New Horn

[elee]

Hello guys...thought I would post a few pics of the horn I just finished for my Brother's birthday present. It is my first horn. Started with a rough horn, boiled til soft, and scraped with chunks of broken beer bottle. Carved the end plug from a chunk of curly maple, and the spout plug from french boxwood. Hand forged the square nails and strap staple. Scrimshawed with a sharpened center punch and india ink. The bull is his college final club emblem. The whole thing took about a week. What do you all think? I am having trouble deciding how to make a suitable strap...any suggestions? It must be absolutely correct in terms of style and materials....and thoughts would be welcome!
Good Shooting
Edward Lee
Kensington, NH

http://www.members.aol.com/l82859/ebay/horn1
http://www.members.aol.com/l82859/ebay/horn2
http://www.members.aol.com/l82859/ebay/horn3
http://www.members.aol.com/l82859/ebay/horn4

 

[roundball]

Elee...I can't keep it a secret any longer...I too am your Southern brother, and anxiously await my brotherly act of kindness...!!
:: ::

(very nice looking horn)

 

[BillinOregon]

Edward: Simply stunning, and for a first effort even moreso. I'm guessing you might want a finger-woven or inkle-loomed strap of wool, hemp or linen to complete it. Your brother is a very fortunate fellow.

 

[Deadeye]

Beautiful! We're all green with envy of your skill and your brothers good fortune. :thumbsup:

 

Gorgeous!

Question: What tools do you use to do the scrimshawing? I have a small drawing I did that I want to scrimshaw on one of my horns, but I've never done it before. Do you just scratch it with something sharp, or is there a special tool you use?

Thanks, stunning work!

John

 

[soggy]

Edward; Wow! that's fantastic. I don't suppose there's any chance that I might be a long lost cousin , nephew or sumthin? anything? :cry:
Look foreward to seeing more of your work :master: :master: :master:


Soggy :thumbsup:

 

[Jimrogers]

Absolutely terrific job. My only suggestion would be to visit your local violin repair shop and ask for one of his old tuning keys. Most keep a breadpan full of them arouns and they'll give them too you most of the time. Use it and make a spout plug for this wonderful piece you've made.

Thanks for sharing and you should rightfully be proud.

 

[Rebel]

Very nice indeed. Wish my first attempt looked something like that. I too think that somewhere in our distant ancestory that we just have to be related somehow. :: So when do all your online relatives get their new horn? ::

 

[elee]

Hi; regarding the tools I used to scrimshaw this horn...I took a center punch (hard tool steel is FAR better than a nail) about 1/4" dia. at the shank and tapering to a fine point, and sharpened it with oil and a hard arkansas stone until it was needle sharp. You must roll the point from side to side as you sharpen, so you don't develop a flat on the point. If you sharpen it right, you will feel the tool "bite" evenly into the horn as you work. If badly done, the tool will skip and slide on the horn, or tend to travel in one direction only. Due to the monodirectional grain of the horn, curved lines are still quite difficult! I polished the horn with 0000 steel wool until NO scratches were left (ANY scratches will show up as lack lines on the finished horn), and painted the area to be scrimmed with high quality black india ink. Then I scrimmed through the black, leaving the design showing in white. At this point you must remember you are looking at a negative...black is white, and vice-versa. Darker areas were lined more heavily, really dark shadows were crosshatched. When finished scratching, I repainted the design with more india ink, and let dry thoroughly. Then simply re-polish with 0000 steel wool, and the design appears as if by magic...it is pretty cool! Then I melted pure beeswax and waxed the entire horn, and finally buffed with a soft cotton rag. Thanks so much for all the positive comments....it means alot to hear it from guys who know what a good horn looks like! I take great pride in doing the whole thing exactly as it would have been done 250 years ago. A really worthwhile project that every muzzle loader should try! If I can help anyone who wants to, I would be happy to.
Thanks
Edward Lee

 

Okay, cool. Thanks for the detailed instructions! I believe I do have a center punch that I can sharpen, and start scratching my horn. I'll have to post some pics when it's done... I can only hope it turns out 1/10th as good as yours did! :master:

 

[fatboy]

That is realy great looking you did a wonderful job I started a horn amonth ago and its still not done just havnt had the time but looking at what you have done makes me want to tear back into it . Dont know if I will atempt the scimshaw though i dont have that much ability .

 

[akapennypincher]

VERY NICE eace:

 

[doverdog]

Well, all I have to say is, if that's your first horn, then I hate your guts! I just can't stand people who make great things on the first try. :curse: :blah:

 

[elee]

BillinOregon;your comment on a hand woven linen strap was a big help...I found out a close friend of mine has an inkle loom...she is also an expert on colonial fibers and weaving techniques. She is going to hook me up with the correct hand died and hand spun fibers ( she actually dies it and spins it!), and she is going to show me how to weave a laurel pattern to match the laurel wreath around the bull! Awesome!!
Thanks
ELee

 

Looks like rootnuke has some company in the first try department. ( rootnuke made a bueatiful first build lancaster) That is a very bueatiful horn!
I'm no relative but wish I was
Just one question..... Could you place the center punch into an electric drill and then spin it on a wet stone with oil to get a fine point on it?
It would be perfectly round as a needle point and not flat on any side of the punch at all. Just my thought.
This how you put a point on a piece of tungsten for a TIG welding.

Thanks
Woody

 

[bshultz]

Great job, I wish I had that kind of talent!! :thumbsup: :redthumb:

 

[vradin]

Could you place the center punch into an electric drill and then spin it on a wet stone with oil to get a fine point on it?
It would be perfectly round as a needle point and not flat on any side of the punch at all. Just my thought.

Woody, this will work but you need to watch the speed and temperature of the punch. Done on a water stone with the tip in the water, it keeps nicely cool. Keep the tip moving along the stone so you don't "groove" the surface.

Another useful tool for scrimshaw work is a diamond tip graver. Looks & feels like a pen, you can get them at machinist supply shops.

vic

 

[elee]

Vic is dead on..."power sharpening" can burn the microscopic point on your tool, ruining the temper of the steel. This happens really fast...and then the tool is cooked for good. There is no substitute for good old hand sharpening!
ELee

 

[Chuck Thom]

I use a metal scribe located in welding supplies and a needle mounted in a piece of wood for real fine lines like fill in letters. no matter how bad your scrimshaw attempt is it still will be period correct. my daughter when she was 11 years old made a horn by herself and scimshawed it too. she thought it was bad but was the first thing sold off my trade blanket. came out great

 

[Jimrogers]

I agree. My son made a horn and scrimmed it when he was 15 and we took it to a rendezvous and laid it on the blanket. He sold it for $100 to the first buyer that came along and was happy as a clam.

Beauty is in the plain all the time.