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A Step-By-Step Process for Improving Stud Holes

By following these instructions, you can increase the reliability of stud holes for your clients using aluminum shoes

 

 

From time to time, farriers must provide screw-in studs in aluminum shoes for our clients. We want to make sure the task remains easy for the client and our work is reliable. However, when we drill and tap holes in aluminum, they can become worn rather quickly. Then we’ll hear from our riders that the studs have fallen from their aluminum shoes during training or competition.

I’m sharing a method that Sumter, S.C., farrier Tommy Newman and I have used for several years to improve the longevity of the holes in this shoe type. We find that this helps make screwing-in and removing the studs easier for the trainer or rider. This process also works well for applying hospital plates. In the April 2016 issue of American Farriers Journal, I explained the process for making a one-bolt hospital plate. Should you find the need, this is the same process you would use with that shoe.

Step-By-Step

It is important to follow these steps in order to improve the likelihood for success. Here is a list of items you will need, along with your shoe:

Farrier Takeaways

Using stainless steel T-nuts in aluminum shoes will provide a better material for stud threads than drilling and tapping into aluminum.

It is crucial to follow these steps in order to have success.

  • 7/16-inch drill bit.
  • 3/4-inch bit.
  • 3/8-16 course thread tap.
  • Center punch.
  • 3/8-16 X 7/16-inch T-nuts.
  • 3/8-16 X 3/4-inch bolts.
  • Star bit or creaser.
  • 9/16-inch socket.
  • Tap lubricant.
  • Soap.
  • Nevr-Dull Waddling Polish.

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Peter Drake

A farrier for nearly 40 years, the late Peter Drake was based in Camden, S.C.

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