Hole in horn

[qtrhrs7]

Hell,all,

My wifes' youngest granddaughter decided to help me with my powder horn last night; didn't know until tonight! There is a hole about 1/4" on the side that is next to my side. Can I use some plastic wood to fill it? I was not planning on staining it....until now! Will doing that help hide the plug?

Thanks for your help.
Bud.

 

[Highlander73]

Shhhhhh dont tell nobody, but JB Weld hides well on a horn. I patched up a crack in a horn I built and it blended in really good with the streaks of color in the horn.
You could mix some up and make a nice copper patch to go over the hole. JB weld it down, drill some small holes around the patch and make some copper pins out of wire. That is provided the side of the horn isnt way way thin.
Just a suggestion
Or you could wrap the horn with a peice of wet rawhide and sew it up the side.
Highlander

 

[blacksmithman64]

Highlander has some good advise there! 41aeronca also does a neat copper patch...I just turn down a wood spout.. :redface:

 

[dlpowell]

If the horn is thick enough plug it with a dowel and drill again. Carve and stain to cover.

 

[qtrhrs7]

Highlander 73, Stumblin', and Don,

Thank you for the great advice!

Bud.

 

[ricklandes]

The last one I scraped down had a bug sting? hole in it that was softer than the rest of the horn. I used acraglass to fill it and it dyed up nice. It was just a bit duller than the rest of the horn. I am guessing the final waxing will bring it up to match the rest.

 

[mazo kid]

I had my good friend make me a nice horn and he put a small brass "patch" on it even though there was no hole....just for "character" I guess.

 

[Uncle Will]

I have a pair (looks like from the same animal) of very old horns that some sort of critter (bug?) is eating. Need suggestions on how to stop destruction and how to repair! Thoughts please!

 

[blacksmithman64]

all kinds of advise on how to repair above, try putting some moth balls where you store the horns to keep the bugs out.

 

[Black Hand]

How about a lead plug? Should do the trick....

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Or a pewter plug...
Scott

 

[Highlander73]

I actually have seen an original horn with a poured pewter collar that started at the spout and went down about 2 inches on the horn.
I also saw in the same show a horn with a sheet copper spout.

 

[Harold1950]

I made a powder horn that was primarily white with a black tip and some black on the body. When i drilled the hole for the spout I was not centered and the drill bit made a triangular hole (with round holes) in the side. I did stop the bit from going completely through. I used some epoxy and some horn dust from my sanding...the "patch" turned out black and looked like a blemish in the horn but matched the coloring of the horn pretty good. Might try the epoxy and dust. Hope this helps...

 

[Brasilikilt]

Highlander.......

The JB weld idea is great! Just the thing to fill in the hole and secure the brass or copper patch.

The pewter idea is also giving me all sorts of thoughts...make the mistakes look like you did them on purpose.

:thumbsup:

 

[blacksmithman64]

Highlander......

The pewter idea is also giving me all sorts of thoughts...make the mistakes look like you did them on purpose.

:thumbsup:

Now thats the sign of a true craftsman! :haha:

 

[Highlander73]

Well if the JB weld dont work, and the pewter doesnt work...What else is grey and water proof???
Duct Tape.We could call it "a typical Tennessee horn repair" found only on contemporary horns built after 2009. :rotf:

 

[omarick1948]

Everybody else has given you some good idea's, but I'm going to tell you how a Horner I know very closely, patched the same type of "OH SH-T' type of problem a time or three!

Slice 1/4" - 3/8" wide piece of horn from anyother horn the diameter of the area to cover the "drill out". Heat the sliced section and slip it on to the spout to cover the hole. When your happy with a good fit, epoxy it on and file it to thickness and shape to your liking. Take your time and it can look like you carved it purposely for a strap ring!

Rick

 

[Highlander73]

Is that what you would refer to as an "applied collar" ?
I also learned a cool trick for the epoxy to color it the other day. A guy I know uses tempura paint powder and mixes it in with the epoxy close to the color of what he is repairing.
Highlander

 

[ohio ramrod]

Hell,all,

My wifes' youngest granddaughter decided to help me with my powder horn last night; didn't know until tonight! There is a hole about 1/4" on the side that is next to my side. Can I use some plastic wood to fill it? I was not planning on staining it....until now! Will doing that help hide the plug?

For small holes I put in a little bit of super glue then while it is still wet sand the horn with 220 sand paper so he sanding dust mixes with the glue, repeat as neccesary.For larger holes mix horn sanding dust with Five minute clear epoxy and fill the hole, and work more horn dust over the top,after the epoxy has set sand smooth.


Thanks for your help.
Bud.

 

[fallaloosa]

I made a horn for my brother this past Christmas and while filing down the throat a couple bug holes appeared. I used a wooden matchstick and some super glue. worked very well and after hitting it with some black shoe polish it was barely noticeable..looked like a slight color change in the horn but didn't look too bad at all.