wood plug for horn

[fatboy]

Mking my first horn just wondering how some of you may have installed your wood plug did you cut to size and shapeit to slide in or did you boil the horn in water till some what soft and fit the plug that way ? any good ideas are welcome

 

[Jack Walker]

I have done it both ways, it really depends on the type of horn (powder,rum,salt etc.). If you boil it try adding some olive oil,salt and some vinager to the water. I find the horn is a bit more supple and the oil helps with scalling.

 

[No Deer]

I have only done one horn and I left it natural shape. I cut the plug to the shape of the horn and used round wooden toothpicks to hold it in, then stained the ends of the toothpicks.
No Deer

 

[crockett]

Boiling helps. It works best on bison which IMO is really different from cowhorn. The thinner the horn the better and the plug should fit pert near perfect before being put in place. Spend plenty of time. Make sure the opening of the horn is flat to the plug if the plug oversteps the end of the horn.

 

[silverfox]

LHunter: If you have access to a laythe make a round plug and boil your horn. If not you will have to cut the plug to fit the natural horn. If not wanting to be PC cut a loose plug from plywood or pine and epoxy it in. Now sand it flat and get some good wood and make your endcap from it. Glue this in place and finish sand. Then drill small holes around the base of the horn and fill with wood plugs (toothpicks) or brass or copper rods cut to fit. For a first horn this is easier than trying to get a perfect fit with a one piece plug and you can't tell the difference when your finished. Good luck on your horn.
Fox :imo:

 

[riarcher]

I assume your talking the base plug. I whittle mine to fit snug after smoothing the inside. Then I cheat like he!!, I use Plumber's Goop to seal it into place, after setting, drill and install tacks made from brazing rod. Final shapping to the O.D. is by scraping (but it's very close to size by this point).
A lath wouldn't do me much good because all my horns are clipped on an angle to get them to hang the way I like. I don't use a "peg" type end on center, I carve a figure towards the high side so the weight is down and the horn lays close to the body to minimize fetching up on brush in the New England swamps. (Just to be different I guess. :: )

 

[fatboy]

Thanks for the ideas I have bought a few horns that are realnice , but I wanted to try my hand at making a couple and maybe even giving for presents .

 

[2172]

I boil the horn, and try and shape the plug to the base's shape...I've had good luck on the last 3 horns putting a drum sanding head inside the base of the horn and sanding it pretty thin from the inside..I shoot for getting it thin enough so that powder level can be seen if it is held up to the sunlight...the thinner horn shapes to the plug better after boiling. I hadn't heard of the adding of vinegar and olive oil to the boiling water, but will try it...have started a new horn using a really ugly, raw South African horn...Hank

 

[Griz]

Hank, where are you getting those raw horns from?

 

[riarcher]

Over the years I've made several. Would you believe I still don't have my own!!!!! The last one my son-inlaw made so many comments about it that I gave it to him for Christmas. (long story-shamed into it by daughter!) Usually I'll use one while I'm making a new one and give it away or donate it.
Right now I'm "in the process" again ( :shake: ) of making my own (probably give it away too sooner or later). I like "whittling" and just about all the time spent is from "down time" at work, so it cost me next to nothing. The horns are usually 5 for $10, or I get them locally for free. I work with a guy that makes custom furnature and I get small chunks of "quality" exotic end cuts for zip.
Sometimes it don't take much to "impress" people :: .

 

[mowolf]

Riarcher,

Where are you getting horns at that price?

Waya :what:

 

[2172]

Griz, October Country is my horn source. They frequently advertise South African horns, raw, that are 12-14" long. The price was something like $5 each, and shipping was $4 for one horn, $1 more for each add'l horn...I'd buy 5 at a clip for $30. The also offer a couple of sizes of polished horns..about $12 I think for the 12" + size...I just looked at their ad in one of the M-L magazines, and they don't list the raw horns at the moment. I'd check with them anyhow, they just may be between shipments. I started working a really rough one the other day..someone had painted numbers on it in two places...I've been scraping with a knife blade held perpendicular to the horn, and it is beginning to look OK...it was very thick at the tip..I cut off about 3.5" and have a neck of over an inch in diameter to work with..this will get some carving on the neck, as there is enough material to allow it...Best, Hank

 

[riarcher]

MOWOLF-
TOW. They are called "blemished" or something like that. None are what you'd expect if you're looking for that "perfect quality horn". But I've not had a unusable one yet. Granted, sometimes they are a challenge. Shapes are strange at times. Even have splits that pop up. But with a little enginuity they work out as nice unusual "one of a kinds."
Hey, for a $2 investment,, what the heck. If they are that far off you've got material for skrimshaw, stain testing, whatever.
example; Cut the large end off one biggie, worked it a bit and made a overlay on the end of the one I was working, liked it so much, I added several "wedding bands" spaced along it's length, checkered the basic horn, blended in the edges of the bands and shrunk 'em to position. Bet that is "one of a kind".
The one I'm doing now is a basic B&W with Walnut plugs. Been since before Christmas on it. The spout plug was going to be a acorn, hadn't decided on the base. Now I'm thinking A dead duck's head hanging down the slanted plug with the strap going under it's chin with the bill into the base (makes an attatchment hole - hate pins, lanyard always seem to work off in the brush). Now for the small end,,,, Maybe a wood duck's nest with eggs? (beginning vs. end? :hmm Errr, maybe, but the best part of "whittlin'" is not really knowing what you're makin. ::
It's ,,,,,,, "interesting"? :huh:

 

[boar]

I use walnut-cherry-hard maple-osage orange for base Iget base of horn ready then press itdown ona foam dinnerplate then cut in side of ring mark this will get you close to right size I cut the plug at a angle as inside of horn I only boiled my first one I get the plug to fit then put light film of glue on ,stick in let dry, blow on end to see if tight usually ok for stopper I use poplar,or any soft wood.you can put deer antler on end the soft wood sticks good in horn

 

[rayb]

got the horn the way i wanted it , then cut the mesquite plug to fit. Waxed both with johnson's floor wax. not a prize winner, but neither am i...

rayb