Powder Horns, when ya' mess up....

[TN.Frank]

...you just improvise. I was drilling the hole in the plug end of the horn that I got from TOW with thoughts on makin' a powder horn. I tried my best to drill straight into the hollow cavity and not run out the side but fate intervened and sure enough I ran out the side. So what's a body to do, give up, not me, I simply got the head off of my Peace Flask and cut and fit it to the horn. Not what I was looking to make but it'll work none the less. Still have to add a eyelet at the front end and something to attach the thong to at the rear end and it'll be done. I'll post a pic or two when it's finished. :thumbsup:
Bottom line, never give up. You can always fix just about any mistake that you make if you just get creative.

 

[Brasilikilt]

Hey TNFrank

With that box of 30 horns I got, I did do that exact same thing twice.
There are other period correct items made from horn which I've been considering such as a Rum horn, horn mug, flat powder flask and as you talked about.......fitting a flask head to the tip of the horn

 

[Dave K]

I always save the very tip off of the horn, to help me out. Or you can find a piece of horn in your collection of stuff and make a plug. Since the drilled hole is already round it is nothing to make a plug the same size as the hole and glue it in. After I finish the horn, I simply cannot find the repair. I know some of the horns I use, I repaired this way, but I can't find which ones.

 

[2172]

I've drilled out a few, too. I back the drill out, and re-aim it and drill the hole I want..then I plug the run-out with a piece of dowel, and cover that with a "flake" of horn...always works, sometimes the flake match isn't good enough to hide the patch, but mostly OK..Hank

 

[TN.Frank]

Here's a pic. It's nothing fancy but it looks better then the Peach Flask that I was using.
I may try and do a bit of scrimshaw on it at a later date.

 

[Stophel]

I have a little 18th century German pocket horn. Very plain. The maker of the horn screwed up when drilling the spout hole. It came out the side of the horn. Not to worry! He just took a piece of wood, made a peg, and glued it in, plugging the hole. He just straightened up his drill bit and drilled 'er out again! And, yes, the wooden plug is VERY visible!!! :winking:

 

[soggy]

I have a little 18th century German pocket horn. Very plain. The maker of the horn screwed up when drilling the spout hole. It came out the side of the horn. Not to worry! He just took a piece of wood, made a peg, and glued it in, plugging the hole. He just straightened up his drill bit and drilled 'er out again! And, yes, the wooden plug is VERY visible!!! :winking:

:thumbsup: I agree with your point 100%, those old timers did whatever it took to make things work for them. Sure we all like to make "fancy" horns, but for every fancy horn you see in a museum there must be hundreds of plain working horns on display. If the average joe back in the 18th century screwed up or broke something , he fixed it the best he could instead of throwing it away. You see examples of this in many gun stocks and other items that the common folks used.
IMHO Soggy