Bending horn

[BowEd]

I wonder about different ways to bend laminations of horn to straighten and flatten and the clamping methods to get it done?

[Pat B]

I'm interested as well.

[Ed Brooks]

I have never done it but I seen a guy soak horn in milk to soften it up to get it to move. Sorry but I do not know more about this method if it was a  valid one or not. He seemed to get the horn to move. Ed

[Stick Bender]

I have never done it but on a internet search a while back I read about a method were the guy soaked the horn in sour milk for a month and boiled for 10 minutes prior to bending it suposedly  to keep the kerotine from heat damage & make bending easer if I can find the link when I get back in town I will post it !

[BowEd]

I've had success hollowing out gemsbok horn and flattening it with a heat gun and a cabinet vise[build-a-long],but lately this cabinet vise is  not doing the job.Especially on 3/16" thick horn.Cracking being the problem.Steam I feel is the best alternative method and I don't have a terrible problem solving that.
The form and clamping routine is what's making me stall out here.Pre soaking horn prior to steaming I'm sure would help.Getting +20" 1 and 3/8" wide and a strong 1/8" thick or even 3/16" laminations are my goal here.
Possibly soaking the horn in water for a couple of days then trying my dry heat method might work?

[wizardgoat]

My experience is only with bighorn sheep horn.
I boil them 8-10 min and clamp them to a form to dry at least a day or 2.
As they are reduced more, I use steam or dry heat to tweak them more.

Dry heat works very fast for a thin piece of horn, so you have to be very careful and quick.
10-20 seconds is usually enough.

[Stick Bender]

 Here is a interesting old thread http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=22264.0

[gorazd]

I have one gemsbok horn waiting to get flatten ...
I will try with heat gun ...

[BowEd]

I've made at least 6 pair of laminations from gemsbok horns 1/8" to 3/16" thick.Plenty enough for even 80# composite horn bows.Dry heating to flatten is not a flash done thing.The heat gun is held a good 3 to 4 inches away moving on high to not burn it slowly over a period of 3 to 4 minutes over a 3 to 4 inch long area.To let the heat sink in good and deep.It will plasticize like plastic.The gemsbok horn needs to be hollowed out all to the same thickness first even before heating.Outside ridges filed off first too.
As I said earlier my vice is not what it used to be or something because it is'nt getting the job done.I'll figure out a different clamping way.Maybe a new vice might do the trick otherwise I'm thinking big C clamps and hardwood boards are going to be used but don't think that'll be fast enough.I'm still not sure boiling them in water is going to be hot enough.Steam maybe yes,but got to figure out a way to get that done.
The oil frying method does'nt make any sense to me.Especially when he only sells horn for kinfe handles and inserts.No mention of horn bows.No mention of him making horn bows either.

[Aaron H]

Maybe your heat gun isn't what it used to be either Ed.

[BowEd]

I've got a laser thermometer and check my heat gun periodically.It's still doing ok Aaron.I fixed my vise.Beefed it up.Now the handle crank bolt wants to bend....lol.I still did 3 pair of gemsbok today from horn to laminations and sanded one water buffalo pair also.Buying gemsbok bidding on ebay or other places from a picture can be a gamble.Usually the longer thinner ones are females' horns and the shorter thicker ones are the males.I always try to buy the males.Seems at least half the time the gemsbok will only come in at a little over 1/16" thick yet overall.That is enough for around 15 pounds or so of draw weight.Occasionally one will be between 1/8" to 3/16" thick yet though.That will yeild at least 25 pounds or more depending on design of horn bow.Saw my first delamination incident with gemsbok horn.I won't trust that lamination at all on a horn bow.I'm always shooting for close to 3/16" thick starting down to 1/16" thick on the other end.22" long and at least 1.25" wide.They all don't make that.
It's all in preparing the horn with a file and scraper and whatever works in general really before it's to be flattened.Getting it even thickness throughout while hollowing it out.I use that round file bit on my drill press to do the lions's share of the work in that hollowed out area.It's a great work saver.
Anyway I've got one more pair to do.Plenty of uses for other pieces of horn though yet.

[gorazd]

I've got a laser thermometer and check my heat gun periodically.It's still doing ok Aaron.I fixed my vise.Beefed it up.Now the handle crank bolt wants to bend....lol.I still did 3 pair of gemsbok today from horn to laminations and sanded one water buffalo pair also.Buying gemsbok bidding on ebay or other places from a picture can be a gamble.Usually the longer thinner ones are females' horns and the shorter thicker ones are the males.I always try to buy the males.Seems at least half the time the gemsbok will only come in at a little over 1/16" thick yet overall.That is enough for around 15 pounds or so of draw weight.Occasionally one will be between 1/8" to 3/16" thick yet though.That will yeild at least 25 pounds or more depending on design of horn bow.Saw my first delamination incident with gemsbok horn.I won't trust that lamination at all on a horn bow.I'm always shooting for close to 3/16" thick starting down to 1/16" thick on the other end.22" long and at least 1.25" wide.They all don't make that.
It's all in preparing the horn with a file and scraper and whatever works in general really before it's to be flattened.Getting it even thickness throughout while hollowing it out.I use that round file bit on my drill press to do the lions's share of the work in that hollowed out area.It's a great work saver.
Anyway I've got one more pair to do.Plenty of uses for other pieces of horn though yet.

I bought one gemsbok shofar instrument from Israel (ebay)  last year - only to find out that horn was thinned down with polishing so much that horn is unusable (less than 2mm  )

In next attempt I have bought good looking ( I think male one) fresh gemsbok ( over 90cm in lenght) ... I filed down the ridges but havent yet flattened...

Maybe There is an option to use the rounded inner side ?   - to groove the horn with rounded scrapper ... but to make that scrapper (and counter part for grooving wood core ) is not the easy task for sure   

[BowEd]

Practically all the polished horn gemsbok or water buffalo is deemed unusably too thin.Yes grooving the horn convexly is an option.Finding a good suppiler of raw water buffalo horn is hard too.
Anyway good luck with your gemsbok.