Gentlemen:
Many years ago someone printed an idea in a trade journal on measuring stock for making shoes.
I made one of these by adding a strip of brass 1/16 in. thick to the end of a sewing tape. You then marked the brass at different points for using 5/8, 3/4,7/8 in stock.
When you measured the foot, you would determine the width of stock such as 3/4 inch, and use that mark on the brass at one heel and measure around the foot to the opposite heel.
This system always worked great for me and was simpler than taking 4 measurements (including the width of the lower lip ) and dividing, adding and all that.
Well wouldn't you know it. After all these years I lost mine somewhere and do not know where to mark the brass for each width of stock.
I always had the old one to copy when I wore them out.

Anyone have the measurements for this.

Gary

Gary as long as im shoeing i have never seen anybody use
this system

for me i use the brass ruler
there is alot of factors i would take on measuring a foot

this seems to be a problem with pupils measuring feet
i find

Granted, that there are some factors that need to be taken into account.
Add for heels, trailers, bars, pads, etc. subtract for tapering heels,square toes, breakover, etc..
It has always given me a good length to cut my stock at and never am I short and rarely do I have to rasp much off the heels to get the perfect fit.
After preping the foot for a shoe and dressing the foot, I always seem to get a great fit with this system.


Gary

Gary if you have a copy of principles of horseshoeing 2 Dr. Doug Butler explains Bruce Dainels method of measuring stock but at the end of that chapter he also give the measurements for a tape such as you have mentioned, I dont have the book in front of me here or I would give those measurements to you. If you do not have the book I can look it up for you.

My name is Layne

Gary,
Layne gave the good info. Thats what I use and like a charm it works.
Bill

you have a funny way with words Bil
for a moment i taught you where trying to snub me

Thanks Layne;

Never knew it was in that book;
I have part of the day off here, waiting for a delivery of steel.
I'll have time to make a new one then.

Now Smitty 88, and Bill no fightin.
You'll make me feel bad for posting and i'll have to go back to therapy.

Smitty, thanks for your input too.

Gary

Gary Pfeiffer wrote:
no problem do what ever works for you
at the end of the day if your getting a good heel lenth fit

thats what you want
do you make many

I don't make as many as I did years ago. There is such a large selection of shoes on the market these days.

I probably average four paif a week of handmades.

Steels here gotta go.

Gary

Gary Pfeiffer wrote:
thats 2 pair more than me

Gary Pfeiffer wrote:
I'll fight Smitty any time, as long as we don't resort to a contest involving hot steel, hammers and anvils, I've seen his work. See how tough I am when the foe is six or seven thousand miles away?
I won't consider Mr. 88 a foe though, as he is in the land of my great, great grand mother who maried a Scottsman then came over here.
With the tape, I've gotten used to how they come out and when to add or take off a bit.
The most impressive I've seen was Chriss Gregory. He trimed a foot then said "it should be about 14 and an eighth", cut the bar stock, turned the shoe and it fit like a glove.

I'll need to do a few more till I can judge length like that or weld like Smitty.
Bill

Bill i see we were born the same year
but you started shoeing shoeing in 92

why the late start
i started in 75

or have you been doing it on and off
to make sure you wanted to do it full time?

HI Gary,
In the book Better Basics, Better Horseshoeing Chris Gregory describes making a tape as you described. To make one he suggest that you make several handmades of a size stock(3/4",7/8",1",etc), take a cir***ference measurement after the shoe is made, find the average amt that the stock stretched to determine the marking on your tape. Hope that helps. Take care.



Andrew Grimm

Smitty,
Missed my calling till later in life.
Wish I had started like my boys who started helping when they were 10 to 12 years. My son Eli shod his first one at age eleven.
Take care
Bill