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Horseshoes Store and Smithing (Open)


PlanckHorseshoe

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Welcome to my store and smith! My name is Forged Horseshoe and I offer services and products related to steel and other metals. Feel free to ask for a service or product! Here’s a list of them:

 

 

Horseshoes:

 

*Low carbon steel horseshoes: 80 Bits

(If not exposed frequently to water, humidity, mud, wet grounds and intense ride, can last at least  1 year without repair.)

 

*White cast iron horseshoes: 50 Bits

(Harder than common carbon steels, but very weak against impacts. Needs more time to wear out, since high impact is avoided)

 

*Gray cast iron horseshoes: 100 Bits

(Less resistant against impact than low carbon steel, but much more than white cast iron. Also very wearing out resistant.)

 

*Austenitic low carbon steel alloy: 100 Bits

(Wear out faster than the first, but resists better to intense ride and low temperatures. If you plan to visit Stalliongrad, is a good choice.)

 

*Tempered martensite low carbon steel: 250 Bits

(Same of the first, but after quench and temper. The best performance of common steel for intense rides and impact)

 

*Ultra high resistance steel alloy: 600 Bits

(Using special metals in alloy and doing complex heat treatment, this is the most resistant horseshoe from the shop. The problem is bad resistance against water and not recommended to expose to high temperatures.)

 

*Austenitic Stainless Steel 400 Bits

(Good resistance to water, intense rides and impact, and very good resistance to low temperatures)

 

* Ferritic Stainless Steel 320 Bits

(Resists water a little less than the austenitic, but is better to intense rides and impact)

 

*Cast aluminum Horseshoes: 400 Bits

(3 times lighter than steel and resists water, but wear out fast and not supports intense rides.)

 

*Aged aluminum-cooper alloy:  800 Bits

(After a complex heat treatment, this alloy reaches excellent mechanical properties. 3 times lighter than steel, resists water and resists some to intense ride and impact.)

 

*Brass Horseshoe: 800 Bits

(Have a nice color, similar to gold, resists water and supports intense ride. Not so good in wear resistance.)

 

*Bronze Horseshoe: 1000 Bits

(If polished often gets a very nice orange-pink color, if don’t gets dark and some green-blue traits. Best wear out resistance, and a little good resistance to impact.)

 

*Nickel Super alloy 1600 Bits

(Resists some to water, good for ride and impact and resists very high temperatures)

 

*Magnesium Alloy 1200 Bits

(Lighter than aluminum, very light! Resists water, but not so good to intense rides and impact)

 

*Cobalt alloy 2200 Bits

(Best resistance to very high temperatures, very good resistance against water, and good to ride and impact)

 

*Alpha titanium alloy 1400 Bits

(Very good water resistance, very good resistance to high temperatures, lighter than steel, lighter than cobalt and resists intense ride and impact.)

 

*Alpha-beta titanium alloy 1800 Bits

(Very good water resistance, not recommended to very high temperatures, but have excellent resistance to intense rides and impact)

 

 

 

 

Services:

 

*Horseshoe repair

(The price depends on the kind of horseshoe)

 

*Welding

(Depends on the complexity of the operation)

 

*General metal objects repair

(Same)

 

*Heat treatments

(Depends the kind)

 

*Metal objects forge

(Same)

 

*Surface hardening for common steels: 100 bits

(Complex steel alloys are more expensive)

 

*Metallurgy classes 300 Bits a month

(Yeah, I can share with you my knowledges)

 

*I buy metals and ores

(Maybe soon I'll list the prices)

 

 

Feel free to look and ask!

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Applejack liked herself a nice quad of horseshoes. When you did a lot of farm work, a lot of running around in the Everfree, and a relentless barrage of Applebucking defined your day to day, a sturdy horseshoe or four could make a world of difference. She wasn't like Rarity who loved horseshoes, fashion shoes, and all manner of shoes. Just good workshoes, that's all she needed. And by good she meant great. The Apple family had always been the sort to spend a healthy sum on good equipment and as horseshoes got better and better over time, so did the taste for them by the Apple family. Sturdy, impact resistant, long-lasting horseshoes were as important as a strong barn.

 

She often had to order away for the right quad, however. Not that Ponyville shoesmiths in the past weren't good, but she needed something better than the same ol' that satisfied common use. Canterlot and Manehattan had some good high-quality workwear in that department, but she found the most luck from some of those Mustangia speciality shops. Cost a pretty penny though. Not only did she have to spend the bits for the item, but the tools needed to properly scale it to one's hoof weren't cheap or easy to use, and there was always shipping. She had always been looking for somepony to open up a new shop in town that could satisfy her very specific requirements. 

 

Somepony heard those mumblings because lo and behold, a new shop in town. It didn't have the most imaginative name ever- Horseshoes Store and Smithing- but it didn't need to have fancy PR, just good product. So early one morning after some relatively light work, Applejack packed up some old examples of her other horseshoes and trotted on downtown to see what the store was all about. Heck, couldn't be a bad time waster in the worst of cases. And if the shop proved to be exactly what she was looking for then hot diggity, what a treat! Full of excitement and possibility was the operator of Sweet Apple Acres as she opened the door and trotted on in.

 

She took a quick look around, but really only that. She wanted to know who the heck ran this place before she did much else. "Well, why don't you look at this. A mighty fine shop you got here!" She said as she looked around, hoping to catch the attention of the shop owner.

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When Applejack entered the store, Forged was busy repairing some farm tools that other costumer ordered him. He was welding a broken hoe, 2 pieces of cast iron. While doing it he was wearing a welding mask and using a proper protection clothe. He used a blowtorch to unite de parts, and then got it to the coal oven. It would broken again easily unless he does the correct heat treatment for the welded tool.

 

While letting it in the oven, he listened that a costumer entered the shop, so he got excited about it but worried, because  he’d need to control the temperature and time of the treatment. “Hi, be very welcome to my store and smithing! I’m a little busy with the oven, but after this I’ll get the faster I can to you. While that, I recommend you to take a look at the catalog of products and services. See you in a feel minutes!”

 

So, Forged let the piece in the oven waiting till the temperature of 650 Celsius degrees, and should let it there for 5 minutes. After he must change the temperature to 870ºC and let it for 8 minutes, then for 20 minutes for 250ºC and then let it cool in the air. He adjusted the clock alarm, and went fast to see the costumer, with the clothes and the mask lifted. When he saw the costumer he got surprised, because Applejack is famous in the town for being friend from Princess Twilight and having an element of harmony. So, he looked her without knowing exactly what to say, but at the same time very glad for having a famous costumer.

 

 

 

Description of the physical appearence of the Store

 

A place of simple appearance, but with good services. The costumers room was made to be confortable, where they can acquire products or wait for the requested services. There are leather sofas in the right and left side of the room. Entering and going ahead we can see a balcony, where costumers ask for a service or buy something. In the left size of the balcony there is a cash register, and in right side of it there’s a small door that is part from the balcony, closed with padlock. In the wall after the balcony we can see suspended exposed items like horseshoes, metallurgy tools, horse armors and horse helmets. A big gear is suspended at the wall for decoration purpose. In the left side of the wall there’s a door that leads to the workshop, where the services and products are done. The floor of the costumer’s room is made of gray granite cut blocks. The Balcony and the internal walls are mahogany colored wooden, but Forged thinks in change the materials, for be safer in case of fire. That walls have some frames with pictures of mines, beautiful minerals, casting and smithing workshops.

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Applejack looked at what was being offered, leafing through a catalogue and checking out examples. He sure did have a grasp on how to make some mighty fine horseshoes. She hadn't seen quality like those up close in a shop since her trip to Manehattan a while ago, so she was definitely heartened that the quality seemed on point for what she was requesting. Cost? Woah nelly. He was charging a pretty bit for his work. Quick math told her that it wasn't that much more than what she would normally pay for having to special order the horseshoes from Mustangia, but that didn't much soothe her. Was it worth the price? She'd have to find out. Her mind wandered over the various options.

 

Her three main concerns were impact resistance, ride resistance, and wear resistance. Handing of wet environments, cold, environments, and warm environments were a little less vital in a weather controlled area but were all factors to consider. Impact and wear were honestly the most important but she found herself galloping about in the Everfree often enough that to skimp out on wear resistance seemed like a bad idea, regardless of the cause. Applejack ruminated on the choices as she sat down on the sofa, all four legs up and under as she lazily looked over the catalogue. Her mind was coming to some conclusions as the store owner made his appearance, the heat of the shop being the clearest indicator of the work going on.

 

He was a bit young it seemed to be running a shop like this but that made it all the better. It was always good to see youngins taking charge and making something of themselves. Reminded her of just a few years with Rares, RD, and even herself- heck, not to mention Twilight least of all. Ponyville had a bright future as long as new blood made such great contributions. "Howdy there, Ah'm Applejack," she said as she trotted over to the store owner. She grabbed one of his hooves and shook it vigorously with two of hers. "So, what's yer name? Can't say Ah've seen you 'round here, at least for a spell. 'Course this town is growing faster than a foal in summer," she ended with a laugh as she tried to get to know this new fella. 

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When Applejack shook his hoof, Forged got surprised with her strength. Even some hardworkers that are his costumers don’t have a force like this, so he wondered how kinds of work she’s used to do. While that he got impressed with her sympathy, even being a famous pony in the vile, and noticed an accent that suggests she lives in the rural part of Ponyvile.

 

Due to her kindness, Forged tried to speak in a less formal way. “Hi, my name is Forged Horseshoe! Nice to meet you! So, I think the reason I’m not well known in town is cause I spend the day in the store or out of the town mining, and good part of my free time I spend with nerd things!” He laughed.

 

“So, what kind of service are you looking for? Do you want to repair something? Or you want to buy a horseshoe?" He also tried not to interrupt the personal dialogue while he talked of business, cause he was enjoying talking with her, so decided talking of personal things at the same time. "I noticed you are very strong with that hoofshaking, you must be a hardworker! Where do you work? I work here in the center, but I live near the limits of the vile. If I live near the center of the vile, ponies would probably complain about the smoke of  the castings and hot works I do in the backyard.”

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"Ah'm in need a new quad of horseshoes. Ah run Sweet Apple Acres and that is a lot of hard work. Ah farm, buck trees, run errands, build barns, control tha Everfree, and work mah flank off from dawn ta dusk. Ah need a horseshoe that can hold up ta all that stress and a lot of impacts. Can't have a fella that breaks down quickly, either. Don't need fancy lettering or colors or anything that sparkles or shines in moonlight or something fancy like that, just need tha best worskshoe you have," she said as she looked around. She then took out her saddlebag and started displaying some of her older horseshoes. "Ah'd also like ta get these repaired, if y'all could do that. Some of them might need ta be reworked on account of mah hooves being a mite bigger than they used ta be, but it'd be appreciated no matter what," she said, looking over them all. She ran through about a quad every year or two it felt like and only about five really looked like they could do her any good.

 

She tried to remember if she saw him around. Sure he might have been a bit of a shut-in but even shut-ins needed to go to the market and get some work materials. Of course it made sense if he wanted to live on the outskirts, what with his work and all, but still- everypony needed to be seen at some point. No doubt this wasn't a lick different. Where did that name ring a bell? It did. Ponyville wasn't a big place. Most ponies knew most ponies and some ponies knew everypony and while she wasn't going to be arrogant enough to claim to have all the names on automatic recall like Pinkie Pie. Wasn't much of a stretch to say that she probably knew everypony in Equestria at this stage. But that name...then it dawned on her! "Wait a second, is your pa named Cast Horseshoes?"

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When listened to Applejack needs, Forged analyzed her requests by looking the catalog. “If you work don’t getting contact to water and mud, the best choice for you are Ultra-high Strength Steel Horseshoes. Without contact with water, it will last many years.” While still looking at the catalog and analyzing, he said: “If you get contact with water very often, I recommend the Ferritic Stainless Steel Horseshoes. They are not strong as the first ones, but a rusty horseshoe can fail suddenly and last less time.” Still looking the catalog, Forged thought about offering the Alfa Titanium Horseshoes, but was a little afraid, due to it price. “If you have no problem with spending bits, I can recommend you the Alfa Titanium Horseshoes. They are lighter then steel, stronger than the Ferritic Stainless and have better resistance to water. It will serve you a plenty of years!”

 

Forged also looked to the horseshoes she wanted to repair, and said: “In terms of cost, it’s better to acquire brand new horseshoes, but if these horseshoes are meaningful to you I can make your wish true!” He smiled after saying this, and was thinking about doing this task for free, as courtesy for her. When he listened her mentioning his father, lots of things passed in his mind, and he, very surprised and serious, said: “Cast Horseshoe is my father, have you ever met him? He’s disappeared for at least 2 years, then I assumed this business. Have you any idea where he could be?” While he was talking, the alarm of the oven sounded. “I’ll be back in a minute, I have to change the temperature of the oven.” He went to the oven and put more coal till it reached 870ºC, so he returned to the balcony.

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He sure did know his horseshoes. Applejack knew a bit about them herself and did some basic maintenance on the ones she owned and used currently. Indeed, it was only when she outgrew them or they suffered terrible damage that she felt the need to get new ones. The ones she laid down she didn't want for nostalgia or immediate use, however. Apple Bloom, Valen Orange, Zap Apple- they were all growing and she was going to make sure their first quad of real, working horseshoes had been part of the family for a while. Her first quad had been a hoof-me-down, after all. A tradition was hard to stop especially when it would lead to some playful family ribbing. 

 

The more important discussion, however, demanded a more immediate response. "Water resistance is important. A lot of farmin' is about trying ta make sure yer crops are properly watered, after all. Alpha Tahtanium could be what Ah'm lookin' for. Can't say Ah've spent quite that much on a quad of horseshoes before. Hehe, Ah remember when that much would net me three ta four workquads! Still, got tha bits and these ones'll need to put to it. Alpha Tahtanium it is, Forged. As for tha others, they ain't fer me. Ah got some family that are gettin' right ta workin' age, an a little fella who ain't gonna be little forever. Repair 'em, maybe they'll fit or not- and if not, they can remain safe for somepony who they will fit," Applejack said as she trotted about. 


"So, where do you have yer sizin' stirrups?" She asked. Normally in order to get the proper horseshoe made you needed your hoof, and hoof wall, sized up. An important part of not getting hurt! As she looked, her head snapped back to meet Forged as she heard the deadly serious curiosity in his voice as they spoke about his pa. Her ears lowered. "Can't say Ah have, Forged. Ah just remember him from when Ah was a youngin' an' got mah first few quads. He was- is- a right good fella," she replied softly and warmly as the forge called Forged away. She sighed. It seemed like everypony she met nowadays had some manner of familial issue but it didn't ever make her feel better about. Losing her parents at such a young age hurt her bad, but that meant she had to grow and mature on her own. By the time she was out of her formative years the hard work was done. Losing somepony, either in the literal or darker metaphorical sense, when you were older?
 

Heck, you could argue it was. Poor stallion. Applejack shook her head. Maybe it would turn out? Missing wasn't...gone, after all.

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After she asked about the size of horseshoes, Forged got a bar of clay. “Usually, when the metal is workable, I have the horseshoes ready in an average size, then I get the shapes of the hooves with a clay form. After this, I compare the horseshoe to the size and ajust it by hot work til it fit the correct size, and after do a heat treatment if necessary. Please, stomp this shape.” While this, Forged went to prepare the material and process, and consulted a book for the heat treatment of titanium. When he read, remembered of her request and noticed he have made a mistake.

 

 The right horseshoe for her need is the Alpha-Beta titanium, and it’s very complex to work. After fitting it to her size, he’d need to do a heat treatment with vacuum. The tool used is a oven with camber inside where is a vacuum system, powered by energy orbs or mechanical work, like a running machine to make the vacuum works. It takes a lot of time and leg efforts also in case of not having energy orbs. He felt ashamed and asked himself why could he commit a mistake like that, he work with that for too long... He was afraid about telling it to her, fearing he would lose the costumer. In the other hand woudn’t be fair sell wrong product or trade it without she knew even if she got the more expensive one.

 

He decided to be honest, his father would do it. He trust the quality of his work and have pride of it as his father, so, in order to compensate her for the mistake, he would charge the same price for the alpha titanium. So, he would do it, and got back to the balcony. “Applejack, I did a mistake. I offered you the wrong titanium alloy for your need, just for not pay enough attention. The horseshoe you need is from alpha-beta titanium. To compensate the mistake, I’ll charge you the same price of the alpha titanium! And, to prove to you that I trust in my product and work, I make with you the compromise of giving your money back if it fails before 5 years of use.” Forged was really convinced of the quality of his work, but still feeling shame about that mistake, but the shame didn’t extinguish his will of finding his father, so he got back to the topic.  

 

“I really wish that you’d know where my father is. No pony in town that was close to him knows. Someday he received letter with a task. He was used to receive tasks from costumers from other cities by letter, but that one was different. That letter had a royal stamp, and he told me that he would go to the earth of the dragons and be back as soon as possible, but last two years since he is gone. It happened before Twilight become princess, and after Princess Luna coming back. I plan to someday go to the earth of dragons to look for my father, I’m even building a cobalt armor for me to resist the possibilities of intense heat. I want to improve my physical abilities too before doing this quest.”

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Applejack reared up and gave a good buck once from each of her back legs, not anywhere near full strength but enough to give the clay the right impression. Too hard and she was sure she'd ruin the whole thing just like that. It was a lot easier than having your legs caught up in stirrups while they took your measurements, that was for certain. She knew that this sort of clay didn't handle well in shipping, but Celestia above this was a heck of lot more convenient. Certainly was a big time saver! She soon finished up with her front hooves and then stepped back, wiping herself nearby. Yep, those hoof prints should do the trick. It was around that time that she heard some commotion and turned to see Forged back in the main area, an apology fresh on his lips.

It was good to hear him stand behind his products. She knew how much it hurt to make a mistake in a field that you knew you were well-qualified in, a field where you were among the best. She also knew what it was like to have enough pride in your work to ensure that if you did make a mistake that the pony who was counting on you to see whatever work was being done was done correctly was not unfairly compromised. And since Applejack's hooves were as important as anything else in her toolkit, it sure made sense to her. "That's mighty bold an' proud of you, Forged. Ah'm sure tha horseshoes will work out just fine. Yer tha expert, after all. Ah'll keep tha warranty in mind," she finished, allowing him to speak at more length about his father.

 

She felt bad about it, she sure did. Losing somepony was never easy, especially when there was a mystery involved. It could keep you up at night, your mind wandering down many darkened roads. To have that terminal questioned poised over his head for so long? It was plain to see, plain to hear, the impacts it had on the fella. Applejack sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, sugarcube. Wish Ah knew more. But Ah'll see what Ah can find out. Ah've got mahself a lunch with Twilight later and maybe she can look into it a bit? Can't promise nothing, but somethin' has gotta be better than nothin'."

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Forged got very glad about the acceptance of the apology, then felt free of the guilt. A new satisfied costumer is always an opportunity of getting known and get others. Although of his knowledge and fine work, he has almost always the same clients, some of other cities. But in that moment his mind was much more into his father subject than in work, although when he hear the mention to Twilight, his heart got faster. “So you gonna lunch with the Princess Twilight herself? That’s amazing! I think she’s busy, cause she’s a princess, but if she could help me with this problem I’d felt very honored! She’s the smartest pony of the vile, so I think she’ll give us some light!”

 

After saying that, the alarm of the oven sounded again. “Wait a little, please.” He got to the workshop again and adjusted the temperature of the oven to 250 Celsius degrees, also he got the clay stamps of her hooves. He compared with a quad of alpha-beta titanium horseshoes, then he heated and shaped them until they fit perfectly in Applejack’s measures. However it was not ready yet, in order to have the correct mechanical properties that horseshoes must be taken to the vacuum oven for a bunch of hours, so Forged took them into it, then he got back to the balcony. “The measures of your horseshoes are ready! But, in order to have the desired properties, it needs to stay in the vacuum oven for around 8 ours. You can come back tomorrow to get them, or if you need it earliest as possible I can close the shop later today, so you can come back to get it. Now, about the horseshoes you need to repair, you want them in your size also, right? I will do heat treatment and superficial hardening to make it last longer, it will be ready when you come back too. Do you want that I paint it to protect against rust?”

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She shook her head and smiled. “It ain't a big deal. She's busy sure but she ain't too busy ta help a pony put, Ah reckon. No promises, but Ah'll try,” Applejack said confidently. Indeed, she didn't know what Twi would say in regards to its feasibility or what else may get in the way bit she knew from honest experience that Twilight wasn't a mare who'd let you down. She may have other jobs to do and hats to wear for the sake of Equestria but she always did right by the good ponies of this land. Forged would be no different- Applejack was sure of that, at least. Of course, it may very well be for nought. There was every possibility that his father was not going to be found, that he would remain missing, even with the help of a Princess.

Applejack didn't wallow in that negative thought as Forged gave her the scoop on when to expect the work to be done. She'd much rather have had it done sooner rather than later but saw no pressing need for him to amend his hours on her account. “Hmm, Ah think tomorrow'll be fine. Ah got something Ah can wear tonight an Ah can come in early in tha morning after dawn work is done!” She closed her eyes, smiled, and nodded. “Yep, thats the right idea. And sure, Ah want the repaired shoes ta be tha very same size they are now, no size changes. Good ol' heat treatment, some superficial hardenin', an' a paint job? Ah think that all sounds right nice,” she said as she pulled out her bit bag. “So, all in all, how much'll this be?” She said without a trace of worry. Good work was worth good bits as far as she was concerned. She wasn't skimping on it, either.

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