Forging

Hello Chris,

Don't feel bad, you're not the only person who has struggled with clips over the years. Just the other day, I came across some shoes that I made at school (one's that I was quite proud of at the time). My clips were atrocious, but as with all things related to our profession: practice, practice, practice makes perfect.

I'm not sure how you pull your clips, but regardless of what method, it sounds to me like you are inadvertantly straightening your branches because you aren't focusing you hammer blows correctly when you're drawing out your clip.

The way I pull most of my clips is as follows:

1. I like to take a short heat over the area where I'll be clipping. (excessive heat over the length of branch will encourage the branch to deform.)

2. Using the off face of the anvil, I scoot about 3/16" of the shoe over the edge, elevate it just enough to get my tongs off the face of the anvil, and strike down and into the edge as if I were trying to destroy the anvil edge. (I use a 2.5 lbs cross pein)

3. Once I get a good bubble started (and I spend a little bit of time doing this - don't rush, the better the bubble, and stonger the base of the clip), I'll cross lock my tongs, come to the heel of the anvil (still the off edge), and strike three distinct hammer blows: One of either side of the clip, and the third in the middle. You are only hitting the bubble you've formed. If you hit any part of the shoe below the bubble you'll straighten the branch.

4. Now in the same position, I'll hit the clip with the heel of my hammer (you could also you the cross pein). I'll hit the clip in exactly the same spot while pulling the shoe away from the edge of the anvil. The hammer hits, the tongs make the clip.

5. Once I've gotten my clip drawn out to where I want it, I'll go the hardy hole and set the edges of the clip down - this just helps with fitting the clip later.

6. If the clip is at all asymmetrical, this is the time to rasp it into symmetry.

7. Go to the horn, and set the clip at the angle of the hoof wall. Again, only hit the clip, otherwise you will straighten the branch.

I hope this helps, I know without pictures it is hard to follow. Just remember, don't fight your clips. Lightly grip your tongs, and don't choke up on your hammer handle. Clips tend to be intimidating at first and we try to rush them. When I'm relaxed and not particularly thinking about it, I'll pull a pair of side clips in a single heat. If I stop and think, and plan, and worry, I never get anywhere. Just relax and focus on hititng in the same place everytime, and once you've gotten you bubble formed, only hit (and forge out) the bubble. You'll straighten the branch everytime if you hit the shoe below the divot you've formed with your bubble. Keep practicing and it'll be second nature.

PS: A great way to practice clip making and hammer control, is to take a keg shoe, start at one heel and clip it all the way around to the other heel. When you can do it without closing you nail holes, or changing the shape of the shoe, or getting it out of level, you'll be able to clip anything. The best I can do is 9 contigous clips. My friend Mike likes to put 10 or 11. It's great practice and works really well for P3 fractures.

PPS: You should also check out Roy Bloom's video: Cowpies and Clips.

Good luck and happy hammering!

Great Job! I always struggle with my clips length and your video helped me to pull the length out of the branch.