Thread: Tooling Horn

I've searched high and low for info on cutting and shaping horn and all I find is how to turn horn into slabs but not much info on tools to use for horn. I have seen that sawing, filing, and sanding are all valid shaping methods but what about dremel tips? Can I use something like a router bit on horn?

(I just got my first horn slabs from masecraft and I'm excited to dig in.)

Yes, you can use a dremel. Use the lowest possible speed if you decide to go down this route. One word of caution tho: There is a certain amount of smell involved. Expect it to stick like glue, to you, your hair, your clothes, your workplace and anything else in the immediate area. You don't get this to the same extent while sawing, or by wet shaping it. A respiratory mask is also highly recommended.
I use a sanding drum on a regular hand drill while shaping most of my scales. It has the advantage of lower speed and I keep a glass of water next to me so I can keep re-wetting to keep the dust to a minimum.
Best of luck.

Totally agree about the smell! I cut my blanks out with a dremel, then rough shape with the 80 grit sanding drum then I just hand sand from 120 grit up to 12000 grit micromesh. That gets a really great finish IMO.

I really like the way horn comes up, it just looks fantastic. Definitely one of my favourite scale materials!

Really good info here guys thanks, stubear, although I may just use my coping saw like most the scales I make, what tip do you use to cut out the blanks?

If you havent seen my restoration videos, look them up on youtube or the wiki here... I go from Masecraft blanks to finished product -- I believe it starts on video #7, if I remember correctly. I use a band saw, 4x36 belt sander, and hand sanding to work the horn.