Putting in studs

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SpruceRI

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Am I the only one who can't put studs in?? (Well I know I'm not because I have one other friend who can't either!!) But we seem to be the only 2 people on the planet?!

I use Supastuds.... hoping they would help my issue, but they don't really.

However or whatever I wedge in the shoe hole, like cotton wool or rubber bungs, the holes get full of mud and grit and burr over.

So out comes my re-threader, but I just cannot get it in straight. It wobbles about all over the place and before I know it I've crossed the thread and damaged it, and if I can get the stud in, it either falls out and I lose it, or it goes in wonkey and not right down to the hilt of the stud!!

What am I doing wrong?? Help!!!!!
 
When you bung the hole, use a squirt of WD40 and twice as much cotton wool as you think you need - really force it in with a farrier's nail.

I clean stud holes the night before, when I have time to spend, and then use supastuds travel studs.

Can't help with the tapping - it's an art I think.

I do know that when my farrier got the work experience boy to do stud holes, they were god awful and difficult to get the studs in, but the ones he does are brilliant, and easier than the ones any other farrier has ever done, so I think the ability of the farrier helps too.
 
I don't bother putting anything in the stud holes when they are empty, I have found a mini screw driver is really good for cleaning them out. Don't retap them every time, squirt some WD40 in before you screw in the stud, that should be enough. Only retap if they really won't go in, less chance then of them cross threading. It is usually only the very top of the stud that burrs over, so if you get past that bit you should be ok.
 
I never pack studholes - they get just as full of mud and stones whatever I do. Agree about WD40 and not tapping them every time - just give a really good clean out. Supastuds definetely better. Check your tapper is a good quality one as some are rubbish and can make a real mess of your threads.
 
Ditto the not bunging the holes and using WD40, but also make sure the stud is going in at the right angle. I found I was holding the foot at a slight angle and the trying to put the stud in straight - doofus :o
 
You are definitely not alone, I am totally incapable of putting studs in too. However hard I try I am guaranteed to cross thread them!
 
I spend about 1 minute checking I have the tap sitting square and gently move it until it catches and then check its straight again before using more pressure to tap right down.
 
pack the stud holes with WD40-soaked, swan filter tips, cheapy cheap from cigarette counter of supermarket. they are foam so don't pull apart like cotton wool. 1 or even 2 in every hole makes life a lot easier.
when it comes to threading, be very patient and be prepared to try repeatedly. i find that twisting the tap backwards slightly, then forwards, backwards until i feel it notch, then forwards gently, and only carrying on if it is absolutely flat/straight is the key... don't, whatever you do, force it on the cross-thread because then it'll be wonky and crap, weaken the thread, and your studs will go in wonkily. you get a feel for it and then it's easy (most of the time!), honestly.
 
Marry a mechanic! Thats what I did, and he always comes with me to events, so I never have to put them in anymore! He doesn't plug them either, and gets them in all four feet (two in each shoe) in about 5 mins - even with my silly mare!

Apart from myself, I know loads of people who struggle like mad to put studs in. When I was in a sling once I went to a dressage comp to read for a mother and daughter who had a full on row over putting their studs in!

Sorry theres no constructive advice in this post!
 
I do do the studs the night before and put the Superstuds flat square 'keepers' in, but usually I've wrecked the thread somewhat by then!!

But I definately can't get any sort of stud in without retapping if the hole has burred over - and I can't just get away with retapping the top bit either.

Just a thought.... are the holes supposed to be countersunk into the shoe or just 'sit on top' which mine are...

One of my friends has the same farrier as I do and she doesn't have these problems, so I must just be terribly cack-handed. It annoys me so much!!!!
 
I have a friend who has taught her horse to rest her feet on a little stool or box it makes it so much easier.
Clean the holes out well the day before competition and pack with Duraglit/Brasso wadding , don't rethread unless absolutely necesssary pick up a little adjusting spanner from a DIY shop or use a spanner from a good car toolkit, much better than the usual stud spanner.
 
Do you know? I've never really wondered whether there might be something wrong with the re-threader! I mean, I'm trying to blame something else here instead of me!

It looks OK, but then I've had it for years!

Re not bunging the hole with cotton wool or whatever, what do you use to get every bit of mud out of the thread track? I used to use a wire brush type thing but it didn't last 5 minutes.
 
get yourself a polo groom as an OH is my current technique. Whenever I'm left to do them by myself I end up cross threading the bloody things when I try and tap the hole.
 
Check your tap - I had a nasty one for a while and could not understand why I was having so many problems until I bought another one and I realised the bad one was completely round and the new one was very different with sharper edges and space for the dirt and gunk to be taken out.
 
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star said:
get yourself a polo groom as an OH is my current technique. Whenever I'm left to do them by myself I end up cross threading the bloody things when I try and tap the hole.
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Can I borrow you OH please?!!!

Thanks JumptoIt, I'll order one of those taps. I've got one of the Liveryman orange ones further down the page.

And everyone else. :o)
 
The advice above is all spot on, but I thought it might be worth mentioning the correct way to tap (or re-tap) a threaded hole (worked in a machine shop for a while, and tapped many a hole!)...

In order to reduce the likelihood of getting a cast tap or cross-threading you should repeat this process: one revolution clockwise, then half a revolution anti-clockwise. So, you go 'in' a full turn then 'out' a half turn and repeat till you get to the bottom of the hole. Hope that makes sense!

ETS - I avoid re-tapping like the plague, and just clean out the hole really well with a mini screwdriver before bunging the supastuds in - much easier :D
 
madhossy said:
Am I the only one who can't put studs in?? (Well I know I'm not because I have one other friend who can't either!!) But we seem to be the only 2 people on the planet?!

I use Supastuds.... hoping they would help my issue, but they don't really.

However or whatever I wedge in the shoe hole, like cotton wool or rubber bungs, the holes get full of mud and grit and burr over.

So out comes my re-threader, but I just cannot get it in straight. It wobbles about all over the place and before I know it I've crossed the thread and damaged it, and if I can get the stud in, it either falls out and I lose it, or it goes in wonkey and not right down to the hilt of the stud!!

What am I doing wrong?? Help!!!!!
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When i used to sj and had stud holes i never used to bother with the things you can put in the keep them clear as they were a waste of time!- although if you are a smoker or know a smoker get some ciggie butts and put them in the stud holes once you've tapped them out- bizarrely enough they did work well the eve before!

- i would clean out the stud holes the eve before and the best things for getting them clear before you use your stud tap is to use a brevil (not sure how to spell it.... sorry i know i've spelt it wrong... i don't mean a toaster!!) it's a very sharp mini screw driver, and also get some big shoe nails off of your Farrier and then dig the holes out with that- they are fab for clearing them out.

Then the tap should go in and work, sometimes the threads can go on the shoes which does make it tricky or near impossible!
 
A tip for pulling all the stuff out of the holes is to use a farriers nail that has a little hook at the bottom, makes it easy peasy :)
 
I only had a problem if I didn't put enough cotton wool in..you can stuff and stuff loads into them (so much more than you think) and then a horse shoe nail with then end bent is brilliant for cleaning them out
 
i had a horse who I had to do the studs extra quick & I couldn't tap the holes out because he would snatch his foor back, solution was metal screw in keepers and supa studs, if you are riding on the roads make sure you leave them slightly proud of the shoe, otherwise the top of the shoe will spread and stop you from getting them out, also loosen and tighten them once a week so they won't rust solid, is a bit of a performance but i never needed to tap a stud hole again, so always got to have studs in when mattered
 
I'm left handed and dyslexic (which affects hand eye co-ordination), so I feel your pain.

I do mine the night before, put travel studs in with some WD40 and then its really quick at the show.

Also with Supa Studs make sure you clean the 'channels' in the thread between uses, if it gets blocked with dried mud etc. they won't tap properly and go in.

In between I put loads of cotton wool in, as others have said, stuffed in hard with a nail.

NB: My farrier said 'why not just turn out with the travel studs in rather than cotton wool'. V.Bad idea, the flat plate wears really quicky and made them impossible to remove (He did come out for free and take the shoe off to remove them from the other side!).
 
madhossy said:
Do you know? I've never really wondered whether there might be something wrong with the re-threader! I mean, I'm trying to blame something else here instead of me!

It looks OK, but then I've had it for years!

.
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How old is old my friend was having issues with Studs and her tap was imperial not metric! I did laugh when we found out as I got the job of studding and always used mine but forgot it once and we realised why!

Supa studs are the best too
 
I use a safety tap for retapping mine and I find as it is a very evenly weighted object it helps to prevent too much pressure on any side to cause it to cross thread. I just sit it on top of the hole and twist either way until it bites. No cross threads yet and no panic when the pony snatches his leg away in the middle of it.
 
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