Best horn for making a flat horn?

[billk]

I want to try making a Celtic style flat horn.
What is the best size and shape horn to be turned into a flat horn?
How do you select the right horn for a project like that?
Thank you in advance.
BillK

 

[colmoultrie]

Having only done it once, I hardly qualify as an expert, but I believe you want fairly small, thin horns to begin with. They should also be of even thickness, so that they flatten uniformly. Make sure you have your form ready beforehand, as you will need to support the inside of the horn in the shape you want.

 

[omarick1948]

Kevin pretty much covered the method. The main thing is to get a uniform thickness horn for best results. For flat horns, I like to use a Fry Daddy to heat my coolking oil to around 325 degree's. For a thin walled horn, you can use a heat gun or in a few cases use boiling water, but I have cracked more horns using hot water, as 212 degree's just doesn't work all the time. 'Ol Beaverman taught me a little trick for flattening horn. Do it in steps, ie, heat horn a few seconds at a time in oil till pliable and then insert your form and start flattening in vise between two piece's of wood very slowly. When you start to feel resistance ...stop and let horn completely cool. Repeat! Completely cool! Do the flattening of the horn in several stages...NOT IN JUST ONE STEP or your more prone to crack it! The horn fibers have to stretch slowly.

Also, Try to use a neutral twist horn!

Hope this bit helped,
Rick

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

I tried my hand on one of these some time ago. The wider part of the horn is thinner and easier to flatten. I found that it was helpfull to form the point of the horn into the pouring spout before I flattened the horn. Working in stages is indeed better than trying to form the horn in one session. The core that I used to put into the horn in order to flatten it, was not a one piece core but several slices of wood that I gradually put togheter into the horn while it was hot. I also used a rubber mallet to soften the blows a bit.
I hope my explanations were good enough. It is easier to visualise the process than to explain it :idunno: :surrender:

 

[MSW]

Kevin pretty much covered the method. The main thing is to get a uniform thickness horn for best results. For flat horns, I like to use a Fry Daddy to heat my coolking oil to around 325 degree's. For a thin walled horn, you can use a heat gun or in a few cases use boiling water, but I have cracked more horns using hot water, as 212 degree's just doesn't work all the time. 'Ol Beaverman taught me a little trick for flattening horn. Do it in steps, ie, heat horn a few seconds at a time in oil till pliable and then insert your form and start flattening in vise between two piece's of wood very slowly. When you start to feel resistance ...stop and let horn completely cool. Repeat! Completely cool! Do the flattening of the horn in several stages...NOT IN JUST ONE STEP or your more prone to crack it! The horn fibers have to stretch slowly.

Also, Try to use a neutral twist horn!

Hope this bit helped,
Rick

thank you
thank you
thank you

i was just about to make a big woopsie without your advice may have ruined a good horn.

 

[colmoultrie]

Thanks! I learned more from your additions to my comments as well. I caught John Proud's seminar at Dixon's in 2009 on flat horns and have talked to Bob Albrecht about them too.

Just wanted to add that some horners will make their forms out of a curved piece of flat wood with numerous thin saw cuts lengthwise in the form, so that the form will come out easily after the flattened horn cools.

 

[omarick1948]

Kevin, Forms for flat horns can be never ending!..I have several size's of forms and still have to make another at times, as it seems that none I have made will work in all situations. I cut two lengthwise cuts about two thirds the length of the form and then I tap it in the horn lightly and then use a shim wedge piece of wood in the kerf (cut) to stretch the top and bottom of the horn also. Again, when the horn cools. Pull out the shims(s) and then pull out the form!

Good Horning everyone,
Rick