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Thread: Flattening Horn

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    Senior Member blabbermouth ScoutHikerDad's Avatar
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    Default 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!

    But being horn, it's a little warped.

    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."
    Not 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:

    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.

    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

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    Senior Member blabbermouth
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    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.

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    Senior Member blabbermouth RezDog's Avatar
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    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
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    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...
    Last edited by xiaotuzi; 09-01-2016 at 12:09 AM.
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    Senior Member blabbermouth ScoutHikerDad's Avatar
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    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
    Last edited by ScoutHikerDad; 09-01-2016 at 12:10 AM.
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    www.edge-dynamics.com JOB15's Avatar
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    Beautiful horn...

    I tried the clamp and heat method with no success.

    A hot soak sounds interesting....

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    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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    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.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Euclid440 View Post
    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.
    What do you use to create your Steam

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

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