Gemsbok horn processing.

[Mafort]

So I got two pairs of gemsbok horns and I wanted to ask a few questions. I was going to use a bandsaw to slice the horns in half but I’m unsure what teeth per inch to use when cutting horn. Also how do I flatten it? I’ve heard of everything from soaking in milk for 24 hours (guy on YouTube did it) to steaming for several days, heating over dry heat and clamping between two boards and soaking in room temperature/cold water. I also saw a few other ways involving soaking in water. I plan on building a composite bow along with a native style bow with just sinew and horn. I saw a post on here from a few years back of a guy who did it and got decent results and really good performance.  With the horn I have I should be able to make a few bow of each style, but I am trying to do it right. Also the tool used to provide leverage for tying the horn to the core the one inserted into the wrap. Would anyone know how to make one/ where to buy or trade for one?

[gorazd]

Here is my tool  - for "rope" tying ..... for horn-wood gluing

I made it from pine wood - from two pieces - bulk on the tip of the tool is glued with hot hide glue    - this was the test of the glue 

Not the preetiest but it works well
https://pasteboard.co/IzonsRM.jpg
https://pasteboard.co/IzonRdf.jpg
https://pasteboard.co/IzoocwE.jpg
https://pasteboard.co/Izooplj.jpg

[bownarra]

Tpi isn't that much of an issue with horn. Just make sure it is sharp. I'd go for 1/2 by 6 tpi.
All you need to do is steam it for 10 - 15 mins.
Any longer will degrade the horn.
Milk etc is a waste of time just steam it!
Gemsbok are best used on a hornbow with a convex core/concave horn joint.

[MattZA]

Hi Mafort,

Please let me know (either here or via PM) how it goes with the flattening?

I'm in a very similar phase to you. I split my gemsbok horn, soaked it in water for a couple of days and then tried both steam and dry heat to flatten each half between two hardwood boards.

Unfortunately both halves barely gave any movement and simply cracked down the "crown" of the halves. As a result I'm now forced to quarter the horn into thin strips and am going to simply sand them flat before sticking two quarters on each limb lying parallel with each other. I'm still working out how I'm going to deal with the two mini crowns from each quarter. I'm probably going to just sand them to reduce each crown a little bit, but I don't want to lose too much thickness.

As bownarra pointed out both here and to me in the previous post, it's clearly best to stick the horn on a convex core. That's what I'm going to do for my next attempt, because I clearly am going to have zero luck from steaming.

[DC]

I'm assuming you've seen this thread http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,42181.0.html

[MattZA]

I have indeed. I think I've probably read every darn post on the forum in an attempt to teach myself.

I tried a similar method to BowEd, but instead of thinning the horn with a drill press I used a dremel. Zero luck, unfortunately. The horn cracked down the middle the second I put it in the vise.

I've decided that instead of trying to flatten it again I'm going to cut it down the cracks into quarters. Thereafter I'll simply sand the inside of each quarter until it's flat. It's going to leave me with very narrow and thin strips, but I'll check if it's feasible to glue them on the belly side by side. If not, I'll get another horn and try again, and I can use these strips for a mini-Turk bow. Maybe I'll make one 30" long just to see if I can get it right.

[bownarra]

Persian bows tended to use strips laid side by side. It can be done. Make sure the strips are hot before gluing to soften them correctly.

[MattZA]

Yea that was my thinking too. Do you recommend heat bending them into reflex prior to glue up, or would it be better to glue the reflex in in a kind of Perry reflex kind of way?

Currently each strip is dead straight. Being a Turkish type design, the core is obviously also straight up until the angular bend at the kasan. Then the siyahs are steam bent at a similar angle.