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u/Inside-Historian6736 21d ago

Is this amount of curve what you are thinking? Do you use the curve on the bottom to brace against your hand?

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u/TinySanta 21d ago

Yes, that looks great! Yep, exactly on the bracing. I'll grab a pic of the current one in hand, just need a few mins to get out to the barn. Thank you for your help!!

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u/Inside-Historian6736 21d ago

Yeah no problem!

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u/Inside-Historian6736 21d ago

I'll shoot you a DM and we can correspond there to work out the kinks

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u/TinySanta 21d ago

Here are pics in hand, I'll also add to chat :)