Flattening Horn

So I got this gorgeous piece of horn today from an ebay seller who more than accommodated my request for a piece with some streaking-BAM!
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...pswxndlxj8.jpg
But being horn, it's a little warped.
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...psrgsoxmnm.jpg
Here is my attempt to flatten it. It's sandwiched (read, clamped down as tight as I could pull the pistol grips!) between a DMT8C and my mystery slate hone I call "the airport runway."
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...psw5n3zyq0.jpgNot sure how much it will help, but I figure it can't hurt to leave it in there a while. I'm not in a big hurry to do this razor anyway, as it's going to be a Christmas present for my youngest son wrapped around this beautiful humpbacked Ern Ator blade:
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps0njsjevw.jpg
I envision that blade in those scales in roughly the same shape as the original scales, and with a brass wedge, being a beautiful thing if I don't screw it up.:p

If you guys have any secrets for flattening horn, I'm all ears. I've heard about steam if anybody wants to elaborate on that. Thanks in advance! Aaron

Did you heat it?

Heat Gun, hair dryer, Steam or hot water soak, once it gets soft, then clamp it. I like steam, but have used all four methods.

I don’t think I would use a stone, not a good one. A couple pieces of aluminum foil wrapped MDF or strips of aluminum, a bar clamp, like you have or a vice and let it cool.

You may have to flatten again, after cutting, but it is easily done, Once, you get it flat, it should hold.

I would rough my pieces with it warped and then heat and clamp. Part of my logic is it make for most of the bind having already been released and it is a smaller volume to heat. Apparently horn can take a hell of a lot of heat. Here is a video showing the heating of horn, not for this application but a demonstration of how much heat it can take
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0o74Dmsyes

That it nice looking horn! Love the streaks and I think it will looks terrific when finished. I've only been working with horn a couple years but in my limited experience... If you can't get them flat I have read to stick them together like this () for shaping but I have also had success like this )( because when they are thinned correctly and with the wedge there they end up flexing into a good position when pinned. Just don't make them like (( or )) . I guess I just make the scales first so they are flexible and the warp tends to relax a little. Then I see how they act in a test fit and by that point they are fine when put into position.

Also, I don't know if it's the sunlight on there but that yellowish area top middle has the look of potential delamination issues later on. If so, be careful of the material peeling apart in that area. Again, I have limited experience, hopefully more knowledgeable folks will chime in...

Wow, that guy is a whiz with horn! He has some awesome tools, but I wish he would wear a dust-mask lol. Amazing how much heat that horn can take, Rezdog!

So what I'll probably do is combine your and Euclid's advice by rough-cutting it 1st, then heat before clamping. Then can I maybe submerge the rough-cut scales in hot water (is just off the boil too hot, or close to that?) and clamp them together when soft? If they'll stay flat, I generally like to clamp my rough-cuts together with double-sided tape before shaping and thicknessing on the belts of my son's 72" knife-grinding machine.

I'll report back when I finish the job. I got a really nice blade and scale material for this one, as I have high hopes to move past my previous mistakes aka learning experiences and produce a true work of craftsmanship on this one!

edit: Than you too Xiaotuzi-I just saw your post. I will re-evaluate flatness and orientation before I make my cuts (I have screwed up my orientation on wood more than once!) and then once I have them thinned to see how they do. I love your advice on how to orient them using parentheses-makes perfect sense! Aaron

Beautiful horn...

I tried the clamp and heat method with no success.

A hot soak sounds interesting....

Steam works very well, get hot fast and the moisture softens the horn nicely, use tongs or needle nose pliers and wear a pair of leather gloves, Steam will burn you.

You have to soften it up.

I have used the warped blanks as is. I reverse them to have the open area centered between them, ends together. It takes more work and can be a pain, but the results are that after finishing and pinning, there are no changes to the curve of the scales. ( at least over the last 5 years!) Careful drilling of the pin holes is a must, a shim under the end in the drill press can make that a lot easier.
~Richard

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

Steam works very well, get hot fast and the moisture softens the horn nicely, use tongs or needle nose pliers and wear a pair of leather gloves, Steam will burn you.

You have to soften it up.

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What do you use to create your Steam

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Tea kettle, but I think Glen posted some photos of a pot with a funnel, for a lid, that he used, same idea.

Euclid-What if I just threw 'em in a pot of hot or boiling water until they soften up? Of course handling them with tongs and gloves!

The target temp is 300°

You have to be REALLY carefull using dry heat, especially on light colored or streaked horn as it can change color and keep in mind that the streaks actually flex differently from each other

I like steam myself but I use it AFTER I have Shaped, Thinned, Boiled, and Pressed the Horn...

I am working on using Hot Oil much like they did in the past right now,, as it can goto and hold easily at 375° so it should make the horn pliable without the burning and color change issues

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

The target temp is 300°

You have to be REALLY carefull using dry heat, especially on light colored or streaked horn as it can change color and keep in mind that the streaks actually flex differently from each other

I like steam myself but I use it AFTER I have Shaped, Thinned, Boiled, and Pressed the Horn...

I am working on using Hot Oil much like they did in the past right now,, as it can goto and hold easily at 375° so it should make the horn pliable without the burning and color change issues

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I agree completely about being careful with applying direct heat, expecially with Honey Horn. With that in mind I still believe the easiest way to straighten horn, after it has been rough shaped is to use a hair straightener! Wrap scales in tin foil and heat for no more than 25-30 seconds on the Honey Horn, Dark Horn a bit longer is OK. Works great every time, perfectly flat. Takes about 5 minutes or so. See previous post on this subject. http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ml#post1587417

I have used boiling water, and as said it is much easier to bend a thinner, ready made, scale, that a thick, plate.

I use a wooden jaw, woodworking vice, and have had good luck using 3 dowels and over bend just a bit, there is a bit of spring back once cooled.

And the result: I rough-cut them, flatted the inner faces, and then threw them in a pot of near-boiling water for a few minutes (before I saw the posts on thicknessing and shaping them first-Mr. Impatience, that's me!). Then I clamped them up together overnight, then double-side taped them together for shaping and thicknessing on the belts up to a 320 flexible belt for shaping. I was concerned about delamination on that rough orange grain per Xiaotuzi's advice, and certainly had to be very careful on the 50-grit hogging belt to avoid them getting grabby and rough, but things went much easier on the 240 and 320, where I smoothed it all out.

Then I hand-sanded up to 3000, with a final contouring and polish buffing with Fabuluster on loose cotton. I love that stuff, and it practically makes them glow, not that you can tell from my crappy photographs.
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...pszzpqzbwe.jpg
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...psccb10yo3.jpg
http://i767.photobucket.com/albums/x...pspr3cmouv.jpg
SO I'm pretty pleased with them, and can't wait to get that Ern Ator finished up and in these scales. Thanks for the advice all! Aaron

Those scales are absolutely gorgeous. Excellent results! Thanks for this thread, I learned a few things here!

Beautiful scales. They do glow. Can't wait to see them mounted. They will really dress up a blade properly.

I have tried baking in oven, hair dryer, and steam. Steam has work d the best for me. I steam them, clamp them, and then put them in cold water. Then I pin according to previous bends so when/if they lose flatness they will take advantage of natural bends.