Thread: How to flatten slab of honey horn?

I had some luck with bending by hand, going beyond straight using hand pressure and a real heat gun, then holding until cool. It rebounds but back to what is very close to straight. Then I got it all pinned up with the bows offsetting each other.

I'll see if I can get the flat.. I have enough options and material to try a few strategies.

Unfortunately, the bow is at one end. If it were in the middle, I would be less concerned about getting them perfect and would use the bow to my benefit.. Not the case.

It's all good in the end. This is part of the fun of doing this kind of work..

Horn, any horn, is going to have a tendency to move, shift, bow, but I use either hot water or steam and then cool in cold water immediately and do it multiple times. I am not looking for dead straight as, once again, it is a natural material-horn. I am looking for near straight and enough for the blade to clear once pinned. I find it helped me to use the natural bend in my favor when making the scales instead of fighting against it. Just my 2¢

I use a heat gun while the slab is in between two pieces of aluminum which is in a vice, as I heat it I slowly turn the vice tighter and tighter and then let it cool down, for a day or so (I know thats a long time, but I am never in a rush when I do it,)
That method works for me, the odd time the horn has been stubborn and needed a 2nd go

This is the steaming rig I use. If the scales are near finished it only takes a couple minutes in the steam and they are soft. If I'm working from a blank I cut them to shape on a band saw before they see the steam. I clamp them up between 2 pieces of scrap aluminum and put them in the ice box for an hour. When they come out you have to let them sit for a bit because the scales are frozen to the aluminum. Nothing fancy about it and it works for me.
I hope I haven't infringed on anyone's patent.

Originally Posted by alpla444

I use a heat gun while the slab is in between two pieces of aluminum which is in a vice, as I heat it I slowly turn the vice tighter and tighter and then let it cool down, for a day or so....

Originally Posted by karlej

.....I clamp them up between 2 pieces of scrap aluminum and put them in the ice box for an hour....]

Seems like all you gents clamp the pieces between aluminum.. Is there a reason for that or is that what you have available?

I remember a post by "mycarver", who's scale work is probably the best I have personally seen, describing his method. He uses dry heat rather than boiling water which he suggests can swell the fibre of the horn and lead to delamination. The horn is heated to 325-350 deg F. until the scale become rubbery, then over flex the scales opposite the warp and cooled in cold water,no clamping needed.I recall he actually uses a propane torch to play the flame over the concave of the warp, but a heat gun or toaster oven would also work if flattening entire slabs.The key is over flexing the horn to relieve the stress in the scales that actually want to return to being a cows horn.If it is not over flexed opposite the warp while still rubbery it may not stay flat. I used his method to flatten a pair of rams horn slabs that were bowed and it has worked to my satisfaction.

There is also the "run them over with your car" method.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...s-process.html

Originally Posted by MikekiM

Seems like all you gents clamp the pieces between aluminum.. Is there a reason for that or is that what you have available?

It's just what I had available. It's light, flat and about the right size so I did not have to cut it.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Heat and Pressed

That part is undisputed


How much Heat = Argued quite a bit

What kind of Heat = Argued

How long in the press= Argued

Straightened before or after shaping = Argued

Cooling after = Argued


Heck pretty much all everyone does is argue about it

God I love when I am right...

Actually even the "Pressed" part is now up for debate