Another Powder Horn Question

[vthompson]

Hey guy's, I have a question for you that I didn't know the answer to.
The other day my wife bought me a pair of buffalo horn's so that I could make myself a couple of powder horn's from them. As I was rasping and sanding on them today she asked me how I was going to make them shiny and I told her that most of you guy's recommended a good wood wax. She proceeded to ask me if you could use Armour All on them to make them shiny and make the black stand out. I told her that I didn't know the answer to her question. My question to you guy's is this: Is using Armour All a good idea or not? Tell me your thoughts so that I can tell her. Thank you for your time.

 

[paulvallandigham]

This is like polishing fingernails, without the lacuers. Usually, by the time you get down to the finest grits of abrasives, you don't need anything more than a coat of wax on any horn. The wax simply protects the horn from acids from fingerprints.

Now, I have seen Armour-All, but have never read the ingredients. Its used on Synthetic upholstery and on tires of cars. It may be nothing more than a wax with dryers in it, or a wax/oil mix. I doubt that it will Hurt the horn.

Some people, who make fancy horns for display more than to be used will sprays those horns with several layers of lacquer( just like nail polish) to give the horn, and their Scrimshaw, and design work artistic " Depth" ( like the finish on many expensive automobiles have many layers of lacquer applied over the paint to get the paint that deep, "under water" wet appearance.) There are spray lacquers, and Acrylics that can be used for this purpose. If I already OWNED a can of Armour-All, I would give it a try- probably on some other horn, or on some part of the horn I cut off as waste. Just to see how it looks, and how it compares to other finishes.

I have seen horns that were also put on buffing wheels with fine abrasive compounds to make them really shine. You have to be very careful using power tools, because its so easy to burn right through a substance as soft as HORN.

These Buffed horns are so shiny slick that they look like they are made of plastic! Sort of defeats the purpose of having a real horn, if it looks like something you would buy a kid to go with his capgun,NO? If you take a look at the Book That Scott and Cathy Sibley wrote on "Recreating the 18th Century Powder Horn"(available from Track of the Wolf), they have lots of pictures of both originals, and reproduction horns to view. I don't recall seeing any that were polished to look plastic.

Personally, as if that has anything to do with this, I prefer a matte, or "soft satin" finish on horns. I get that with waxing the horns, not coating them with a lacquer or acrylic finish. :surrender: :thumbsup:

 

[necchi]

Other's with more knowledge will chime in.

There is a local horner that does fantastic work, his custom scrimshaw work and horns sell for 400>. It's art work to be displayed really, nothing I'd carry on a hunt.
He recomends Carnauba wax, he say's the stuff from Ace hardware is good. It's basically the high-end wax for auto's an such.

here's a handy link, http://lumberjocks.com/decoustudio/blog/2482

 

[crockett]

I've never used armour all so I can't recommend it. I think the original horns were scraped with glass and that was the final treatment. BUT if you have to have the shiny -glossy look I'll tell you want I did on my first buffalo horn- I took out the rough areas with a file and then used ever-finer grades of sand paper- down to #400 or #600. Then tooth paste to get the glossy shine. I used Crest. :grin:

 

[Black Hand]

Hey guy's, I have a question for you that I didn't know the answer to.
The other day my wife bought me a pair of buffalo horn's so that I could make myself a couple of powder horn's from them. As I was rasping and sanding on them today she asked me how I was going to make them shiny and I told her that most of you guy's recommended a good wood wax. She proceeded to ask me if you could use Armour All on them to make them shiny and make the black stand out. I told her that I didn't know the answer to her question. My question to you guy's is this: Is using Armour All a good idea or not? Tell me your thoughts so that I can tell her. Thank you for your time.

Scrape and sand to a fine grit then give it a bit of melted beeswax. Polish with a soft cloth or leather to a gloss.

And NO, I would not use "Armor-all" on a horn, ever.....

 

[ladysmithtrading]

any paste wax or beeswax will work, one thing you will find of buffler horn is that it tends to dry out the outer layer after it had been finished and sits awhile and all those fine separations in the layers of hair that you worked so laboriously to remove and make smooth and fine will start to separate again at the finished layer, I do not wax my buff horns, rather I rub any lanolin based product or other animal fats into the horn to keep it conditioned, remember, when your working with horn, antler or any brain tan leather animal to animal, no petroleum based or synthetic products!

 

[brubincam]

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