Horn-Presser's guide to oil

[Crown_Pointer]

I don't know how useful this is but I bumped into it on a grocery store flyer and thought I'd pass it along. It shows the temperature at which various types of oil begin to smoke. Kind of like an upside down petroleum cracking tower.

 

[longcruise]

Thanks for posting.

Now, what would be the ideal temperature to soften and form a horn?

 

[Crown_Pointer]

Well, you've got me there, Sibley's book says around 350-375F. I have yet to do this but thought it might help in picking an oil. Perhaps someone who's done this could advise. I've only built a horn press out of some scrap steel I had laying around for if and when I take this up in retirement. I put some scrap FR4 (PCB fiberglass) on the "pressy bits" that would come up against the horn. I got enthused seeing some small flat horns that had some forged iron dispensers.

 

[longcruise]

That's an impressive device.

I'd thought of flattening a horn just to see how it worked. Was just thinking of squashing it in the bench vice.

I recall those temps too fromm Sibley. I guess at those temps just about any of the oils in the chart would work.

I'm more likely to try this on some pieces of horn to be used as bow tip overlays.