Rural Californian Makes Horseshoe Furniture

Rural Californian Makes Horseshoe Furniture AG WORLD Ag World 21-3-21 After working for 38 years as a carpenter, David Gonzales of Hanford, Calif., got tired of working with wood. So after he retired he started making furniture out of an unusual product - horseshoes. To make the furniture, Gonzales simply welds the horseshoes together, bending them first when necessary. His horseshoe furniture collection includes love seats, tables, rocking chairs, bar stools, boot jacks, plant stands, towel holders, candle holders, flower pot holders, clocks, key holders, and a pair of roping cowboys next to a covered wagon. He even built an ornamental grape cluster and a 5-ft. high horseshoe Christmas tree. "I make virtually every part of my furniture by welding horseshoes together," says Gonzales, who has been making horseshoe furniture for about two years. "The rocking chair even has horseshoe arms and runners on it. I make the rocking chairs in two different sizes for tall and short persons. The tall chair has four shoes per leg and the short chair has three shoes. The back of the chair is rounded out which makes it very comfortable. The seat doesn't even need a pad. The Christmas tree has more than 200 horse-shoes in it. " I sell a few of the pieces I make, but I'm trying not to make my hobby a full-time job." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, David Gonzales, 9933 Sierra Drive, Hanford, Calif. 93230 (ph 209 582-2160).

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