Heating Horn

[KentSmith]

I've made a lot of horns.  Over the years I've gone from boiling to using oil in a deep fryer.  Lately I've tried just heating the horn in the oven to 300 and had good luck with regular cow horn for powder horns and small salt and rum horns.  Last winter I got 3 large horns which I assume are longhorns.  I wanted to make some tobacco, tinder and the like from these.

The problem I am having is they seem to delaminate.  I get "bubbles" in the horn.  The outer layer bubbles up for a lack of a better term and I get  from a dime to a half dollar size bulge.  Not only does this look odd but the inside of the horn bulges too.  I guess I could do something with the blemish but for the most part the project is ruined.  Anyone have this happen before.  I use a thermometer to judge the heat but at the point the horn become plastic enough to shape the delamination appears.

Too hot?  Waiting too long?

[Tim Crosby]

 Never tried the oven nor worked with Long horns but it almost sounds like the horns are not dry and at 300 the moisture is boiling and making the bubbles/spots. Are they pretty thick?
 Just a guess Kent.

   Tim

[KentSmith]

Well, I cut three different sections from one horn.  The largest diameter about 4" tapering down to 3 1/2" was fairly thin - at most 1/8" but mostly 1/16 barely enough after cleanup and smoothing out all the scars, etc. to use.  The second was the next section of horn was a bit thicker probably a constant eight of an inch.  The third may have been fairly thick but really not that much thicker until you get to the top where it is no more than 3/16 " at the thickest.  Not what I would call really thick.  I thought it might be a moisture issue but I really don't see any evidence of these horns being any different than regular cow horns.  I've used the large horns from Village Restorations before and though I am not sure they didn't seem that much different from these.  I might try hot oil for these and see how they act.  Not sure if it is a longhorn issue but unless I hear differently I am assuming it is a

[Tracker0721]

Have you tried a heat gun? I’m looking into building my first horns and waiting on Mr. Sibleys book to arrive but a lot of places online said boil in oil or use a heat gun. May I ask why you changed from the oil? That’s what I was planning to try first.

[Tim Crosby]

 Could it be that the horn is new and have not dried enough? A Lot of times you cannot see the delaminating in a horn until you cut or start to work it.

   Tim

[KentSmith]

I had the horns for about 6 months inside the house - so they went through a winter and dry heat.  I think I will try to heat them more slowly the next batch.  I have two more horns to try and will probably cut up six or so sections to experiment with.  Figure the next time will go with Village Restorations for my large horns not having had this problem with their horns previously.

I wanted to make some rather large containers (so I want a rum horn with some volume to make it through a weekend event).  I wanted to make three large enough to hold a pint at least and they would stretch my deep fryer capacity.  Plus I would like to do away with the mess and dealing with hot oil.  Not sure a heat gun would work as I think blowing the hot air would dry the horn out too quickly.

Since no one seems to have run into this before I'll just move on and report back if I find anything worth reporting about.

[rich pierce]

I wanted to make some rather large containers (so I want a rum horn with some volume to make it through a weekend event).  .

Do they come big enough to last a weekend?

i have found horns that like to delaminate. Might just be that particular horn.