Just realized my old way of cooling a hot shoe was making it too brittle

I was working on a big draft horse in Spokane last week and instead of just dunking the shoe in my water bucket like I always have, I tried holding it about six inches above the water for a few seconds first. The shoe came out way less stressed and didn't have that weird, glassy ring when I tapped it. Has anyone else tried this kind of staged cooling method on heavy shoes?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_murphy8524d ago

My uncle's a farrier and he always says a full dunk ruins the temper.

the_margaret24d ago

Ever tried just quenching the edge? That's how you keep the body tough but the cutting part hard. Your uncle's right about a full dunk making it brittle.

claire_walker20d ago

Seems like a lot of fuss over a bucket of water... It's just cooling metal, not rocket science. Maybe some shoes are just more finicky than others.