Powder horn
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Finished three myself and haven't quite finished my fourth. My fifth is a screw tip horn that is finished and has a nicely turned plug and tip.
I started with a raw horn and if it's in the rough (unpolished), I used a drawknife (or spokeshave) to hog off the extra material fast. You can also use a farrier's file (blacksmith who does horseshoes) to hog off material. Use complete strokes so as to avoid "chopping" marks that will have to be removed later.
Some digression first. To stabilize the horn so you can work on it, you can make a rough plug that fits into it. The plug is clamped in the vise so you have both hands free to hold the drawknife or file.
When the horn is thin enough (or before you start losing that ivory color that is great for scrimshawing), switch to a smaller knife or even a scraper to remove all the rough nicks made by the drawknife or file. Then switch to files to sculpt it. (Check out Jim Dresslar's book on the engraved powder horn). I don't like sandpaper to finish and have used ashes and water. You can also use steel wool to polish the horn.
You're going to have to cut off the tip of the horn and drill it through. But before you do, it's a good idea to get a coat hanger. Bend it and insert it into the opening. Then lay it alongside to see how far you have to drill to get to the interior. Cut the tip and then drill. Make sure of your angle as you don't want to drill through. Afterwards, you may have to sculpt the horn such that it has a gradual taper. Figure out whether you want a brass powder spout (like on a flask) or a primative horn. I used the former for my first three and my fourth is a more primative French-Indian style horn.
Now, the plug. Two methods. First is to trace the exterior on a piece of pine and then cut out the wood. Scribe a line at least 1/4" from the bottom (or interior portion of the plug) and then saw about 1/8" along that line. You then chisel away or rasp off that wood and work at it until the plug fits the horn. The top is then rounded off the best you can. The other method calls for reshaping the horn such that is (almost) perfectly round. You have to make a tapered plug (on a lathe) first that will mold the horn. At Conner Prairie our instructor (Roland Cadle) had a rice cooker filled with old (and probably rancid) oil. We heated our horns in it and while it was still hot, inserted it into the horn. The horn was allowed to cool and it then took the shape of the plug. You can also use hot water if you don't want to use water but do it outside so wifey doesn't scream at you. The reshaped horn was popular among horners (as they called the horn makers) since they could use uniformedly made plugs. The plugs themselves were lathe turned and required final fitting (remember the interior of the horn wasn't uniform and they had to scrape either plug or horn to make it fit). After the plug was fitted, it was turned (on a lathe) to create any fancy design.
Using either style (reshaped horn or otherwise), glue it on (I cheat and use silicon). I also drill tiny holes along side and "pin" the plug with round toothpicks that are glued in. This keeps the plug from falling out. You cut and stain them after the glue is dried and they look quite nice (check out the horn of Marion Hammer made by Ron Ehlert at the National Firearms Museum).
I should mention that plugs came in various styles and there are numerous books to draw from. Some are simple and others quite elaborate. Some officers in Roger's Rangers were known to have compasses placed in the plug so they could tell directions. Other horns had a removable handle that facilitated refilling of the horn.
I also like to scrimshaw my horns. You can either do a modern design or copy an existing horn. This is done by slowly scratching with a knife and then applying India Ink. Rub with 0000 steel wool and the picture/your name/whatever stands out in contrast to the white horn. I put a map of the march to Fort Pitt on my horn.
I started with a raw horn and if it's in the rough (unpolished), I used a drawknife (or spokeshave) to hog off the extra material fast. You can also use a farrier's file (blacksmith who does horseshoes) to hog off material. Use complete strokes so as to avoid "chopping" marks that will have to be removed later.
Some digression first. To stabilize the horn so you can work on it, you can make a rough plug that fits into it. The plug is clamped in the vise so you have both hands free to hold the drawknife or file.
When the horn is thin enough (or before you start losing that ivory color that is great for scrimshawing), switch to a smaller knife or even a scraper to remove all the rough nicks made by the drawknife or file. Then switch to files to sculpt it. (Check out Jim Dresslar's book on the engraved powder horn). I don't like sandpaper to finish and have used ashes and water. You can also use steel wool to polish the horn.
You're going to have to cut off the tip of the horn and drill it through. But before you do, it's a good idea to get a coat hanger. Bend it and insert it into the opening. Then lay it alongside to see how far you have to drill to get to the interior. Cut the tip and then drill. Make sure of your angle as you don't want to drill through. Afterwards, you may have to sculpt the horn such that it has a gradual taper. Figure out whether you want a brass powder spout (like on a flask) or a primative horn. I used the former for my first three and my fourth is a more primative French-Indian style horn.
Now, the plug. Two methods. First is to trace the exterior on a piece of pine and then cut out the wood. Scribe a line at least 1/4" from the bottom (or interior portion of the plug) and then saw about 1/8" along that line. You then chisel away or rasp off that wood and work at it until the plug fits the horn. The top is then rounded off the best you can. The other method calls for reshaping the horn such that is (almost) perfectly round. You have to make a tapered plug (on a lathe) first that will mold the horn. At Conner Prairie our instructor (Roland Cadle) had a rice cooker filled with old (and probably rancid) oil. We heated our horns in it and while it was still hot, inserted it into the horn. The horn was allowed to cool and it then took the shape of the plug. You can also use hot water if you don't want to use water but do it outside so wifey doesn't scream at you. The reshaped horn was popular among horners (as they called the horn makers) since they could use uniformedly made plugs. The plugs themselves were lathe turned and required final fitting (remember the interior of the horn wasn't uniform and they had to scrape either plug or horn to make it fit). After the plug was fitted, it was turned (on a lathe) to create any fancy design.
Using either style (reshaped horn or otherwise), glue it on (I cheat and use silicon). I also drill tiny holes along side and "pin" the plug with round toothpicks that are glued in. This keeps the plug from falling out. You cut and stain them after the glue is dried and they look quite nice (check out the horn of Marion Hammer made by Ron Ehlert at the National Firearms Museum).
I should mention that plugs came in various styles and there are numerous books to draw from. Some are simple and others quite elaborate. Some officers in Roger's Rangers were known to have compasses placed in the plug so they could tell directions. Other horns had a removable handle that facilitated refilling of the horn.
I also like to scrimshaw my horns. You can either do a modern design or copy an existing horn. This is done by slowly scratching with a knife and then applying India Ink. Rub with 0000 steel wool and the picture/your name/whatever stands out in contrast to the white horn. I put a map of the march to Fort Pitt on my horn.
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2002
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Naw, it's easy. It just takes time. Scrimshawed powder horns are considered by some as the original form of "trench art" as a bored soldier at a lonely outpost had plenty of time to scrape and decorate his horn. Remember that the soldiers' horns were made for them and they decorated themselves (and there were professional horners who made and scrimshawed horns too for officers and those with $$$).
BTW, on Horn #4, my map horn, I cheated. It was a finished product purchased for $14 from a New England from a gunshop near the Ruger factory. Being very white and large (about 1 pound capacity), it could be used for scrimshaw. The plug wasn't well fitted so it was drilled and chiseled out and fitted a new plug. The neck was sculpted to resemble a French & Indian War horn. Then it was scrimshawed. It still needs more shaping (about 1 hour's work) and I'll finish it someday.
BTW #2: I'm no artist and a straight line is a challenge for me. So, I look for engravings and then copy them by pencil onto the horn. Where there's a pencil mark the X-acto blade follows. It makes it so easy to have elaborate designs that even the average person like myself can do it. Some folks xerox a design and then glue it onto their horn. Where the line is, the blade follows. Same principle. Soak in water to remove the extra paper and apply ink as described above. Works just as well.
BTW, on Horn #4, my map horn, I cheated. It was a finished product purchased for $14 from a New England from a gunshop near the Ruger factory. Being very white and large (about 1 pound capacity), it could be used for scrimshaw. The plug wasn't well fitted so it was drilled and chiseled out and fitted a new plug. The neck was sculpted to resemble a French & Indian War horn. Then it was scrimshawed. It still needs more shaping (about 1 hour's work) and I'll finish it someday.
BTW #2: I'm no artist and a straight line is a challenge for me. So, I look for engravings and then copy them by pencil onto the horn. Where there's a pencil mark the X-acto blade follows. It makes it so easy to have elaborate designs that even the average person like myself can do it. Some folks xerox a design and then glue it onto their horn. Where the line is, the blade follows. Same principle. Soak in water to remove the extra paper and apply ink as described above. Works just as well.
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Cap n Ball
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I have two. A large one for the charge and a small one for the flash pan powder. I made the small one myself pretty much like Gary describes above. The other I found in a dusty box of odds and ends under a table at a little off road second hand store way down in the Ozarks. I can only guess it's age (pre Civil War I imagine). It has an American eagle scrimshawed on it as well as a compass and some leaves. The words 'Sam Adkinson~his horn' are on the other side. The work is pretty good but obviously not done by an artist. I refit it with a flask type of spout and put a new wooden plug in the base as the old one had cracked and shrunk. I have used it for about ten years now. Only cost me $20.00 and the old woman that sold it to me surely thought me a fool. Amazing the stuff you can find in those little curio shops.
I've made a dozen or so of them and it's not that hard. Takes a little time is all. I usually remove the rough outer part with a large knife and then work down with sandpaper until it's fairly smooth. If it gets "too smooth" to look natural I scrape a little more with a smaller knife and that gives it a "home made look".
As for the end plug, I lay the horn on a board and cut out the pattern, Then I take the blank to the belt sander and put a 30 degree shoulder on it. Once I heat the horn the shoulder allows the plug to slide in far enough to accept the pins that hold it in place. Don't push it in too far, just enough to allow you to pin it. What's left of the plug on the outside of the horn you can either sand flush, or round it off.
Buy a thick enough horn and you can use a rasp to put designs in the body of the horn.
Only problem I have is making a horn with the "lobes" to attach a strap. I've yet to figure out a good way to cut a plug to fit.
I can't scrimshaw worth a damn.
I do incise carve the plugs sometimes.
As for the end plug, I lay the horn on a board and cut out the pattern, Then I take the blank to the belt sander and put a 30 degree shoulder on it. Once I heat the horn the shoulder allows the plug to slide in far enough to accept the pins that hold it in place. Don't push it in too far, just enough to allow you to pin it. What's left of the plug on the outside of the horn you can either sand flush, or round it off.
Buy a thick enough horn and you can use a rasp to put designs in the body of the horn.
Only problem I have is making a horn with the "lobes" to attach a strap. I've yet to figure out a good way to cut a plug to fit.
I can't scrimshaw worth a damn.
I do incise carve the plugs sometimes.
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