Thanks to all for your kind comments!
KC, the trumpet style horn tip on the ramrod was made with a piece of black-tipped cow horn. I cut off about two inches from the end of the horn, then shaped the piece with half-round rasps and files until it was about as close as I could get to a regular rounded profile all around. I then placed the wide end down on my drill press and put a 1/4 or 5/16th inch drill bit as close to center as possible on the skinny end and drilled about 1/2 inch into the horn. With the horn piece wedged pretty firmly on the drill bit, still in the drill press, I used the drill press as a simple lathe to spin the horn while gently rounding off any lumps and bumps with half-round rasps and files and sandpaper. The ramrod is a piece of 1/2" diameter hickory, tapered down to 1/4 at the rear end. I cut a stepped-off 1/4 inch diameter recess at the tip of the fat end, about 1/2" long, to socket snugly into the 1/4" diameter hole in the horn tip, then attached the horn to the rod with epoxy.
After drying, the abutting edges of the horn and rod were cut to a smooth matching profile with half-round files and sandpaper, down to about 600 grit, then polished with steel wool. A coat of LMF sealer went over the final assembly. Make sense?
This piece of horn, once I cut into it, was not black throughout but had some streaks of brown. I could have dyed it black with leather dye, but sort of liked the mixture of colors, and the swirl effect on the flat end, so left it as is.
Gregg
