Mike C

Now I have to try this. Too many people make very nice rowels, buttons and swivel hangers to take the time to make them with traditional methods, if one is to make them to sell with some profit, the rest I will forge. Just my opinion. Looking at Garcia spurs, I think they may be done by tenon and welded nowadays. After about the first dozen pair, I've managed to work out jigs and processes that make it simpler and faster with more preciseness in spur matching and fit. I'm no expert but the finished product is only getting better and better. Thank you all for the information and ideas from the past threads and posts. I just ordered the book as well to try my hand at bits.

Perhaps another pair of spurs, the sucker rod has been sheared and cut into a bunch of "blanks", so it should be good. No bad weather expected here.

On the shank end, when I initially cut them, I cut an "M" into it. After folding it in half, I twisted it "M" center upward and forged the shank ends curving downwards. I do not open the shanks back up any more for the rowels, I just cut into the metal with a cutting blade. It saves a ton of time and energy and is about the right width opening for the rowels. spur end / shank end|discard this end -----------------|--------------- -----------......|...............|---- -----------------|--------------- 4" center cut, 6" to the middle of the rasp or there about. The extra 2" allows for mistakes and creativity on the shank. On the cut (shank) end, cut an "M" ------------| ............| ...---------| ..\ ...\ .../ ../ ...---------| ............| ------------| Fold it in half lengthwise and open the bands up around a jig to give a good shape for the bands, using the horn/bick by itself is too hard to make it perfect. If you want the bands to curve up with solid buttons, the center cut will have to be 5". Hope this helps, and I hope my diagrams express my explaination.

It was a gift, as soon as I find out, I will relay where the DVD came from. Cheers

Ok, I'm still new to this forum but I've been looking at how others have been building the spurs. Here is what I've made for a while now. I've added the sucker rod idea from one of the other people posting here. Brilliant that they are built similar to the rasp spurs. I have been building the rasp spurs for a few years. I picked up the technique of silver soldering the brass on from watching a show on RFD of Billy Klapper adding silver fittings, and verified my rasp spur building through a DVD from Jim Poor. Great stuff. I will not build my own rowels though, too much work. The buttons are from Ranch2arena.com in California. .75 cents each is too inexpensive to pass up. Some others on this forum have used the same or similar methods for building them so I just want to show off what I have done. The three pairs are the ones I wear when riding and at the local brandings, my latest (sucker rod) and a pair I recently made. I made my spur straps as well. Cheers

Here is my latest pair. I get the buttons and swivels from Ranch2Arena.com and the rowels I pic up where I find them. Store bought rowels are too perfect not to use them. I've also bought Garcia rowels for other spurs I've made.

I have some pics of some spurs I've made. I did the straps as well. I also braid and work rawhide. I've built a number of more spurs, I like the forging freedom of any kind of shank I can manage with a hammer/forge. The ones in the pics are before I started running a bead in the heel band seam. I was also forging out the shank and not grinding out the sslot in the shank. I am now, it's just too easy and quick not to. It also makes it cleaner. Someone else posted using a cutting/grinding blade to cut the rasp. I will be incorporating that as well, I won't need my hot cutter for it any more. The Jim Poor video was given to me for piping (yes, I play the bagpipes, take a look at my icon, I'm also in the Army) at the Edward Martin Perpetual draft horse shoeing competition in Grass Valley, CA. Regarding availability, I can't find anything on the net for that DVD.

Interesting, I hope you are joking........I'm a farrier and am neither a drunk nor a philanderer, with my customers. Wow, I do know one who is that way though....

Howdy all, My name is Mike, I'm a farrier/blacksmith from Nevada. Just checking out all the good information and postss on the forum. Cheerrs

Both pairs of spurs are beautiful. I've built the rasp spurs enough but the ones made from the sucker rod look great as well. I have some sucker rod and am wondering if anyone knows the carbon content this medium usually has?? Thanks

I've only just found this page but have been building this styly of rasp spurs for years. Jim Poor made a video/DVD that describes the process and is quite detailed. I like the idea of th eskill saw. I've been using a hot cutter, this will definately speed up the process. I haven't read all of the postss but the only weld I do is with a wire feed at the heel of the band to fill in and strengthen the spur for more art work on the shank. This is a great thread.