Horn strap attachment...?

[PaulN/KS]

What are some of the best ways for attaching the strap to the base of the horn? I have seen various versions of using staples and have used them on my own horns.
How about for those smaller horns that some folks use on the bag and horn combinations?

 

[BrownBear]

The ones I've seen or bought all use the same attachment system on the small horns as on the big ones, kind of a "matching set" deal. And yeah, they use staples. I tried cutting a groove around the base plug on one horn, then sinching the leather strap down into that, rather than a staple. Seemed to work okay for awhile, but eventually leather stretch allowed it to slip loose. Wrote it off as a bad experiment in my wet climate, but it might be okay if the leather wasn't getting wet every other time you took it out.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have two horns, main, and priming that have " Acorn-shaped" buttons in the middle of the butt around which to tie a leather thong( latigo bootlace), or slide on a leather strap with a slit just long enough to slip over the circumference of the acorn. Use a leather punch to punch a hole at each end of the slit, and the slit will not tear, or grow. On old straps, either replace them, or run a stitch or two to tighten the slit in the strap up enough that it cannot come off the acorn.

I am not a big fan of staples, altho some are quite elegantly made. The proper way to use a staple sunk into the Neck of a horn is to run a loop Under(through) the staple, and around the horn, so that the staple is only asked to keep the loop from slipping off the Mouth of the horn, not actually carry the weight of the horn.

There are lots of ways to turn the base plug of a powder horn. Buy the Sibley Book on making powder horns from TOTW, and take a look at the pictures they have there of original horns. There are also websites showing original and reproduction horns that will inspire you.

The last thing I recommend to hold a strap is to use an eyebolt or eyescrew.

Oh, some of the acorn plugs are threaded and screwed into the base plug, so you have a much wider opening in which to pour powder when you have to refill the horn. :thumbsup:

 

[ohio ramrod]

I like to make my horn plugs flat. Then screw a brass plug into the wooden plug. I tap the wooden plug with a standard 1/2 13 long lead hand tap. Then coat the threads with a thin super glue, and screw in a heavily waxed bolt, quickly remove the bolt and let the glue dry. This gives me a very strong wooden thread into which any style removeable plug can be screwed in used to hold the strap and removed for filling.

 

[omarick1948]

Here's something you might consider. These are the Tresco powder horn E-Z fill knobs and bushings for base plugs and strap. Large size here is 1/2" and Smaller one is 3/8" for priming horns etc. TOW and other suppliers carry these.
Rick

 

[blacksmithman64]

Horner 75 nailed it, the Treso brass plugs are hard to beat. Make sure to use a drill bit the same size as the bushing, theres not a lot of shoulder on the bushing to allow for a bigger hole.
ohio ramrods method works good too if you have the tools :thumbsup:

 

[PaulN/KS]

Thanks for the tips Gents... :hatsoff:

Think I'll give that small brass plug a try. :hmm:

 

[RonT]

I installed a 1/4-20 "T"nut on the back side of the base prior to pinning to the horn. Then epoxied a piece of Walnut to a 1/4-20 threaded rod, mounted in my drill press and turned an "acorn".
Seems to have worked well for ~35 years.
R

 

[omarick1948]

Ron, That's great that it works for you, but most of my larger powder horns have a spout hole larger than your 1/4" base fill hole. You could just fill thru the spout. Why not use a larger bolt? I've seen that done!

Rick