3 Easy Welding Projects with Horseshoes for Your Home (DIY)

Working on DIY projects at home can be great fun, and can bring a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Handmade horseshoe projects are ones that look particularly cool around the house, and they’re probably a lot easier to create than you think.

There’s just two pieces of kit you’ll need to get started (along with your safety equipment): Some old horseshoes and a welder.

If you’re sat there thinking “but I don’t know how to weld”, it’s much easier than you might think. MIG welding is a simple form of welding which can be learnt in no time at all. It also gets good results and isn’t too expensive. All you need to do is get hold of the right sort of MIG welder, follow the simple setup instructions, and you can get welding in no time at all.

Related: Welding equipment needed for a home welding shop

1. How to build a Horseshoe Wine Rack

If you enjoy a glass of wine and want something special to store your bottles, then a horseshoe wine rack is a timeless classic. This is a fun project to work on and allows you to showboat your craftsmanship.

Equipment

• 12 Horseshoes
• Welder
• Welding Safety Equipment
• 6 x 6 inch steel rods ¼ inch thickness

Instructions

1. Clean the horseshoes down so that they have no rust on them. A wire brush is very useful for this.
2. Select three horseshoes and place next to each other on a flat surface to form a UUU shape.
3. Using the welding torch, weld a butt weld between the sides of the horseshoes so the three horseshoes are welded together.
4. Repeat this process so that you have 2 identical UUU shapes.
5. Select to more horseshoes and weld the bottom of these horseshoes to the top of the three that you have welded together.
6. Finally, weld the base of one more horseshoe to the 2 you have welded together.
7. Repeat this process so you have 2 sets of 6 horseshoes that are welded together.
8. Place each steel rod at 90 degrees to the horseshoes at the bottom of each of the Us.
9. Weld each rod securely into place. Weld around the perimeter of the rid with the rod flat against the horseshoe.
10. Weld each of these rods to bottom of the U on the opposite horseshoe, so the rack is secured together and all 12 horseshoes are connected.
11. As an optional final touch, try adding a layer of paint. I personally think a matt black finish looks brilliant.

If you complete all these steps, well done! You’ve just created your own stylish horseshoe wine rack which will look great in your kitchen. Now you just need to stock up on a few bottles of wine and put it to good use.

2. How to Build a Horseshoe Dutch Oven Holder

These are a great choice for either a gift, or as an important household item for anyone who doesn’t want to burn holes in their table!

Equipment

• 3 Horseshoes
• 3 x 2 inch steel rods, ½ inch diameter.
• 1 tin of enamel
• Welder
• Safety equipment

Instructions

1. Remove all rust and dirt from the horseshoes.
2. Place the horseshoes in a triangular formation, with the rounded edges touching each other.
3. Weld the horseshoes together in the three places that they are touching
4. Flip the horseshoes over and do exactly the same on the other side.
5. Remove any slag with either a brush or a hammer.
6. Line up each steel rod on the left tail of the horseshoe, approximately 1 inch from the tip.
7. Weld each of the steel rods to the horseshoes at a 90 degree angle. To do this, hold the rod flat on the horseshoe, and weld the joint around the perimeter of the steel rod.
8. Grind down any sharp edges
9. Cover the workpiece with one coat of paint or enamel.

Once you’ve let the paint dry then it’s ready to use. Simply put in on the table, place the hot dutch oven on top, serve up and enjoy your tasty food.

3. How to Build a Horseshoe Coat Rack

Every house needs a coat rack, so why not make your own that will last forever? Making one out of horseshoes another fun DIY project that’s easy to do.

Equipment

• 8 Horseshoes
• Welder
• Welding Safety Equipment

Instructions

1. Remove any rust and dirt from the horseshoes
2. Lay 4 horseshoes in a line flat on the table in a UUUU position.
3. If possible, clamp these into place so that they remain in a stable position.
4. Carefully lay a butt weld on each of the 3 sections where the horseshoes touch.
5. Pick up another horseshoe and hold this perpendicular to the 4 flat horseshoes, intersecting at the base of the U.
6. Tilt the horseshoe forward by 45 degrees
7. Holding the horseshoe in one hand, weld it into position.
8. Repeat this process on each of the flat horseshoes

There’s load of different variations you can try for this one, so don’t be afraid to experiment. If you have a lot of coats you can make it longer or you can try having the horseshoes at different angles. Take a look at the video below to see a solid demonstration of the creation of one of these.

Summary

Hopefully this should give you some ideas for some cool DIY projects for your home. All you need is some old horseshoes, your welding machine and your safety equipment. But don’t think that this is all you can create with your horseshoes. There’s an unlimited range of household items you can build and projects to work on, such as drinks holders, candle holders or your own art project.