June 20, 20197 yr 20 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: Michale, the curved "Vixen", lead float files are not meant for steel. They are for soft metals like aluminum, brass, lead body filler. I never saw one meant for steel. It seemed to work alright on the mild steel of the 1 inch plate I cut the square hole in. I didn't notice any significant dulling of the teeth and the inside surfaces smoothed and flattened pretty well. Most (if not all) of my files come from garage sales and flea markets and I'll send the interesting ones off to Boggs File Company in Los Angeles to get them sharpened. I have a buddy who is much worse than me in terms of bottom feeding filestock and he sends 3 packages a year off to Boggs, my stuff just piggy backs along with his. What I'm saying is I don't have a lot invested in this vixen file, maybe $2, and was pleasantly surprised it worked so well.
June 21, 20197 yr I got an order for 6 hoof picks the other day. So I made one tonight to try out one of my ideas. It turned out okay and I learned a few things that I'll do different. I have a few more complicated designs in my mind that I'll be trying out in a couple of days as well. This one has a bottle opener on it as well. Chaos approved but asked me to forgo testing it out on him.
June 21, 20197 yr Did the folks asking for them try that design out? They are often held in what looks like a weird way.
June 21, 20197 yr Not yet. I've used many hoof pics in my life, I'm sure that this will work fine, but I've got a friend who's a ranch hand that I'm gonna give this one to to see how he likes it.
June 21, 20197 yr Going to make it so you can hook it on a belt loop---or the top wire of a fence? Curl that little flip on the non-using end to hold a lanyard? I like getting buy in from the end user when I make them a custom variation.
June 21, 20197 yr The customer is a tack store. So with this first order we're trying a few different ideas so we can see what their customers like.
June 21, 20197 yr It's really good that you have business drummed up for selling your hoof picks. I've never made any myself, although I should. Horseshoes make up a good bit of my smithing and I live right in the middle of horse country. I hope you sell a lot of them
June 22, 20197 yr I'm beside a cigar vendor at the event. He mentioned cigar picks or spikes. I'd never heard of them so after seeing a simple one I gave it a shot. Sold 4 of them so far and at least one or two will be sold tomorrow. It's always great meeting different people and exchanging ideas. I gave him two different styles and I have an order for 50 of them for him to sell out of his vending trailer.
June 22, 20197 yr Looks like a great niche market item! Stainless or what sort of finish will be on them? If he ordered 50 you are not charging enough for them!
June 22, 20197 yr 2 hours ago, JHCC said: Spot welded the frame together for The Presscious: She's starting to looked tacked up John. Remember the business cards? Frosty The Lucky.
June 22, 20197 yr Das: it's great you got an order for those cigar picks. I've never heard of them either. Learn something new every day
June 22, 20197 yr On 6/21/2019 at 2:23 PM, CrazyGoatLady said: It's really good that you have business drummed up for selling your hoof picks. Hoof picks from half a horseshoe sell well with the horsey people. Bottle opener on the back end is optional. I dunno, never been sure about using the same tool to clean gunk out of the frog and open my beer. They seem to sell either way. Easy to forge too.
June 22, 20197 yr 6 hours ago, Frosty said: Remember the business cards? Yup! I had a box full at work left over from when they changed everybody’s titles.
June 22, 20197 yr 20 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Nobody; ya gotta remember I'm selling to TEXANS! Mr. Powers, with all due respect, I are a Texan, if slightly misplaced at the moment. Even we have standards...as far as beer cleanliness, at any rate. Not sure which is worse, spilling beer on a good horse, or spilling good horse in your beer.
June 22, 20197 yr Spoken like a true cowboy..................always faithful to both his beer and his horse.
June 22, 20197 yr Alexandr you must drink a lot of coffee.. Or do a bunch of energy drinks.. You are turning out serious work on what seems to be a weekly basis.. Very well done..
June 22, 20197 yr On 6/21/2019 at 12:28 PM, ThomasPowers said: Make that little flip at the end a beer bottle opener? That's exactly what it is Spend some more time in the shop today. But I had a partner this time! She was really excited to do her own project and turned out a pretty nice heart! I made another hoof pick with a twist I've never done before but I like the way it turned out!
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