How to Scrimshaw a Horn

[Marc Adamchek]

I know this topic must have been beaten to death in a hundred other threads from the past. Can anybody direct me to 'em? Any help on how to do thi in a BASIC kinda way? Just want to tryto do a little scrim on a nice new F & I horn built by member Don Powell. Do I use an awl for the scratchin'? What do I fill the scratches with - India ink, charcoal dust, etc? Any and all help is greatly appreciated

 

[rabjr]

Marc,

You may want to check this book out. I would recommend getting it.
[url] http://www.trackofthewolf.com...subId=28&styleId=107&partNum=BOOK-R18CPH[/url]

 

[chipper]

I know this topic must have been beaten to death in a hundred other threads from the past. Can anybody direct me to 'em? Any help on how to do thi in a BASIC kinda way? Just want to tryto do a little scrim on a nice new F & I horn built by member Don Powell. Do I use an awl for the scratchin'? What do I fill the scratches with - India ink, charcoal dust, etc? Any and all help is greatly appreciated

Just polish up the area real good, I use steel wool. Then draw on the design with a pencil. Scratch the design in with anything sharp, I use and X-acto knife. I remove the pencil with an eraser. That also gives you some indication of the marks. Re-scratch if necissary. I then use a goose quill pen. I dip in into the indian ink and apply it to just the lines. Use a little steel wool when it dries to remove the extra ink. There you have it. If it doesn't come out ok, simply sand it off with sandpaper and start the process again.

Regards

 

[2172]

Loyd's technique is good...I made a scratch out of an old leather sewing needle stuck in a wooden pencil in place of the lead...I fill in the scratches with India ink and a caligraphy pen, rub with fine steel wool afterwards. If you're not too skilled in drawing what you want, use some carbon paper to trace what you do want on the horn ...Hank

 

[soggy]

:thumbsup: All good sound advice; one thing not mentioned so far is............take your time, patience is the best tool you can have. I find that it easier to control my tools (I have many different ones) if I try not to make long cuts, and don't apply too much pressure . If in doubt ..........try it on a piece of scrap first
Just my .02 cents worth;
Soggy

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Thanks, guys - all good, practical advice. I appreciate it!

 

[Old40Rod]

My 2 bits... avoid the urge to dig a deep trench when you are scratching. After digging ditches on a few early horns, I realized that a light scratch is usually enough to hold the ink well enough and withstand further clean up efforts. Try it and you will be surprised. The light lines also give you greater flexibility in creating more complex figures, shading, etc. I use a dental pick/scratcher with a very thin springy end.

Next time you are at the dentist, ask him what he does with his old picks... mine had a box of old ones he had sitting around that were too far gone to rework but work perfectly for scrimming or other projects. He was glad to get rid of some of them.

 

[bwhoffman]

I went through the same trials and tribulations you are going through now...

when I was ready to scrim, I sprayed my horn with clear lacquer, applied my design with carbon paper and then rubbed india ink intothe scratches.
came out great, steel wooled the balance of the clear coat off and ended up with a horn that did not look like it just came froma vendor.

..worked for me,

Brett