Shaping buffalo horn?

[JohnFH]

I was given a buffalo horn I would like to make into a powder horn, problem is the horn is very solid at the tip, about 4+ inches back, and has quite a compound curve.

I have read the posts about heating the horn to round out the top for the plug. Can the same method be used to straighten the horn a little?

 

[paulvallandigham]

In an word, "NO". Leave the natural shape of the horn along. It give the horn its character. You have to learn to drill a pilot hole FIRST to locate the inside of the horn. That may require cutting, sawing, or filing a flat on the tip end of the horn, so that your drill bit will not drift to one side or another. And that flat should be at right angles to the line you need to drill to stay inside the horn. Once you verify your work with that pilot hole, THEN you can go back and drill the hole out larger.

Review the information on making a powder horn on this Website:
http://lumberjocks.com/decoustudio/blog/2482

Then, Go to Track of the Wolf( see links) and find their book, Recreating the 18th Century Powder Horn, by Scott and Cathy Selby, and buy it for a reference work. Between the two, you should be able to turn that horn into a unique powder horn.

 

[omarick1948]

You won't be able to take the compound or twist out or the horn! Do you know if it's a American Bison (Buffalo) or Asian? Generally, American bison don't have a twist. It doesn't really matter, as it sounds like a good canidate for some fancy spout carving!
run a stiff wire up into the horn and then pull it out and hold against the horn and mark where the cavity ends. Now measure from that mark about 21/2 to 3 inches and cut off tip. Use a marking pen and mark a dot in the center of the horn tip where the hole is going to be. At the tip, mark four lines about three to four inches long on four sides of your horn spout end. Use these lines to "eyeball" your drill bit to see that it is running straight as you drill. Go slow with a 1/8" bit in and out till your feel it coming out of the cavity, then enlarge your drill bits, and ream out until you get the hole size you want! You only have to heat the big end for rounding, not the tip end.