Thread: A method for pressing horn

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

YESSSS! I am so glad you had a chance to post this, and I am so glad someone is doing this!

I had always planned on either CNC machining steel dies or finding someone to do iron cast molds. The Owosso magnesium dies is a fascinating option I never would have considered, and now you have me wondering about how I could get dies made that way and then use standard engraving techniques for more detail. Seems like it’d mostly be a mental adjustment of how to do the design and where to leave material.

Have you thought about ways of making the mold do the cutout? The traditional ones had an interlocking lip that pressed the horn right out of the blank, like a cookie cutter.

I’m also thinking that if I try this, I’m going to make a getup so I can boil the entire press in neatsfoot oil. Which, I think, means something I can put on the burner of my grill so I can do it outside.

Zak, you'll notice I titled the thread"A method...", it's certainly not, "THE method". Every day I find a new problem, or learn something that confounds me. I had thought CNC work, and Owosso does that if you can provide the proper files. I lost all my CAD programs when I retired and I'm not sure of how small of a tool they can use. I have also thought about how to have an etched die made that then would allow for engraved enhancement, but I ain't no engraver. The die for that would best be one of their copper dies.

A cast mold would be very good, and I can do that out of brass, but that is way down the road. I have been having enough problems doing what I am currently doing. Yes, for engraved dies, you have to think and work in reverse, and then there is the problem of just how much you can deflect the horn into the die. Geezer has knowledge of cutting dies, but there would be a lot of trial and error in making a precision follow-die that would cleave the horn at the edges. Horn thickness would be a big variable. I have made dies that fall away from the design, but without a follow die, the deflection at that edge makes the horn want to delaminate at the edges of the stock.

I made some 1/32" thick backup plates for a pressing last night. The results were good, and interesting. I'll post some photos later today. The confounding thing was that I had taped the follow plates in position. The tape left an impression on the horn THROUGH the metal plates, and the plates have no impression of the tape???!!! I'm having a little trouble getting my head around that. But then there's this impression:
That's a dog hair!
There is MUCH to explore even using this jackleg method. I'm not too sure I'll be boiling the press though.. Anyway, I'm glad you are enjoying my explorations....jump in!