powder horn

[bkovire]

what would i use to make the base of the horn, and how or what would be the best way to keep it in place. :idunno: :hmm: got the horn, plug for pour spout. no base

 

[StevePrice2]

Most likely you'll get a variety of responses. By the base, I presume you mean the butt plug (yes, it is called that) which can be made several ways from as simple as a pine board to exotic hardwoods turned on a lathe.

Several horners visit here and might elaborate. However if you search for a while you'll find some recent posts on how to make the plug and how to secure it. Everything from toothpicks to brass tacks to honey locust thorns will secure it along with beeswax or epoxy. Hope this helps some.

Steve

 

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/238424

 

[ohio ramrod]

Just use a piece of suitable ( the best you happen to have )piece of wood. While many use turned plugs. I find it seems more true to the old ways to shap your plug to the horn. My method is to smooth the horn inside and outside. Then take a suitable piece of wood at least 1 inch thick and trace the shape of the horn base on the wood. Then I cut along the tracing with a scrool saw, or coping saw, and set my disc sander at 3 degrees and sand the plug until it goes about half an inch into the horn. I then place the wood and horn in the shop oven set at 250 degrees F ( don't do this in your wifes oven if she is home ) for about 1/2 hour.I the rub the hot wood block lightly on a plug of beeswax and press the plug into the horn full depth and the horn will "stretch/curve" to fit any minor misfits. I then secure the horn with 1/8 wooden pins.The stretching and the beeswax makes a water tight seal using traditional methods. Some prefer to boil their horns in water, or soak them in a heated oil but I find the oven method works and I kiln dry the wooden block while softening the horn.If you chose to use boiling water or heated oil, make sure you do not wet your wooden block.It is unfortunate that I already shipped your ramrod or I could have enclosed a piece of walnut for a base.

 

[BrownBear]

I see it as a chance to "personalize" your horn. My favorite is a horn from a particular steer (nasty!) on our place in the Southwest with a spruce plug whittled from a spruce on our place here in Alaska. No one else would see anything special about the results, but it's real special to me.

 

[bkovire]

thanks for the offer, finished it this morning, used pine and oak. its under this forum, (powder horn build along). no picks yet, will show, knife, powder horn, 44, 50, powder measure, and possibly bag. not the best, but for me it works. ps, all the stuff i make is by hand, that way i can do too things, get the feel of how they did it back then, and use the tools i seldom use.

 

[Claude Mathis]

thanks for the offer, finished it this morning, used pine and oak. its under this forum, (powder horn build along).

I moved your post to a new topic (Finished Powder Horn). It's really a new topic, not part of the existing "build along" discussion.

 

[bkovire]

ok, thanks, still getting use to the forum.