Thread: What if boiling and compressing the horn doesn't straighten it?

I don't remember where, but I posted a long answer to working with horn somewhere.

In short, boiling will not make horn plastic enough to do very much with it. As hard as you can try to boil it, you will never get it hotter then 212F. Dry heat somewhere between 300 and 350F will make the horn soft enough to change it's shape and make it stay that way. Over 350 and you will burn it. Hear a "crack" and it is gone. You will need to clamp it as mentioned above, but be careful because when you get it solf it will imprint with the grain of the wood or whatever you clamp it in.

I hope this helps.

Will N.

WillN makes a good point. I always boil and use the oven at a low temp because I don't want to risk ruining the scales. Mine have always eventually turned out fine, but sometimes I need to repeat the process a couple times. I don't know that the CA will get in the way or expand/shrink, but I wouldn't worry about it. Just try straightening them again. You can sand and buff afterward.