horn building question

[MikeCooper]

I'm building a horn and want to have a deer antler crown sticking out of the back of the wood plug for attaching the strap  but I would like to be able to take the antler out for easy filling of powder.   I don't have any equipment or knowlege of how to make screw threads in the wood.  I could carve them on the antler but besides screwing it in what would be another good way of attaching it securely but be able to remove it?    Any good ideas?  maybe a button similar to a patch box release?

[Tim Crosby]

 I’m sure there is a way to do what you are talking about but I have never seen one similar. Here is an idea; drill a hole in the base, taper it and file a piece of antler to fit.  Put the peg in and tap it tight. Now drill a small hole,  something the size of a small finishing nail you have in hand,  on the upper side of the base about  ½” away from it and at about  45degs. Drill through the base and into the peg. Now use the finishing nail to hold the peg in. You could flatten the part that sticks out or make a little curl on it as a handle. The nail needs to fit tight.     

Threading and tapping are not difficult nor expensive. You could use a set of 1/2-13, a drill to match, 27/64ths and files to work the horn down if you do not have access to a lathe. You may want to use a smaller size bit in the wood, the tap will have to be very sharp, new. Practice on a piece of wood the same as your base, it will have to be very dense for the tap to cut well. Go slow, half turns or so and back out. Make the antler a little longer than needed. Once you get it to size put a slight taper on it so the die will start easier and only go about a half turn or so at a time backing off a little after each turn.   
 I have not tried these but they may be worth a try.


 Tim C.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2000792/2407/Woodthreading-Kit-12-x-8-TPI.aspx

[Ky-Flinter]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to ALR.  Tim's advice is on the money.  Years ago I made a horn similar to what you describe with a piece of antler threaded into a walnut endcap.  I gave the horn to my nephew and it's still in use.

Not much equipment needed.  I used a 5/8-11 tap, appropriate drill bit and a die purchased at the local NAPA store.  You'll need a drill, a file to shape the antler and an adjustable wrench to turn the tap and die.  The trouble is in finding antler and wood that will allow thread cutting and not crumble.  I think 5/8-11 is a little more forgiving than 1/2-13.   As Tim said, practice on similar scraps if possible.

The more I think about Tim's suggestion for a nail pinned plug, the more I like it.   Great, another one of Tim's ideas I want to try sometime!

-Ron

[Tim Crosby]

  Ron that is an idea never practiced. I theroy it should work, now as to HC'ness.....

 Tim C.

[M. Burke]

Hey Guys,

One thing I found out the hard way in regards to threading a hole in a wood base plug is that you need to use face grain wood (as you'd cut from a board, and mount on a face plate, if turning) as opposed to the end grain wood that you'd use if turning a standard plug. I ruined a couple of really nice walnut plugs, and one of cherry, a couple years back trying to do just such a thing on an artillery horn for a buddy of mine. After stumbling upon this bit of info, I looked back at some photos of original artillery horns, and literally every one that I could discern used face grain for the plug. It bears mentioning that a tenon turned of end grain, as you'd use for the knob-like piece that screws into the plug, will thread just fine. Just something about cutting threads in that inside hole that likes to tear out. Using face grain on the other hand, allows you to cut with the grain as opposed to across it, and will produce very clean threads, provided, as Tim said, the tap is good and sharp. Hope this is of some use,

Mike

[Tim Crosby]

 I hesate to post this:   This sure is not HC but I will put it out here anyway just in case it may help someone with a repair. On end grain if the threads strip out or do not take try screwing in a bolt with the same thread pattern that you tried to tap. If it is just a little loose mix up some J-B Weld epoxy, smear some around in the hole. Coat the bolt with Vaseline very thoroughly and screw it into the epoxy lined hole, clean off the excess. Let it dry over night, remove the bolt and you have threads. If the bolt is hard to get out put a LITTLE heat to it.
I gotta go some people with rocks just showed up. I wonder what they ‘re for?

 Tim C.

[MikeCooper]

thanks for the ideas,  I may try the tap and die from that link.   I had thought of using tap and dies from the local home improvement store but I thought those were more for metal since they have what seems like a high thread count and whenever I've seen wood threaded it's a low thread count per inch.     I guess if I'm going to thread the wood then hardwood would be best but I usually like to use quarter sawn pine.   Just like the straight paralel grain.   

I thought about the metal pin idea,  only trouble with that is after you remove the antler plug and then when you put it back in, it might be hard to line up the holes again?

Another idea I had.    not having a lathe or much in the way of power tools.   I could cut threads in the antler by hand with some needle files.   for the wood plug on the inside surface I could attach two metal plates on either side of the hole so the edges of the metal sticks out over the hole just to match the depth of the treads in the antler and they would catch the threads.

In my head I can envision all sorts of elaborate spring loaded push button mechanisms but do those in reality would be pretty difficult I think so  just going to keep it simple if I can.      

once I figure this out and get it finished, I'll post a pic or two.

if you want to see a few of my horns here's a link,  There's some other stuff there also.   
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wmcooper/

[A.Merrill]

Mike,  Garrett Wade has tap & die sets for wood.     www.garrettwade.com       Al