Customizing a powder horn phase 2
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- In Phase 1 I shaped the neck of the horn, did the engrailing and dyed the neck. • Customizing a powder h...
I guess I could have stopped right there and had a nice looking powder horn, but I decided to go for broke. So I did some scrimshaw on the horn and I gave it a dye job to antique it a bit. Then I fitted it with a new plug for the spout, made from an ebony fiddle key, and I made a staple for the rear strap attachment point.
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St Mike, the Mark of a good tradesmen is being able to fix your stuff up. I like it, kind of banana style. Making a horn , small brass funnel, short starter , powder measure , some bullet boards, and shooting bag for my son for Xmas. I hope he likes them.
Mike, I just read this article in American Frontiersman. I love your open honesty about mistakes made and lessons learned. Many a journalist could learn from your example. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to your articles and videos in the future!
GlenfinnanForge Maybe if I was better at fixing my mistakes, I wouldn't have to own up to them...LOL
What. A. Rollercoaster. for a first time horn maker, I'd say it turn out great. I think of it like this: not every man who personalized his own horn "back in the day" was an expert at it, and so each man's horn was his own, a unique work in it's own fashion. I'm a believer in making mistakes because it's how we learn. How yours turned out is how I'd like mine to resemble...a piece that can never truly be duplicated. I appreciate the videos. thank you
Great video, thanks for the lessons. Happy 2023!
Mike I'm glad you continued on this video and never gave up showing all mistakes. I really felt like I was in with you. I think I would have made a lot of the same mistakes until I got some practice in, and I think its a good talking piece at the range.
I do these a lot, and a round pin vise gives better control for cutting the design in. after the design is drawn on I spray lightly with krylon clear satin. this keeps ink out of everywhere except the cuts. ink it and lightly steel wool the krylon off. the real white horns are the softest, so go easy. the light tan or translucent horns are harder, easier to scrimshaw and look great! potassium permagnate is far superior to dye, when staining a horn. the horn came out nice for the first one! keep the great vids coming.
Great video series, thanks for showing the mistakes, lets us novices know what to look out for!
I used blackpowder paste to blacken my etchings. I thought it wouldn't last but it's been there for 10 years and clean up was a breeze. Also, used black walnut hulls to give the patina with nice results followed by hand rubbed beeswax for protection and light sheen. I love the fiddle key idea! Thanks for sharing the highs and lows of your projects.
For all the tribulations, that turned out pretty good. And just think: the next one will seem so easy!
Great Job!! It sure makes you appreciate the old time guys work they put into those old horns. Yours turned out great, like a piece o art work. Great step by step video, Thanks!
Just a little and effective tip Mike. After scrimshawing your designs use black carbon paper and rub over your work. It works well, less messy and is permanent. Kind Thanks! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania
My dentist gave me some dental picks, that come in all shapes and cutting points. Very useful!
When the bright orange horn appeared on the screen backed by your dead-pan delivery, I had the misfortune of taking a drink of seltzer. Picture both barrels of a Manton fowler going off at the same time... that was my nose.
Mike, thank you so much for making all these mistakes so the rest of us don't have to. I bought the book and after watching your videos I think that between you and the book I am ready to attempt my first horn. I am sure I will make plenty of mistakes but I will be much better off because if your tips. Thank you!!!
Obviously you have the patience of a saint. Job well done. Congratulations
Thanks for showing the faux pas. I laughed so hard at the orange!😀
Very nice makeover. We learn from our own mistakes and others too. Thanks Mike
Good stuff, I laughed out loud a couple times during this video. Only way to learn is to do it.
well I must say... you do have patients, very nicely done!
Doctors have patients; he has patience.
Thank you, I am doing one my self for my pistol. And your info will help out a lot.
put it on, take it off, put it on, take it off, just like I did body work on my cars when I was a kid. it works just takes a while and the best way to learn. I think it looks great.
I've seen plenty of original powder horns in museums, while some were truly works or art, most were not much better then yours. Try it again!
Well I myself I'm going to start trying to make powder horns myself so watching what you do is helping me believe it or not. Now this is just my opinion I haven't even started yet the first time you did the yellow I thought that look pretty good oh, it looked more and take then after you took some of the yellow off. I know you probably got a bunch of I would have done this and I would have done that but I'm just telling you my opinion. I think you're doing a good job myself. Have a great day stay safe and stay Sharp!
that looks like about as much fun as polishing the cast brass and iron on my kibler kit!
I've found that a fine tipped metal Engraver (Track of the Wolf have them) is ideal for scrimshaw on a Horn, the trick is to drag the Graving tool rather than push it (as you would with metal engraving). It enables a consistency in depth and is very easy to use.
the color combo looks aged nicely I like to see that somebody elses idea dont always work out and has to change the plan on the fly I dont feel so bad now this vid and the T.O.W. are treausres of YT
Great video. Thank you.
Great first try Mike. You done good.
Those that can DO.Those that can't TEACH.
La verdad,prefiero como estaba antes,para mi gusto,está demasiado recargado......no me gusta la terminación,eso si,no quita el trabajo que has realizado.
Un saludo
Hello mike, i am a second generation scrimshander and it is advised to not use a knife to carve. You actually can us a scribe or a dentist pick tool. Preferably high carbon steel. They're easier to control and cheap. I buy mine personally off of ebay.
Very nice job
Good work Mike! I bet the next one will be even better. ;)
Kudos for the efforts Mike, especially with a hellacious cold! Did you have a deadline that you couldn't wait for the cold to clear? Hope you are feeling better.
They’re going to start calling you “Horny Mike B”!
Nice video Mike, your next horn will be much easier on your nerves, I am sure. Thanks for sharing!
looks good that mike well done
Nice job Mike. I have just started the neck shaping on my first horn. The Scrim part is worrying me and you didn't help! LOL.. Anyway, thanks again for the instructional vid. One on my faves on YT!
Mike, I liked your vid. the 'warts and all' style gets out more useful information, IMHO. A few thoughts: ... the carving knife you use looks like the one I started with, but I went to a large sewing needle and then a Coulter Precision scribe. get the scribe: best thirty odd dollars I've spent in a long time. I have the same horn you used - the goody acorn plug was (thankfully) broken off moving some stuff, and was replaced with a staple. Watch the orientation of the staple - this can cause the horn to hang at an odd angle. As regards dye- i'll stick with an onion skin formula (I think it's in Sibley's book) and keep rit berries away, except for staining the engrailing. ... by the way, you should warn folks that horn making can be habit forming :)
Looks great Mike, any booboo's just gives it character.
Also try using a duller tool, you won't over run so much. Dental tools also work wonders.
This is an old video, but I just watched it. I was betting the size of the horn would end up being about the size of a small banana after all the scraping and sanding. I wonder if tea would have stained it a more mellow color.
I love it!! Thanks
How about using leathe dye?
We get frustrated because we try to complete it as a job, these guys would whittle away at it on a hunt by the campfire, or to pass the time, slow and steady. Keep it in perspective, yes things took longer, but there was no tv, no radio, all you had to keep you busy was a powder horn and a knife!
Did you think of filling the over-scratches with a white crayon ?
Hi Mike.
As far as over-runs on you decoration, that was extremely common on the old horns.. Many were done by amateurs like us, and there are all sorts of scratches in the old horns. IMHO, I think your scratches make it look authentic. People of the time were of decoration, though not perfection, since perfection was rare, unless you were a member in the aristocracy.
Beautiful horn job though. These are not hard to make, but making it look aged complicates the problem. My solution is to leave my horns natural, and let them naturally age. ;)
Good job! Thank you.
Mike - on balance, I liked your vid. I've made all the goofs, so here are some 'lessons learned;" the Sibley book instructs the use of a carving knife, as you showed, and that's my only complaint with the book. I used to use a large sewing needle, but now I use a Coulter scribe... best thirty bucks I've spent in years! also - I've tried steel wool on horns, but it was a disaster. steel wool has lots of oil in it and, as my kids say, eeew! BIG PROBLEMS - stick to scraping! the staple you made looked OK - I use coathanger wire and get it hot with a propane torch - it bends easily and looks very authentic. Watch the orientation of the staple- you want the strap to keep the horn in a good angle. I have the same horn (I got it as a 'cheapie' and it has the weird plug and threaded buttplug... glue ... good for what ails ya ... As far as the dyeing goes: I think the Sibley book has an onion skin dye recipe - stick to that except for the engrailing - I use ritberries for that. thanks again for the vid!
why didn't you show how you did the first part of carving the horn ??????
I put china white on horn before engraving the horn. After engraving i fill over runs with vasoline, then ink. then 0000 steel wool to remove china white
This is the one you gave away?
T. Curran that was it.
Mike, I like your watch. Where'd you get it? Also, what kind is it?
It is a Rolex the Oyster Perpetual Datejust model. I've had it for close to 40 years.
Yeah, it is nice. I always prefer the fossil watches, but that one might be an exception.
Just use the dremel mike. We won't fault you for it, tell us what they would've used when they made it, and duplicate it with a high powered carving tool. You could probably have burnt in those designs without having to die them after.
Try it with a stock checkering tool
terrible the orange color was very cool!!!!!
You can also you a brand or a stamp.
"the carrot"
One more point...try harder to adhere to the golden mean of proportion when deciding where to put your engrailing cut. To my eye the carved portion is too long relative to the body.
I agree. That's because my first attempt at engrailing came out so badly that I had to erase it by filing it into the octagon portion of the horn
why the star of david ?????
I LIKED THE HORN JUST AS IT WAS SORRY BUT IT LOOKS LIKE SHIT NOW
Should have left it alone. It looked more authentic before he butchered it. Most colonist did not have time to decorate their horns. It was just a implement to carry propellent. Maybe people with time on their hands and money in their pockets could take the time to carve a horn.
La verdad,prefiero como estaba antes,para mi gusto,está demasiado recargado......no me gusta la terminación,eso si,no quita el trabajo que has realizado.
Un saludo