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Another small priming horn

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Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
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Location
Johnston County, NC
Rummaged through the local pet store chew toy bin and found another cheap suitable candidate for a priming horn. This one is made from antler, with a pine base plug and maple spout plug. I bought some carbide cutting bits to help hollow out the inside, which worked great. The “brad nails” are cut pieces of “survey flag” wire and are perfect for 1/16” drilled holes. These small horn projects have been a lot fun and great practice/experience without much expense.
B2DADE2E-C7D3-456D-A6EB-FD47432C0A6B.jpeg
 
Very nice.....

Your work might be more impressive if you included a "before" pic. - plus, the pic would give us copycats what we need to look for.
I’ve been typically looking for more flat, oval shaped, white antler tips. They make the best primers for scrimshaw because of their light background, it stands out more. It’s not the typical cylindrical brown deer antler tips you see all the time. I’m not sure what animal these are from. I’ll have to check the tag next time. I just know it when I see them, they just scream that would make a nice “primer”.
 
@Compressorguy great job on the dogwoods,
Did you freehand or trace from pattern?
Thank you, Great question. It’s a mix of trace and free hand drawing. The general outline of the flowers and leaf positions themselves are a template and the center of the flowers, petals, leaves and branches are penciled on and filled in using a picture as a guide then all freehand scrimshaw over the template and pencil lines. I’m still learning to control the awl. It sometimes seems to have a mind of its own and wants to wander! My problem my be trying to bear down too hard when cutting the lines and the needle is catching natural grooves /fibers in the surface. I feel it’s sharp enough. The antler though cuts much better (harder and less fiberous) than horn and the needle seems to wander much less. The snake and eagle are all freehand drawn. I use pencil lead to fill in all the lines.
 
Thank you, Great question. It’s a mix of trace and free hand drawing. The general outline of the flowers and leaf positions themselves are a template and the center of the flowers, petals, leaves and branches are penciled on and filled in using a picture as a guide then all freehand scrimshaw over the template and pencil lines. I’m still learning to control the awl. It sometimes seems to have a mind of its own and wants to wander! My problem my be trying to bear down too hard when cutting the lines and the needle is catching natural grooves /fibers in the surface. I feel it’s sharp enough. The antler though cuts much better (harder and less fiberous) than horn and the needle seems to wander much less. The snake and eagle are all freehand drawn. I use pencil lead to fill in all the lines.
When my dad passed away he loved dogwoods. I had them engraved on the family granite Monument.
Very nice work and a great memory.
Thank you.
 
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