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?

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3 Comments

amy_murphy857mo ago

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

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the_margaret7mo 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.

6

claire_walker6mo 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.

1