Making A Leather Covered Horn***25 Pix***

[Tim Crosby]

   I was asked how this was done so here's what I came up with. Not sure why I put the horn tapping Pix in but they are of the horn. And yes there is some sort of stamping on the leather, didn't notice it when I was laying out the pattern.
 Any questions just ask.

  The paper pattern.



 Transferred to cloth, I used Muslin since it is a little thicker. Make sure it is longer and wider than the horn. The marked lines are where it was tightly wrapped around the horn and marked. The wider parts will be rimmed when the leather is clamped around the horn.



 Here it is laid out on the Deer skin.



 And cut.


 These are the clips I use to hold it together while it dries.



 Here it has been wet and is getting wrapped around the horn.



 Here it is trimmed and clamped.



 Another shot.



 This is how much was trimmed off.



  I made it a screw tip, it took four horn tips to get one good tip, the rest had started to delaminate.



 

[Tim Crosby]

 This is a Pic of tapping the horn.



 This is a shot of the Jig I use to get the die started on the horn.



 This shows it screwed into the horn and lubricated



 Shows the die.



 This is how I clamp it up to cut the threads.



 Another shot.




 Finished threads.



 Back to the cover; Once the leather is dry and while the clamps are still on take a pencil and mark along the bottom of them, this will be your stitch line.



 Here it is laid out and using nails to punch the stitching holes, a piece of wood is used as a spacer.



 Ready to stitch, it is damp so it can be stretched while being stitched.



 Here the horn is coved with glue. As you work down the horn you can smooth the leather out with you hands by pushing on it like you were smoothing out a table cloth.



 First couple of stitches are done off the horn. Then it is stretched over the horn and stitched, You will have to pull the leather as you work, try and keep you seam straight.



 Finished stitching, Notice that there is a lot of excess to trim and that the piece of leather was left longer than the horn.



 I used a forceps to help hold and stretch



 This is it with the tip and collar on it.



 

[MuskratMike]

WOW, simply amazing and a tutorial to along with it. Great job, and Merry Christmas.

[Shopdog]

Great walk through of the process!  How much force does it take to cut the threads in the horn? It appears you keep the die fixed and turn the horn - am I getting that right?

[Panzerschwein]

Tim has done it again! Stunning!!

[elk killer]

Tim, thanks for doing that, its a great help

[old george]

That's alot of work Tim, Thanks for the great tutorial as always you continue to amaze. Merry Christmas

george

[Jim Spray]

Very nice work Tim! Great tutorial! One good turned horn tip out of four is sure a time killer!

Jim

[Tim Crosby]

Great walk through of the process!  How much force does it take to cut the threads in the horn? It appears you keep the die fixed and turn the horn - am I getting that right?

 Yes I turn the horn rather than the dye. I started going it this way because I didn't have a die wrench big enough to fit the dies I was using. It has worked well over the years so I just forgot about a wrench. I do leave the stick I use to hold the horn in it while I cut the threads I works like a lever and makes it easier to turn the horn. It is done one turn, back out 1/2 turn and continue. The lube is Dr. Jackson's Leather Rejuvenator.

   Tim

[Shovelbuck]

Very nice!

[snapper]

Are you just using a nut to cut the treads?

Thanks

Fleener

[Tim Crosby]

Are you just using a nut to cut the treads?

Thanks

Fleener

  No, it is a 5/8-11 die.

    Tim

[MeliusCreekTrapper]

So the inside of the horn spout is tapped, to hold the starting tool? Do you leave the inside threaded, or file it out smooth?

[Tim Crosby]

So the inside of the horn spout is tapped, to hold the starting tool? Do you leave the inside threaded, or file it out smooth?

 Yes it is, 5/16-18. Then most of the threads are removed when the hole is tapered with this reamer.

   Tim

 

[MeliusCreekTrapper]

Thanks Tim, that makes perfect sense.

[hanshi]

Fascinating work on a nice horn.

[Marcruger]

Now that you have a general leather pattern, for future horns could you just use that same pattern?  Leave it long, stitch it up, soak it, stretch it on like a sock, and let it shrink dry?  Then trim the base to fit?  Just curious.  You go to any lengths and labor to create the art in your mind. Great horn and tutorial Tim. Thank you. 

[Tim Crosby]

Now that you have a general leather pattern, for future horns could you just use that same pattern?  Leave it long, stitch it up, soak it, stretch it on like a sock, and let it shrink dry?  Then trim the base to fit?  Just curious.  You go to any lengths and labor to create the art in your mind. Great horn and tutorial Tim. Thank you.

 Yes, the pattern can be used for other horns.

   Thanks, Tim

 

[longcruise]

Tim, have you ever done this with veg tanned leather?

[Tim Crosby]

Tim, have you ever done this with veg tanned leather?

  Yes I have, it works the same way, thin leather works a whole lot better. May stretch a bit more but the thickness of the leather will cause that. This is some deer hide a guy gave me, dyed it doesn't look bad.

   Tim

[Curtis]

Very nice tutorial Tim!  Even I can follow that.

Curtis