Making Screw Tip Powder Horns Advice?

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

I have seen tutorials showing this done with a tap and die. Hand made tap and die sets are period for the 18th. Does anybody have any tips or advice for this part of the process?

Thank you.

 

[MSW]

There's a pretty good tutorial on the Horners' forum ... can't remember who wrote it ... I'm not yet brave enough to try this trick, but I'd be curious to find out how you do, so send in pictures: we love pictures!
:grin: :thumbsup:

 

[Katahdin]

Yep !!! go to the HornersBench site then the Tutorials,, Tim Crosby, I believe is the writer.I am having a tool made like the one in the tutorial.

 

[omarick1948]

I don't know if you could call it a 18th Century method, but what others are talking about here is taking a 5/8"x13 NC bolt and nut and drill and thread the end for inserting a 1/2 inch bolt into it. Works OK, but I like the simpler Tap and Die method. Cuts cleaner threads.

 

[Len Graves]

Roy Underhill of the woodright shop show, In one of his books, shows how to make a " screw box" or die for wood. Also the tap to match. This set is for uses like stool legs or broom handles. With the pictures and instructions I think one could adapt for the size threads you want. He has several books and I don't know which one it is in. Check your library or on line for his books. Lots of other interesting stuff in them.

 

[crockett]

I'd like to know as well. Let's say you have the horn. On the tip portion, you could turn it on a lathe and then drill the hole, then another hole (blind) at the base and tap that for threads- I think that would work but I'm not sure of the correct order of the work.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Lee Valley sells tap & die sets for wood..

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

so send in pictures: we love pictures!
:grin: :thumbsup:

I will try and scan the horn after I successfully accomplish an example.

 

[crockett]

For whatever its worth, I'm only starting but so far on cutting the threads; it seems tiny bits of horn are chipping out. I can thread the parts together but not what I wanted.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I don't know if it helps you or not. When I "tap" a horn for installing a valve in the end, I use a course 1/2 -13 skip tooth tap. Then I put a coat of thin super glue in the threads and quickly screw in a well waxed bolt, let it in for about 10 to 15 seconds and then remove the bolt and let the glue harden. This gives me a strong thread into which I can screw a brass bushing made from a brass bolt that has been cut off and taped for the finer thread of the valve.I have never had good luck with fine threads in horn! :idunno: :idunno:

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

I don't know if it helps you or not. When I "tap" a horn for installing a valve in the end, I use a course 1/2 -13 skip tooth tap. Then I put a coat of thin super glue in the threads and quickly screw in a well waxed bolt, let it in for about 10 to 15 seconds and then remove the bolt and let the glue harden. This gives me a strong thread into which I can screw a brass bushing made from a brass bolt that has been cut off and taped for the finer thread of the valve.I have never had good luck with fine threads in horn! :idunno: :idunno:

That sounds like an awesome tip. :hatsoff:

Thank you. :hatsoff:

 

[MSW]

very clever ... gotta remember that one ... thanks!

 

[JeffG]

Use olive oil for your thread cutting lube. Go slow, and turn the cutter back 2 turns when cutting new progress, to clear the chip.

 

[omarick1948]

Not all horns thread the same and horn material is soft and hard and everything in between. If you use a tap and die, use brand new one's and use them only for horn threading...nothing else!

Cut a couple of threads with plenty of lube oil (olive oil etc.) and back off every turn or two and clean the threads. Cutting threads is frustrating sometimes and really not for the impatient or beginner. PRACTICE..PRACTICE..PRACTICE!

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

I'm not yet brave enough to try this trick

My plan is to use the advice from this post to make a screw tip horn, and in the event that fails, to lop off the threaded disaster with a hacksaw, and use the advice from the neck joining post to add a turned piece of walnut or cherry.

 

[omarick1948]

I'm not yet brave enough to try this trick

My plan is to use the advice from this post to make a screw tip horn, and in the event that fails, to lop off the threaded disaster with a hacksaw, and use the advice from the neck joining post to add a turned piece of walnut or cherry.

Just for some general information. When designing a contemporary powder horn, anything goes for an Applied Tip (your term is neck joining), but for a Traditional historic themed powder horn, you may want to turn that "neck Join" using horn or antler, as wood turned applied tips split and weather over time and are very, very rare on original horns.

Just me two cents!

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

Just for some general information. When designing a contemporary powder horn, anything goes for an Applied Tip (your term is neck joining), but for a Traditional historic themed powder horn, you may want to turn that "neck Join" using horn or antler, as wood turned applied tips split and weather over time and are very, very rare on original horns.
Just me two cents!

Thank you Horner. :hatsoff: