Thread: Cutting horns thickness in half

You could make 1 piece scales from the 9mm material much the same way

Originally Posted by Substance

You could make 1 piece scales from the 9mm material much the same way

But wouldn't u be wasting a lot when sanding it down? Or actually could it be possible to make both sides of the scales from only cutting one out, then cutting that in half? Now that I think about it

I use a Japanese pull saw for all kinds of material - they really are quite easy to use and a good investment but make sure you get the rip saw with no spine. If you don't already have one, there are lots of places that sell horn blanks in the 4 to 5mm size that will be more economic in the short term rather than investing in your own saw. I tend to go with 4mm as a minimum so that it gives me an opportunity of sanding both sides and ending with a flat blank of about 2.5 to 3mm. Horn can be variable in quality so you need the extra to get over any bits of delamination and curve in its original state.

My advise is to buy your horn from Masecraft Supply Co. They sell horn 1/8" x 2" x 6". It $18.00 a pair. I have bought some horn through some eBay suppliers and found it was of less quality. I don't mind paying a little extra for quality. Black and translucent you should be able to get 2 scales from each piece. The honey horn I find frequently has a lot of delamination so you may only get one scale from a blank which means you need multiple blanks so you can match up a pair. Sometimes the honey horn is so delaminated I put it in the scrap pile. They also sell other materials suitable for scales. They are a go to supplier for me.
I have a band saw with a rip fence and have cut horn for thickness in the past. Sometimes it comes out OK and sometimes I get a potato chip. Not worth the effort and head ache for me.

Pictured is an acrylic blank. If you rip horn I suggest keeping your width at 1". Cuts much easier.

Thank you both for your reply! I cannot figure out how to out both replies into one comment so I hope u get notified inteplied to u guys...

UKrob thanks for the idea on the Japanese saw the the technique on how to do it... Good ideas to think about

Karlej, I want to buy from someone who has a big name out there but I have just been testing buying some bulk from some suppliers to cut cost and can't find too many that have the exact size I need... The first round is actually coming from someone on eBay, now my next question for you is how to determine the quality of the horn? Is it something u figure out after using it? Then u know after the finished product are or there things you can tell if it's some qaulity horn ur dealing with?

Originally Posted by Dafonz6987

Thank you both for your reply! I cannot figure out how to out both replies into one comment so I hope u get notified inteplied to u guys...

UKrob thanks for the idea on the Japanese saw the the technique on how to do it... Good ideas to think about

Karlej, I want to buy from someone who has a big name out there but I have just been testing buying some bulk from some suppliers to cut cost and can't find too many that have the exact size I need... The first round is actually coming from someone on eBay, now my next question for you is how to determine the quality of the horn? Is it something u figure out after using it? Then u know after the finished product are or there things you can tell if it's some qaulity horn ur dealing with?

Pretty obvious things really. Is the horn in the dimensions advertised? Flat and straight. No delamination, voids, cracks, inclusions. Polished on both sides. Saves work as you can pick the polished side that will be the inside of the scales.

Originally Posted by Dafonz6987

But wouldn't u be wasting a lot when sanding it down? Or actually could it be possible to make both sides of the scales from only cutting one out, then cutting that in half? Now that I think about it

One piece are about 9mm thick max you could get 2 sets from a blank depending on shape etc
You make your scale shape then cut in half but not at the wedge end it remains whole.
See a lot of wood scales like this and I think it may be how Hart have a lot of theirs (IIRC)
I have seen Mistro Livi making some in at least 1 of his videos