new horn

[hoochiepapa]

I can't get a picture to come out, but I wanted to tell you about the horn I started while in Phoenix at the shoot. The wind was blowing, so I went to the Trader's Row and picked out a horn from a pile. I went back to my camper and got on the protected side, and started scraping the horn with my knife. I got the really rough stuff off, and then used a piece of lava rock to smooth it out. I used my bag axe to square off the large end, and then more lava rock to smooth out that end. I quit then, because I would need a saw to trim up the large opening.
But the point is, that a person of an early era could have fashioned a horn, largely from the tools he carried and the native rock. I tried to find a rock that would fit the large opening to make it more round, but was not successful. I had boiled the horn to make it soft, but a suitable rock was not found. There was some small logs laying around near the "community campfire ring" that I could have used to fashion a tapered plug with my bag axe, to round the large opening, such as is in the books on making a horn. But I ran out of energy.
I had fun, and learned alot about how primitive people could have made a horn.
I will post pics soon.

 

[BillinOregon]

Mike: Look forward to seeing that horn. I hadn't thought about it, but we have literally millions of cubic yards of pumice from the explosion that formed Crater Lake in the woods around here. I bet it would work well for rough shaping too.

 

[omarick1948]

Mike, Good on you!....Yes, it does give a person a feel and work involved in making something like a powder horn with what you have available!

In the warm weather months, I like to take a horn or two with me fishing and scrape or engrave on it while I'm waiting for the fish to bite! Generally, I get quite a bit more done on the horn than catching fish!

Rick

 

[hoochiepapa]

The horn. I think I'm not gonna scrim any part of this, the horn itself is purty, and it would take away from all the hard work.
Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[MSW]

great color!!! I agree with your decision to forego the scrim.

 

[wattlebuster]

Good lookin horn :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Here's what's happening now, I worked on this a little today and yesterday.

 

[lonehunter]

:thumbsup:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Progress on the horn, and an 85 grain measure from the tip.

 

[lonehunter]

Looking good! :thumbsup:

 

[ryzman]

wow,
looks a lot like the one im working on at the moment... i have a bit more green in the middle of the body and i did not decide on a lobe... what plans do you have with the engrailing?

 

[hoochiepapa]

I haven't decided yet, I'd like to do something unique. I'm thinkin'. My wife says she smells wood burnin'. :rotf:

 

[ryzman]

speaking of smell,,, doesn't drilling out the spout hole stink like hell... man that was an awful aroma to be subjected to...
ive been using files, and sand papers, with a bit of chiseling here and there... and it may be similar to working with wood but it sure doesn't smell the same...

 

[hoochiepapa]

I used a reamer that I've had for a few centuries. I did drill the tip for making the measure, and didn't mind the smell at all.
I wonder if the age of the horn decides how much it will smell? Or maybe my sniffer ain't working so good anymore?

 

[ladysmithtrading]

Good start Mike, keep at it, looks like a lot of material yet to remove on the throat of the horn, a little tip fellas, get yourself a flexible shaft LED flashlight from on evil bay, bought 10 bux, and use it inside the throat to see how thin the horn wall is getting, you'll be surprised as to how much is left when filing, helps with obtaining nice lines as you proceed with the filing, if you use a magnifier, you can actually seethe layers of horn as you work it

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

:thumbsup:

 

[S.Kenton]

GREAT job Mike! I really like your idea of the tip used as a measure. Keep us updated with more pics!

 

[bnail]

speaking of smell,,, doesn't drilling out the spout hole stink like hell... man that was an awful aroma to be subjected to...
ive been using files, and sand papers, with a bit of chiseling here and there... and it may be similar to working with wood but it sure doesn't smell the same...

you think that smell? try burning out the spout! :barf:
my wife banned me after that.

 

[hoochiepapa]

:rotf: :rotf:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Thanks, Beav!! That's one reason it's going so slow, I'm afraid to take off too much at a time. I'll see if I can find one of those flashlites locally.