It's not winter now, but a customer would like borium on her eventing horses shoes. Problem is, i don't own an acetelene torch. I know that i can also use my forge to apply it, but how do i do it? If i can't manage, i will ask to put caulks in instead. But i would like to know how to apply it the forge way since i have a brand new forge now:-)
I once tried the small torches at home depot, but they weren't hot enough.

I'm not the most experienced person on this, but Dave Lindahl just showed me how to do it. Cut the borium with a bolt cutters to about 1/2" bullets, heat the heals or toe untill red, apply flux (Borax), place bullets on fluxed area. Heat untill the borium starts to run, remove and I put hammer on borium. DO NOT HIT. HAmmer acts as a heat sink. All done.

P.S. I've only done this once on my own. Worked well. THe only thing I had trouble with was the blast wanted to push the bullet off. YOu also have to keep the shoe level in the forge. Hope this helps.

Cody

Borium is a PITA and more easily done with a torch but if you are going to do it in the forge

1) put a welding brick under the mess that you are about to make and,

2) consider using a ball pein hammer to make a divot where you want the piece of borium to be applied.........it'll sit and stay better

breaking pieces of the stick off in a vice will preserve the edges of your anvil too

JMO,

Derin

hay I use my hobart weilder
take the shoe and fit it two the foot then while it is hot take your borium stick in one hand and the weilder in the other ark the shoe and push the borium in the heat after you get the amount u want weild around the borium it will take a little time two get it but when you do you use less borium and it wont fall off after you finish nailing it on

john

While I have the shoe hot, I use my creaser to make a slot for the piece of drill tec to set on so it don't move in the forge. Also to break it, I hold it in the forge for a bit, just to warm it. Breaks great into the pieces I need.

UpNorthShoer wrote:

I've used borium many times and found the above way perfect for applying it. Also place the shoe in the center of your fire so that it gets a nice even heat if your applying it to both branches. I never realy had a problem with it dropping out in the fire but we mainly use concave shoes over here and the fullering is deeper than what you see in american shoes.

The aforementioned ways all work, I would use a piece of bar stock, or and old file, or rast make sure you s****e the foot bearing side of the shoe off so you don't get any on it. Drive in pins work better and they are small so little grabbing effect liek calks, and less mess less fuss.

Are you guys talking about borium or drilltex? You can apply drilltex (rod with bits of borrium surrounded by brass) in the forge, but I dont believe that borium (like stoody) is going to puddle in a gas forge. I could be wrong, but Im fairly certain its not so.

Josh,
You are correct. Stoody borium can only be applied by oxy-acetelene torch when used as traction on a horseshoe.
Jim

I guess I was talking about drilltex, borium bit surounded with brass.

Cody

you can put borium on shoes with a welder you dont have to carry oxy tanks and eather pay a lease or what ever if you wold like to learn how I could show you

beslagsmed wrote:
thank you! just added something to the bag o' tricks.

I have tried those borium bullets from MFC. after I heat the heels of the shoe to red hot, and shake on borax, place the bullet, I leave them in the forge until the copper/ brass just starts to melt the borium isnt exposed and it sometimes falls off, When I leave the bullet in long enough to melt and the borium stays on it comes out looking like a blackened mess not a golden droplet. HELP
Thinking about trying the borium sticks:confused:

the stuff i use is drilltex coated with some kind of red flux.all you do is make bullets out of the foot long stick and heat the shoe put the bullet on the shoe put it back in the forge wait for it to puddle and smush it with your hammer to make it as level as possible and thats it.no messing with flux works great and saves time..

well this is this first try at apply drilltex. It adhered well but it doesn't like right maybe I left them in too long