Powder horn help

[Lock Nut]

I know this might sound like a dumb question.
Can one soften a horn simply by boiling it in water? I need to get the open end round to fit a plug. (I built plenty of rifles in my day but just never attempted to built any powder horns) :idunno:

 

[rafterob]

Yes. Hot oil is preferred by some. Me, I just carve my plug to fit the natural opening. Something tells me its a lot easier to shape the horn round than it is to carve the plug to fit :surrender:

 

[Black Hand]

A heat gun or your kitchen oven will work faster and better than boiling water. Be aware that you can burn your horn if you get distracted and over-cook it.

 

[crockett]

IMHO NO, boiling water will leave some "spring" in the horn.

 

[omarick1948]

Water is not the answer for rounding a horn! __ Why? Water boils at 2112 degree's and may allow the horn a little flexibility for a thin walled cow horn, but the temperature is not high enough to heat and remove the "memory" from the fibers of the horn permanently. You need a temperature of 325 to 340 degree's. Most Horners today use hot oil or a paint heat gun to achieve those kinds of temperatures.

Rick

 

[omarick1948]

Water is not the answer for rounding a horn! __ Why? Water boils at 2112 degree's and may allow the horn a little flexibility for a thin walled cow horn, but the temperature is not high enough to heat and remove the "memory" from the fibers of the horn permanently. You need a temperature of 325 to 340 degree's. Most Horners today use hot oil or a paint heat gun to achieve those kinds of temperatures.

Sorry, I got heavy finger on the key___Should read: "Water boils at 212 degree's".

Rick

 

[ohio ramrod]

I like to "bake " my horn and plug both in the oven set at 350 F . This softens the horn and shrinks the wooden plug. I then rub beeswax on the plug and slide it into the horn.Also I sand a two degree taper onto the plug so that it will start more easily into the horn.The beeswax lubes the plug going in and seals any minor imperfections in the fit. :idunno:

 

[Elnathan]

I have always used boiling water and never had much trouble rounding the end of my horns, but I use a somewhat different sequence than most folks. I tend to install my plugs fairly early on in the process, after trimming the ends, drilling spout, and roughing out the horn, and the last couple horns I have tended to skip the rounding step and just use the plug itself to round the base.

 

[Robert Egler]

Me, I just carve my plug to fit the natural opening. Something tells me its a lot easier to shape the horn round than it is to carve the plug to fit :surrender:

That's what I do.

 

[Lock Nut]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I did try a heat gun to soften up the end. It was enough to fit the round plug in without cracking the horn. It worked out good. :thumbsup:

 

[MSW]

glad to hear you project went well. i got a frydaddy like cooker at WalMart, and it works pretty well with veggie oil at about 360 degrees... what Horner said is too true - if you boil a horn, it won't work :: sort of like trying to get a pig to sing: they can't hit the high notes and it just irritates the pig. ... by way of heads up- drill the hole for the stopper before you put the horn in the oil ... a big bubble of air can get you inot some serious trouble at those temperatures!