I was wondering if some of you who compete could give me some ideas on what to do to get good enough to compete also looking to where i can get some shoe designs and what all tools i will need to be able to compete i have made the choose to go full time shoeing and know i will have some down time to practice.

Thanks:

Cody

Sure do hope you can make our little deal tentatively being held in Ohio.

Check out the "Riding with Me" thread to be brought up to date
George

holden_cj wrote: Hi Coady
what have you done so far
are you an apprentice or Qualifed

over here if you are an app you enter app classes
they can be anything from 2 concaves to 2 bar shoes

we have a 1st and 2nd year class and a 3rd and 4th year
class
we also have an master and apprentice class

regarding tools dont bye the top brands for now
you only reck them if your only starting

need to know what stage your at before guideing you


if you have any pics of any shoes you made
like to see them

Cody

Try www.worldchampionblacksmiths.com this may be helpful.

I have tried to find some folks to teach me the basics. I have found it helpful to study under one persons method, way, style, or whatever you want to call it. When you get started get help so you don't develop any bad habits and then just work at forging exercises until they are completed and then shorten the time.

Buy a hundred feet of 5/16X3/4 cut it into 12" pieces mark it and make a hundred toe bends. Then two hundred heels, two hundred quarter bends, six hundred nail holes etc.

Put the first ten in a special place and compare them to the last ten. Take all the time and heats nessasary to make them as perfect as you can. You'll see in the last ten that you have time and heat to spare.

I was in my first competition this summer. It was a real good time. If you enter in the novice division you wont need much other than just some basic forging tools. Mostly keg shoes are used in the novice divisions with maybe some plain stamped shoes.
I think you posted before that you are in Pennsylvania. If you want i can give you a whole list of people that can help you get started and can help you with just about anything you need.

Yeah Kenny i would like that list.

Cody,
A good many of these contests now are taking to not letting you park your truck in the facility due to lack of room.

What you must therefore do is prepare yourself a free standing work station.

Get or build some kind of a stand for your forge, anvil, and vise. Go to one of these contests and see how the guys do it.

Your limited only by your own imagination. I would then recommend practicing at home set up the way you would be at a contest.
George

If you're really serious, go spend a week at Bob Marshall's school. He won the world championship 5 times and it's a lot closer than crossing the pond to Billy Crother's shop.