Finishing a horn

[Arrowstorm]

Probably lots of previous posts about this, but I don't see any.

I am wondering about finish/polish for a horn. I have heard that you should sand it down with the finest sandpaper you can get, then run steel wool over it to get it nice and smooth... Ok... so what do I do after that? Now it's all dull and white all over the place (black buffalo horn). No luster to it whatsoever. I've used a little shoe polish on a horn that was already polished (not by me)and that sure made it shine, but what do I use for a horn that has just been sanded?

And how do i polish/sand intricate grooves and engravings?

Also... and totally unrelated to the topic... What is pillowticking? I've been shooting blackpowder for a while and have heard this expression often but don't know for sure exactly what it is.

all help and advice is greatly appreciated.

The horn I'm working on now, I've cut and filed the stoppers to the shapes that I want, but I want this horn to really shine.
:front:
Buz

 

Horn: I suspect you'll need to polish it on a buffing wheel to get a high shine...the old horns were scraped smooth, maybe pumiced.
Pillow ticking: a moderate weight cotton material typically miking at .015-.017 originally used for the 'bag' that contains the pillow stuffing. Fabric stores/ Walmart carry it. Commonly striped red or blue, but older floral patterns exist. Makes good patching material and is almost universally used for patching by ML shooters. Should be washed first to remove "sizing" and tighten weave.

 

[gordy]

If You have the use of a buffing wheel,You can smooth it a little more than just sandpaper and steel wool.Use the same techniques as polishing jewelry,progressivively finer compounds rouqe, pumice Etc.Now what I do is to use a little beeswax and spit shine them.The wax helps to seal the surface from moisture and You can get a great shine.(Wax shoe polish would also do the same thing)The clear would most likely be best.If You've ever spit shined boots it's the same process.Use a pure wool rag for the first rub and work toward soft flannel for the finish.The grooves, carvings Etc.just need extra attn.This process works for Me,I'm certain there are other ways to achieve the desired finish. :imo: :front:

 

[big D]

Be carefull of that buffer, you can burn a horn real quick. those burn spots can be real deep to.

 

[2172]

I scrape, and then use jeweler's rouge and similar abrasives, then Johnson's paste wax and a buffing wheel..Hank

 

[AZ-Robert]

You're right - sanding and steel-wooling leaves that buffalo horn a bit chalky looking. The middle pic in the series I posted here:

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ubbthr...4833#Post176260

was made after the horn had been scraped with a knife (following the grain), steel wooled a bit to even out some of the scrape marks, and then I went over it with the back of a spoon to burnish out the white stuff. Still looks a little grayish.

The third pic down is after just a few minutes on a buffing wheel. It is not really as shiny as it looks in that pic. If it comes out too shiny from buffing, just go over it very lightly with a super fine steel wool.

I picked up a cloth buffing wheel at ACE for the beat up old bench grinder I have. If you don't have a bench grinder, you might be able to find something you can put in a drill. ACE had two grades of buffing compound - one is called "white", is a light blue color, and will give you a high gloss shine. The other is Tripoli, which is red in color and is slightly more coarse. Both come looking like a kid's large sidewalk chalk wrapped in paper. The label says Tripoli is for "removing imperfections" -- that made me think it would be too coarse, but not so. The horn I did was finished up with the Tripoli. That stuff will take all those little white marks right off the surface. Before you start buffing, get a knife tip in the tight spots to scrape smooth as best you can, but that buffing wheel will get right down in all but the smallest of nooks and crannies.

I coated the wooden base plug with bee's wax and that is what gave the shine back there. I haven't put any wax on the horn yet, but that sounds like a good idea - thanks, Gordy.

Good luck... we'll be looking for pics when you're done. :thumbsup:

 

[76monza]

Arrowstorm

I just finished a bison horn for our upcoming event in Oct. I scraped my horn down with utility kife a several other kives. I then went to an 80 grit sandpaper wrapped around flat files and rattail files just to even the surface out. Then kept working to a finer and finer grade of paper. When done with that I switched to a 0000 steel wool and continued working the surface down. After I finished with that I applied a coat of leather dye (dark brown)to the horn and let it set for a few minutes, then wiped off the excess. this evened out the mottling and white spots on the horns surface. The plug is walnut and i finised it with true oil. after the entire horn has dried. I then worked an oil into the surface of the horn (I used Neats Foot) and hand rubbed it into the horn, wiping off the excess and let the horn set for a couple of days. The horn has a nice "glow" to it without being to shiny like plastic.

Smokeydays

 

[Arrowstorm]

Hey guys... I've finished my horn! It's not a masterpiece by any means, but I did what our forefathers have done before us. I used what I had on hand to create a useful object. Meaning..... I had some dowel rods around that I used for my stopper and after the hurricane, we had PLENTY of fenceboards at disposal, so I whittled a buttplug from one of those. The horn came out to my satisfaction, and I hope to put it to use this weekend. I'd love to post pics but I just can't get a good clear pic with the flash reflecting off the horn. And thus, you can't see the engraving very well (i'm no artist, but darn proud of my engravings on this horn). Any ideas on how to take better pics of a horn? Many of you have posted pics and I just need advice on how/where/ to take some. I tried outdoors... indoors with little light, but that reflection just keeps the camera from getting good views.

 

[AZ-Robert]

I am anxious to see it!

Try taking it outside, but in a shady spot. Set the camera so it won't use the flash but has to use the available light. If glare is still a problem, trying taking it from an angle looking down the length of the horn instead of straight on.

 

[davy]

Ya mite try using indirect (at an angle to the object .. not head on!) lighting from lamps .. AFTER turning OFF your flash (in other words dont use your camera flash) on your camera ...

Davy

 

[Bartek]

I am wondering about finish/polish for a horn.

I'm Polish. Polish of a horn. Believe me, there is nothing to wonder about me :crackup: