Getting horn laminations from gemsbok horn.[Pics added]

[BowEd]

OK fellas.I'm sure someone would like to see this.I've done it to at least 8 horns so far so I do have a a lot of confidence in the process.I have to use a drill press.I usually use a friends but have ordered a drill press for myself yesterday.I'll have to get more horn too because all I have right now are laminations done already.A bandsaw,small belt sander,heat gun,vice and a laser thermometer are needed too of which I already have.When I get everything together I will look this thread back up and start posting the pictures of a gemsbok horn going from a horn to two nice even thick laminations in under 2 hours of work.Be patient it might take a month I'm not sure.

[JW_Halverson]

Don't rush yourself, Ed. Take your time and get it right...like you usually do.  Looking forward to seeing the progress on this project!

[BowEd]

Got the horn ordered now too.

[M-P]

Waiting with bated breath!   Ron

[BowEd]

Hi Ron....So your a veterinarian surgeon?

[M-P]

Beadman,  Yup that's me.  Broken bones fixed, swallowed objects retrieved, etc.   Ron

[BowEd]

M-P....I used to visit the vet quite often when I was campaigning coonhounds in the hunts for about 25 years.Thousands and thousands of dollars spent but you guys are good angels for sure and it must be some very satisfying work for yourself MOST times.
Well I got the drill press here and just waiting on the horn to arrive.They're giving me a 9/17/13 arrival date so this build-along is'nt too far away.I hate to wonder how many pictures are going to be taken with this.Probably 20.......LOL.

[M-P]

I worked with tech once who talked about buying a Catahula Hound puppy while she lived in Fl.   Seems she drove way into the backwoods where the breeder was living in a rusty old trailer.  The dogs were kenneled out back in a modern, air-conditioned, shiny new barn.
She was impressed with the care shown to the dogs, but puzzled that there were no old dogs in the kennel.  She asked about this and was told (in a pronouced Cracker accent)  "These is workin dogs mam!  Some get lost and some torn up or drownt by coons, and some get snake bit and some get gator et.  Ain't none of them die of old age."
Ron

[BowEd]

Yes your friend might get a handful of a dog to be a pet from that type of dog.Up north here with our coon,bear,cat, & coyote hunting a 12 to 14 year old dog is a rariety.Unless they are recognized as being outstanding reproducers.Frozen semen & AIing become a part of it too.It does'nt mean they are being mistreated any thay love what they do.Over that long a span of hunting I've become a sort of apprentice type vet myself recognizing things before they get out of hand.Inside and out.Always kept pennicillin,cephalexin,and sutures with me no matter where I hunted.They become family like any dog owner only they have a job.....LOL.It's a life style.

[BowEd]

OK here is the first set of pics preparing this horn.This is just my way for now and if there's a quicker way I'd be glad to hear about it.This horn the more you make it work the better.That is, setting it into a highly reflexed design.Laminations of horn on regular bows that come in underweight can be done with compression strong wood lams just the same.I just like what some of these natural materials can do on a bow.
It needs to be heated and flattened yet and took a total of an hour and a half to get it this far.I said earlier that total time was under 2 hours.That was'nt quite correct.I had help of someone during the heat flattening phase then.By myself I would say a total of 4 hours would be more realistic.
This is starting with a 30" horn.With your gemsbok horns the shorter thicker ones are usually males.Your longer thinner ones are usually females.They can be found on ebay for under 30$.I just put horn on the working sections of the bows so I go for the thicker shorter ones and will end up with about 25" lamination from a 30" horn.More than enough.
OK.First here's a picture of the horn itself.

[BowEd]

Next a showing of the ridges that need to be filed off with a farriers' rasp.

[BowEd]

Rasping

[BowEd]

More rasping and the results.This took about a half hour.

[BowEd]

Rasping done a look at it to see how straight iit is.It's ok to have an up and down bwnd with this but not a side to side bend.So this one had a little side ways bend in it,and your horn is nice and smooth the whole way.

[BowEd]

I straighten these as much as possible before ripping them on the band saw.The halfs that come from this can be bent a little yet too but not very good at all after it is flattened and the 3/16" thickness I want.