Powder horn stopper.

[NorthFork]

I made myself a basic powder horn. I've always used brass flasks in the past except for one cheaply made horn I purchased to hold the powder so the finer points of horns are new to me. I'm having difficulty keeping the wooden stopper in the pouring end of the horn. It pops out too easily. I didn't have this trouble with the cheap store bought horn. I no longer have that horn, sold it years ago, so I can't compare what they did right and I've done wrong. I know it's got to be something to do with the taper of the plug vs the hole. Anyone have any thoughts on this matter?

 

[Black Hand]

Find a piece of pine or fir and make a new plug. When it fits to your satisfaction, soak it in melted beeswax for 30-60 seconds and buff off the excess wax with a piece of canvas. Gently work into the spout hole to custom fit the plug which will have swollen slightly due to the wax - scrape with a sharp blade if you need to remove a little wood. Not all spouts have a tapered hole.

 

[longcruise]

Use the handle of a file to gently taper the inside. Choose one with sharp corners and go very slow and be patient.

And, as suggested above, use a soft wood to make a plug.

 

[Grimord]

I had the same problem with one of my horns. I cut a shallow groove around the plug about midway, and installed a rubber "O" ring into the groove. This provided all the friction necessary to hold the plug in place.

 

[Rifleman1776]

One of the primary trueisms in muzzle loading is: 'the nicer your horn stopper, the sooner it will fall out'.
My stoppers are utterly basic. I just whittle a small twig to a taper and push in. When I need to pour a charge I pull the stopper with my teeth. Being in my mouth I can't forget to replace it. A nice stopper tethered to the end of the horn can, and eventually will, be forgotten and you will spill most of your powder.
Now, a stopper is not a place to get fancy. Materials like antler do not compress. Forcing an antler stopper into a horn can split the horn. Wood compresses and does not damage your horn.

 

[Elnathan]

Pretty good advice here so far.

Is the spout tapered and, if so, what is the taper like? If the taper is really dramatic that might lend itself to falling out easily.

Also, if the plug is tapered more than the spout is, that would also cause it to fall out easily, as the part of the plug actually touching the horn would be very small regardless of the length of the stopper.

 

[NorthFork]

Hole in horn not tapered, plug is tapered.

 

[Black Hand]

Make a plug that isn't tapered.

 

[azmntman]

+1 :thumbsup:

 

[Elnathan]

Hole in horn not tapered, plug is tapered.

There is your problem. The tapered plug is only touching the horn around a very narrow ring.

Make a new, untapered plug out of pine or something similar, and it should work fine.

 

[Scota4570]

I used a 1/4" taper pin reamer in my horn. Those reamers have a very gradual taper. I put a matching taper on the maple peg. I then waxed the peg and worked it in to the horn. There is 100% contact between the two over about an inch.

Sounds like I over engineered it.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

My horn is over 45 years old. I used it for a period of years without a problem. The pouring end split from peg pressure. I made a curly Maple 3" long end and fit it to the horn. I have the same violin peg that my father gave me from the get go. There is no taper in the wood end pouring hole. Wood peg, wood end, no problems. You can press and twist with firm pressure and it stays put. Never had a problem with it coming out. A violin peg has slight taper, if your peg has too sharp of an angle that can also be a fitting problem. Other advice out there is good this is just another way to go.
Flintlocklar :wink:

 

[Rifleman1776]

I used it for a period of years without a problem. The pouring end split from peg pressure.

:hmm: Personally, I would call a split pouring end a problem.

 

[S.Kenton]

I normally make all my plugs from pieces of a broken ramrod...dowel rod or just a plain old twig. They are all tapered at the end and coated with beeswax...then I normally drill a hole in the plug and attach it to the horn strap with a piece of sinew, That way I don't lose them.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Personally, I would call a split pouring end a problem.

You are correct according to the way I worded. I stand corrected: The violin peg never failed to stay in, Until the horn split.
Flintlocklar :bow:

 

[jrdavis]

The problem as I see it is your peg or stopper does not have s long enough shaft I lost a number of them until I started makythe longer...

 

[BrownBear]

Find a piece of pine or fir and make a new plug. When it fits to your satisfaction, soak it in melted beeswax for 30-60 seconds and buff off the excess wax with a piece of canvas. Gently work into the spout hole to custom fit the plug which will have swollen slightly due to the wax - scrape with a sharp blade if you need to remove a little wood. Not all spouts have a tapered hole.

Atsa way. I gotta say though that my favorite, though made along the same lines, was whittled from a spruce twig when I lost my "typical" violin peg on a memorable hunt. Had to fine tune it with wax once I got home, but it still moves from horn to horn because I like it so much.

BTW- When making horns, after drilling the pilot hole I reverse a file and use the tang to "auger" a taper into the hole. Real standard from horn to horn, so easy to fabricate stoppers as well as move them from one horn to another at my whim.

 

[Le Loup]

Just make a new plug & taper it very slightly. Remember, DON'T GLUE THE BASE PLUG TO SEAL IT!!!
Keith.

 

[dlidster]

Remember, DON'T GLUE THE BASE PLUG TO SEAL IT!!!
Keith.

I'm not certain I understand why one shouldn't glue the base plug. Can you explain?

 

[Black Hand]

I'm not certain I understand why one shouldn't glue the base plug. Can you explain?

Because, if you do happen to get a spark in your powder, a glued plug turns the horn into more of a grenade rather than the plug blowing out (when pinned and sealed with beeswax).