Lucky find

[freeonthree]

Driving down the street today and it being garbage day.I see a set of black horns sticking out of a box.So I pull over to the side of the street and walk back half a block because the traffic was to heavy to just slammer into reverse.
There was a set of Buffalo horns mounted to a board.So I takem home the mounting job was very old and ruff so they are going to be a matched set of powder horns for my son and I. So heres the Question what is the best way to scrape or kleen the inside of the horns out?

 

[paulvallandigham]

The core should just pull out. You might have to turn a wood screw into them to get them out, but they should come out after all this time. As to thinning the insides, you probably need to soften the horn by boiling it, and then using rasps and files to remove unwanted material. This is very smelly work, so plug your nose, and do this outdoors! Keep the wind blowing the dust away from your mouth and eyes. Use eye protection, and a breathing mask if you have them.

I would not hesitate to use a dowel with a slit cut in one end to hold strips of sand paper, or emory cloth to chuck into a hand drill and use to go at the inside of such a horn. But, again, this is dusty, smelly work. If you don't like the smell of burning flesh, you won't like the smell of burning horn. Use coarse abrasive paper, and if you can find that wet/dry abrasives that looks like screen wire with abrasives glued to the mesh, that may be the best. The hole allow the dust to pass through and be eliminated, instead of clogging the sand paper or emery cloth.

 

[Harold1950]

I can't take credit for this cause I just saw it on here but can't remember where. Go to the website: http://home.att.net/~mman/PowderHornMaking.htm

It shows how to make a powder horn from buffalo horns. Good website lots of good info and tricks. Hope this helps......and you and your son get two good matched horns........Jarp;d :thumbsup:
It must be early, I have to go to work and Jarp;d was supposed to be my name :rotf: Harold, there got it right that time

 

[omarick1948]

If your horns have the cores still in them. I would suggest that you submerge them in a bucket of water with a little disinfectant in it to kill any insects or whatever might be making there selves a home. Leave them in the water a couple days and check to see if the cores have loosened enough to remove. If not. Change the water and soak them another day of until you can remove the cores. Sometimes this can be a lot of work. Sometimes they (cores) remove fairly easy.

After cores are removed and horns well dried. Inspect them inside and see if there is enough interior area to make if worth while doing additional work to make into powder horns.

Bull bison horns are usually larger and have a greater area for powder. Cow bison horns are usually smaller and commonly very thick inside with thick ridges leaving an area pretty small for powder.

Things have turned around since I first started making powder horns many years ago, because you can buy good quality bison horns cheaper than you can buy good quality cow horns. _bay and other online sources regularly sell them for $10 each or less.

Working bison horn is for the strong stomach person, :barf: because the smell will "Gag a Maggot", so like Paul said,do it outside in a strong breeze! Coarse rasps and files will shape the outside before sanding. GOOD LUCK! :thumbsup:

Rick

 

[freeonthree]

The core has been removed and the out sides of the horns have sanded smooth but could use more the bring up a shine.but the inside is very ruff with lots of ridges. These are very old horns I think because the mount asembly was all put together with square nails.The horns are 14 inches from the tip to the base on the out side and 3 1/4 diamiter at the base.
Thanks for all info it will be a big help. :hatsoff:

Tom