Where to start on this horn?

[jtmattison]

This horn was a gift (thanks Bill) and I haven't had the time to try to work with it yet. Can y'all give me some tips on how to finish it?

Thanks,

HD

 

[jasontn]

you have the sibleys book on horns? it has a good combo of colors that will turn out well. if that lobe is thick enough you could do an early style lobed horn.

 

[jtmattison]

I don't have any books on the subject.

I was looking for some tips on where to start. Filing, sanding? Can horn be worked like wood?

HD

 

[jasontn]

heres a good step by step page.
[url] http://www.nmroyalrangers.org/FCF/making_a_powder_horn.htm[/url]

 

[jtmattison]

Thanks. I did a search and found the same page. I have everything I need except for wood for the plug.

HD

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Huntin Dawg,
Take a coat hanger, or a stiff piece of wire, and run it down the inside of the horn along the inner radius. You may have to bend the wire a bit to put an arc in it. What you want is for the wire to rest on the inner surface of the horn. When the wire stops at the tip, mark the end with your fingers, take the wire out and lay it along the outside surface of the horn along the same inner radius. Use a sharpie and mark the end of the wire. This is where the inner tip of the horn lies. Make another mark approximately 1" further toward the tip. This is where you will cut it off. You should have plenty of horn material to work with for shaping. If the end of your measuring wire ended up within an inch or so of the tip, you may not have enough to work with. That extra inch of horn from where the inside comes together to where you cut the tip off is where you will drill for the spout, and the spout plug will bear against the inner surface of the hole. About an inch bearing is good and the plug will stay in ok. Keep us appraised of your progress. :thumbsup:
Scott

 

[jtmattison]

Thanks Scott,
I'm going to work on this little by little. I'll post progress pics.

HD

 

[hornbuilder]

huntin dog :

horn can be worked with the same tools as wood and horn even has some grain to it ,,, start by smoothing the entire length of the horn to make it uniform , run a piece of wire down the big end to find where the inside cavity starts mark this on the outside of the horn ,not to be different but don't cut the horn off another 1" down . use as much horn as you have don't waste any of it . square the tip and pray to the red gods that your drill will run straight and true . if that part works ,then its time to lay out the throat , this is done by the golden rule method , PM me and I'll be happy to explain the golden rule method . the rest is filing and scraping . I try and resist the use of sandpaper and buffers ..The most important thing to remember when building a horn is to take your time , and not hurry the job . be prepared to take 20-30 hours to complete !


best of luck , if I can be of any help please let me know , No i'm not and expert by any means but have built a few horns in my day....take that for what its worth !!!!!!!

 

[jtmattison]

I'm not sure if I have enough tip to work with.

HD

 

[jasontn]

if you think you dont talk to two bellys and see about getting a spout turned for it. take a very bright light and shine up into the horn and see hoe thick the walls are.

 

[bob1961]

just start scraping it'll show ya what to do :v ...............bob

 

[jtmattison]

Is it possible to fill in the cavity with something like Bondo to give it enough material to hold up on the spout end when there's not enough to the horn?

HD

 

[jasontn]

nearest thing i can think of is epoxy mixed with sanding dust from the horn. i drilled thru such a horn and fixed the tip with deer antler. you either near have to make do with what you have or apply some sort of turned or carved spout. heres a picture of the one i fixed.

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[AeroncaTAL]

Yah, doesn't look like you have much to work with. I was going to suggest a turned spout like Two Bellys did, but the deer antler Jason suggested sounds like a good idea...
Scott

 

[jasontn]

i can tell ya from experience its gut wrenching to have a drill out. i had less to work with that you do on the repair i made. i goofed and carved mine before i drilled, something ill never do again. that horn you have has some of the best natural color i have seen if you want a darker throat area.

 

[jtmattison]

I know for sure I don't have enough material for a plug.
I thought of going with this.

Here's how it looks so far after a couple hours of files and sanding.

What do y'all think?

HD

 

[bob1961]

looks good, kinda looks like my horn when i started as if it was from the same bull :hmm: ....
that's why i left mine natural and didn't dye it to look old....so here's what color yers may turn out....as i sanded mine down the black went away so be careful :v ..............bob

 

[rich pierce]

I'd get to shaping- no need to polish a horn that needs to be shaped so that it has a neck, bands to keep the strap from sliding off, etc- generally I drill the spout end first to center everything when shaping the neck.

 

[Black Hand]

Is it possible to fill in the cavity with something like Bondo to give it enough material to hold up on the spout end when there's not enough to the horn?

HD

Why??? Just cut a bit off the end and drill the hole. You can then shape the end to your preference. The plug should stay in just fine if you shape it carefully. Unfortunately, most folks tend to make them too small and they fall out. I make them a bit oversized and burnish them down to fit in the spout hole. I've never had one fall out.....

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Ya know looking at the pics you posted, I'd go ahead and drill the plug hole. Then take a look and see how much of a spout you have. There may be enough to hold a spout plug in. If not then you could always do the brass spout later. It would also give you good horn building experience. Luck,
Scott