Building a Powder Horn

[WonkyEye]

You guys that do screw on tips, I have a question. I tapped my horn for 3/8 and when I threaded my walnut tip, I soaked it in mineral oil so it would cut cleaner threads, but it Is looser than I'd like. It seems like more wood was removed than if it were threaded metal. Do you have any tips to get a strong, tight thread joint? Maybe antler or horn is better than wood for this? I can just epoxy my tip in but I'd like to figure it out for the next one.

this is why I'm experimenting with the too curved, too short abomination instead of using a nice horn for this build. I know there will be mistakes, I've already determined the walnut and black are not a good combination. And I've realized the hexagon would be better further back and a rounded section before the applied tip would be a big improvement.

 

[2Moons]

Hello,
Got a flat horn kit from Powderhorns and More, (Thanks Gerry!), and was wondering on where to attach staple. Should it go on top with one prong in wood and other in horn, or should it be mounted in the top side of wood only? I’m thinking wood only. Thanks for any help.
2Moons

 

[WonkyEye]

Progress update on the red abomination. I wound up shaping the bung by hand instead of getting out the lathe, I think it turned out well. This is sanded to 400 grit and 1st rubbing with tung. I still want to hollow it out for a bit more capacity and plan to drill for a threaded 5/8 finial to use for refilling. Any opinions on wood type for the finial? I can stick with walnut, or contrast with beech or hard maple or even white oak?

 

[WonkyEye]

My red abomination is complete. I'm glad I started with a junk horn, mistakes were made. I won't feel bad about starting over. I'm happy to take feedback / criticism. So far, these are my revelations, good and bad.

1. The horn shape is important, start with a quality horn. My horn is junk, it has a complex curve, the sharpest bend is at the tip, and it is made worse by adding a wooden spout that juts out sideways. It probably wouldn't be bad for a lefty, but not great for right side carry.
2. The carving/filing design. I wanted an applied tip. The way I carved the horn with the hexagon at the end looks weird, if I do this again I will transition to round for where the spout will meet.
3. The threading for the hole and the spout is ok, but has more slop than I'd like. I think the tap and die designed for metal has too fine threads, I think it would work better with extra course threads if I can find them. Soaking the wood to be threaded in mineral oil helps keep it from crumbling, reversing often helps
4. The wooden spout turned out really nice. I used a 3/16 hole and tapered it with a repairman's reamer. But...the thin wood started to split when I dropped it. I wrapped it with dyed imitation sinew and cyanoacrylate. This worked, but it's too thick and ugly. Whipping with a fine thread, or pulling out one of the smaller strands from the sinew and whipping with that would be much better looking.
5. Shaping a horn to be round is easy, you need a wooden cone to fit in the end and a heat gun. Heat SLOWLY to avoid scorching, when it becomes malleable shove the cone into it and let it sit for an hour.
6. No lathe necessary. I made the spout with a piece of 3/16 all thread, nuts and washers, and chucked it up in a drill press. I shaped it with files and sandpaper. For the bung I did it all by hand, used a saw to cut the bulk off, rasps, chisels, a small plane and a cabinet scraper. A lathe would have been faster though.
7. 3/16 is a nice hole size, powder pours fast enough to fill my measure in about 2 sec, but can be used on a small flash pan too.
8. RIT is cheaper, but hair dye works too.
9. A 6d finish nail can be heated with a torch and bent to make a staple, quenching in linseed oil gives it a nice black/blue finish.
10. The little brass nails that come in a picture hanger kit are a good diameter but need snipped shorter. Probably better off just buying from powderhorns and more though.
11. Wood oil (linseed, tung, etc.) seem to make the horn have a richer color. A top coat of paste wax gives a nice sheen
12. The choice of wood could have been better, the walnut is pretty, but it doesn't look good with the black horn. A tan, brown or white horn would go better with it for the black horn, maple or beech would have been a better choice.

 

[Wncman]

This is my first horn and my first attempt at scrimshaw, so please be gentle.

My performance is crude and the scrim is cartoonish, but I learned a lot from the process, including a number of things I will do different with my next attempts.
I was encouraged by the inspiration provided by PathfinderNC and others. The builds shown on this site are amazing and the posting made me want to give it a try. Thank you to all the builders who have posted.
And thanks to Gerry (Lucky) at Powderhorns and More, for making raw materials so easily available. Without our fine vendors, many of us could not make things happen. BTW, I ordered more product from Gerry for my next go.

I’d guess that the ultra refined scrimshawed horns were normally the property of the city folk / merchant / plantation owners. The plain or simple horns were used by backwoods or long hunter folks. Any Scrim on them was probably done by them or a family member sitting around a fire.

 

[2Moons]

Question: How do you get the black tip on white horns? I see horns that are taken down around the powder opening that are black and the rest of horn is white or cream colored. Is this dyed somehow? Or is the underlining already black? Thanks in advance.

 

[Wncman]

Question: How do you get the black tip on white horns? I see horns that are taken down around the powder opening that are black and the rest of horn is white or cream colored. Is this dyed somehow? Or is the underlining already black? Thanks in advance.

I’ve followed this and there seems to be different ways.
One is to find a horn that is black on the top and shape it in some fashion down to the white/cream.
Another is add a tip to the horn. That seems to take some skill in turning and having a sacrificial horn to make it with.
Another is to dip the area you want to be black in a dye. Rut seems to be used mostly. Though some say leather dye.
I tried the leather dye because I had some on hand. It worked but is rubbing of. I don’t know if I made the surface too smooth to accept it deep enough.
I’m not an expert by any means. Hopefully others will weigh in.

 

[LonestarShootR]

I am brand new to this black powder stuff. My wife bought me one of those Chinese horns for Christmas and tge horn didn’t have tge home drilled into the cavity when I got it. When I drilled it deeper I went through the side. I scraped it. Fast forward to last week and I found a set of horns from one of our cows that died last year in the pasture while shredding. I have been working on it today. I included a couple of pics to compare to how I found them and with a little work applied. I had no idea what was underneath that knarly outer part The tip is black and fades into a grey or almost silver color to cream.

I have no idea what I am doing but hope to have a useable horn soon.

 

[2Moons]

I’ve followed this and there seems to be different ways.
One is to find a horn that is black on the top and shape it in some fashion down to the white/cream.
Another is add a tip to the horn. That seems to take some skill in turning and having a sacrificial horn to make it with.
Another is to dip the area you want to be black in a dye. Rut seems to be used mostly. Though some say leather dye.
I tried the leather dye because I had some on hand. It worked but is rubbing of. I don’t know if I made the surface too smooth to accept it deep enough.
I’m not an expert by any means. Hopefully others will weigh in.

I thought maybe the black tip was added, but have no idea how it’s done. Thanks for your reply. May try the dye.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Question: How do you get the black tip on white horns? I see horns that are taken down around the powder opening that are black and the rest of horn is white or cream colored. Is this dyed somehow? Or is the underlining already black? Thanks in advance.

Some horns are naturally black at the top. I use either dye or ink at times. I am more preferential to waterproof India ink. Leave a bit of “tooth” to the surface to allow the color to sink in. Seal with paste Wax.

 

[2Moons]

Some horns are naturally black at the top. I use either dye or ink at times. I am more preferential to waterproof India ink. Leave a bit of “tooth” to the surface to allow the color to sink in. Seal with paste Wax.

Thank you! I’ve got some india ink that I’ve used to try to scrimshaw in the past. I’ll give that a go!

 

[Kev308]

Looks great... Did you turn the plug yourself? or did you buy it some where.....

Sorry James, I just saw this. The end cap I bought at the Dixon Muzzleloader Fair. The stopper I turned on my lathe.

 

[Kev308]

That looks really nice. How do you fix the band to a horn like that

Sorry for the late reply Wonky, the band on the neck is part of the horn. It had a pretty thick body when I started it. Files, and scraping shaped it
Kevin

 

[Jay Templin]

@WonkyEye try this: https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...RKKNS_ZJ5cY_igQdkXhoCjrsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Michael Gibson]

Very nice!

Do you offer them for sale?
Hoot

 

[Beaverman2]

You guys that do screw on tips, I have a question. I tapped my horn for 3/8 and when I threaded my walnut tip, I soaked it in mineral oil so it would cut cleaner threads, but it Is looser than I'd like. It seems like more wood was removed than if it were threaded metal. Do you have any tips to get a strong, tight thread joint? Maybe antler or horn is better than wood for this? I can just epoxy my tip in but I'd like to figure it out for the next one.

this is why I'm experimenting with the too curved, too short abomination instead of using a nice horn for this build. I know there will be mistakes, I've already determined the walnut and black are not a good combination. And I've realized the hexagon would be better further back and a rounded section before the applied tip would be a big improvement.

do not oil the thread and try sealing them after being tapped with medium CA glue in the threads, let that dry and re tap the threads, same with horn or antler for a tip

 

[Notchy Bob]

This little horn has been sitting in pieces for quite some time now. I finally got motivated to finish it up. The plug was stained and set with wood pegs. The body was stained with fiebings leather dye. View attachment 303444View attachment 303445

That's a really nice looking little horn, @Kev308 . I especially like the carving around the spout. Taking off material to slim it down while leaving the "collar" as you did takes time, but it makes a much more graceful and visually balanced horn than one with a really thick neck.

Strong work, my friend.

Notchy Bob

 

[Bedford County Doc]

What do people think about thinning the horn so it becomes translucent so one could see how much powder is on hand?

 

[PathfinderNC]

What do people think about thinning the horn so it becomes translucent so one could see how much powder is on hand?

The thinner, the more fragile. And some horns get knocked around a good bit.
With use, you will be able to tell by weight and shaking your horn about how much powder you’re carrying.
(Some nifty horns even have a “window” in the base plug.)

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Good thread, where were you guys when I built my buffalo horn? I wanted a very primitive horn and boy did I nail it!