copying patterns onto powder horns

[Jerry V Lape]

How do you copy/transfer a drawing printed on paper to a powder horn for scrimshaw work?

[Tim Crosby]

  See if this helps. TC
 
  https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=6915.msg65158#msg65158

[Jeff Murray]

Tim, thanks for the post.  He is obviously a very talented artist.  I free hand the design.  Sometimes it takes more than one try.  Had to laugh when he commented on the pencil work getting worn off.  Happens often when actually doing the scrimshaw.

[Jerry V Lape]

Not what I was looking for.  There is a way to transfer the images from printer ink onto the horn.  But I forget how it was done. 

[Frozen Run]

https://engraverscafe.com/threads/tom-whites-transfer-magic-white-base-solution.26884/

[bluenoser]

This may not work for horn work, but I recently discovered a new to me way of transferring carving patterns onto the stock for carving.  I use photo editing software to size and massage a picture of the carving I want to  recreate and then print it.  Using a light box, I flip the picture and trace the lines on the back side using a 5F (very soft) lead pencil. I then lay the picture on the stock face up and go over the lines with a round nose stylus, which leaves clean pencil lines on the stock.  Touch up of any wonky lines is a simple matter.  Sure beats the carbon paper trick I have been known to use.  Kinda missed the boat when they handed out the artist genes

[JBulitz]

I've heard of folks transferring inkjet images onto things using acetone- here's a short video (not mine) of the process on wood.

I absolutely wouldn't attempt this until after testing how acetone behaves on a scrap piece of horn.  It might really damage the horn surface or even de-laminate it.  Curious to see if it works out, if you give it a try.

[aaronc]

I've always sketched mine on free hand....but you may want to look at tracing with some carbon paper if your looking to "transfer" the image. Never used it but seen others use it for various scrimshaw projects.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I also have never had luck with a template of any sort.  Others have.  The diameter of a horn changes constantly so you are never working with a flat surface.  A friend of mine is a tattoo artist and he gave me some interesting pointers.  He free hands all of his designs on the person for the same reason.  For example, a circle on a horn, is not really a circle, it has to be destorted to appear that way on a horn.

Cory Joe

[Bob Gerard]

I agree with Cory- unless you’re working on a flat horn, transferring from a flat to a round could distort the image ( unless it’s cylindrical).