Thread: A method for pressing horn

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Thank you for posting this! It will inspire others to explore this lost art.
Keep us updated please.

Thanks, I certainly hope so. Compared to the craftsmen that reside here, I'm just a duffer.

Originally Posted by Oldnick

Xnay on the "boiling" horn. I heated a slab yesterday, and took it to a little higher heat and longer period. When the micro bubbling stopped, I took it out to find that it had shrunk badly. Flat surface on top had a sunken lagoon in the middle, other flat had developed waviness, the edges were concave, and the whole piece wanted to revert to its curved memory. Not good. Seems that only slight treatment at lower temperatures and times has any value whatsoever.

What did you boil it in? Water or neatsfoot?

Oops, left out the word oil. 100 percent neatsfoot.

Hmm. I wonder if that's related to temperature.

Also, I assume you found this? I had it bookmarked for when I got around to doing this.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Hmm. I wonder if that's related to temperature.

Also, I assume you found this? I had it bookmarked for when I got around to doing this.

I had read that, but I'm still not sure I understand the tallow and flowing keratin bit. If we could get the keratin to flow, that would be super. So far for me, it tries to defy pliability, much less fluidity.

Here is a link to some presses with internal heating elements:

heated+mold+vulcanizing

https:Arbe-Machine-Vulcanizer

Arbe-Machine-Vulcanizer-Jewelry-Casting
I recently found a similar but larger press as surplus at a university surplus sale for about $70, did not buy it as I don't have a shop anymore. They should be available in most areas new or used. Darn heavy beasties though so watch shipping costs!
YMMV.
~Richard

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

But I'm also excited by the idea of boiling transparent horn in neatsfoot oil to improve its clarity -- that way lies some very good faux tortoise. I have everything I need for that experiment except blanks with good clarity. They're all streaky.

Boil the horn in water to remove colour, will result some ugly, pale green colour. Dry it and soak in nitric acid to make it translucent and yellow/honey.
Just some old word I have remembered. Not my personal expertise.

Originally Posted by Geezer

Here is a link to some presses with internal heating elements:

heated+mold+vulcanizing

https:Arbe-Machine-Vulcanizer

Arbe-Machine-Vulcanizer-Jewelry-Casting
I recently found a similar but larger press as surplus at a university surplus sale for about $70, did not buy it as I don't have a shop anymore. They should be available in most areas new or used. Darn heavy beasties though so watch shipping costs!
YMMV.
~Richard

I have one of these in my basement. I got it used 25 years ago. Randy are you interested in trying it? Heavy old thing and expensive to ship more than 3 miles.

This is amazing to me! I'm thoroughly flabbergasted to say the least.

I don't even know where to begin.
... just erased a whole paragraph.

Much of this is very clear to me and you presented it all very well! Thank you!
And the posts on this thread also added very well to the content. Thanks to all.


This Is not my only question but I'll keep them to a minimum.
How on earth did you develop that beautiful design? It has a 3D element, how is that drawn and submitted to the fabrication company?

It feels like this is a weak point for me in regard to the whole process.

Again thank you for this excellent info! Totally awesome. Seriously.

Originally Posted by MikeT

This is amazing to me! I'm thoroughly flabbergasted to say the least.

I don't even know where to begin.
... just erased a whole paragraph.

Much of this is very clear to me and you presented it all very well! Thank you!
And the posts on this thread also added very well to the content. Thanks to all.


This Is not my only question but I'll keep them to a minimum.
How on earth did you develop that beautiful design? It has a 3D element, how is that drawn and submitted to the fabrication company?

It feels like this is a weak point for me in regard to the whole process.

Again thank you for this excellent info! Totally awesome. Seriously.

Thanks for the kudos. As far as the designs, they begin as two dimensional, black and white artwork. Just draw it with a black pen or assemble it from black and white clip art and scan it in high contrast (black and white only, no grayscale). Those scans really need to be vectorized. Vector art is much smoother than .jpg, .bmp, .tiff etc. If you are unfamiliar with that terminology, look it up to gain a better understanding than I can get involved with here.

Once you have 1:1 vector art, you can submit to a die making facility like Ossowo. Their pages answer a lot of questions. The 3D effect is because the horn is being drawn (pushed) into a etched cavity. My designs, unlike the engraved molds or dies of the past are simple 2D designs that then are etched, which makes the third dimension. The depth of the etch (in this case 3/32 inch, makes for the 3D relief. As far as how it turns out is somewhat of a crap shoot because the etching depth is somewhat tapered from the resist to the final depth. Ergo, you have rounded contours at the high points of the pressing. That worked really well on the greyhound, but it was inherent in the process and somewhat serendipitous. Fine lines make less relief than thick ones, so the bulk of the dog was higher than the details and tail. Serendipity.

I am working on some designs that will explore more of the possibilities in relation to what art does what, but I am being a little slow about it. Summer does that to me: too much other stuff to do. Here is an example of the fineness of detail that I have attained so far:
the Circle is 3/8" across. Feel free to ask as much as you want.