Grain orientation on Original Powderhorns Plugs

[Elnathan]

I got a question about original powderhorns. On those with lathe-turned butt plugs, is the grain usually oriented in line with the axis of the horn, so that it shows endgrain, or are they usually made with the grain running perpendicular to the length of the horn, the way we'd make one from a board today?

The reason I ask is that I am thinking about trying to make a horn with a domed plug of the sort that would most likely have originally been turned on a lathe, despite not owning a lathe, and it occurred to me that a spring-pole lathe or a treadle lathe would have to have the grain running length-wise. I've been looking through my pictures of horns, looking at grain and splitting patterns, and I have found a couple that were evidently made this way. On the other hand, I've found a couple that are made with the grain running across the plug, the way one would expect from a board or turned on a lathe with a chuck. How'd they do that?

[Tim Crosby]

 I have used then both ways, kind of depends on what I'm making and what I have on hand. With the one you will have Two end grains to deal with while finishing.
 Not sure I understand the question on the type of lathe, I wouldn't see why it would make any difference.

  Tim

[Tanselman]

Since you asked about wood grain orientation on original horns with turned butts, the large majority of originals that I have seen, particularly the better quality horns, have end-grain wood. Shelby Gallien

[Elnathan]

I have used then both ways, kind of depends on what I'm making and what I have on hand. With the one you will have Two end grains to deal with while finishing.
 Not sure I understand the question on the type of lathe, I wouldn't see why it would make any difference.

  Tim

What I was trying to figure out was whether there was a grain orientation that was more period correct.

A spring-pole lathe is driven by a belt wrapped around the workpiece, and my thought was that in order to have a long enough piece to make that work would normally entail having the grain running long-ways. That is the natural way to shape something like a chair leg, and I was thinking that in order to make a powderhorn end plug you'd have to shape and subsequently remove what would essentially would be a cross-section of a long pole. Hence, the use of a springpole lathe would dictate the grain direction.

While I was writing out the first draft of this reply, though, it did occur to me that one could use a separate piece of wood to wrap the belt around, and a quick search of youtube confirms that Robin Wood does indeed use a separate piece when turning wooden bowls. Robin's bowls seem to have the grain direction running in the same direction as the drive pole, since he is using a cross section of a tree trunk, but I imagine that one could easily start with a circle cut out of a board, which would give a different grain orientation. So the mystery of how they could make a horn plug with the grain running across the the plug with the technology available to them is answered, I think.

Since you asked about wood grain orientation on original horns with turned butts, the large majority of originals that I have seen, particularly the better quality horns, have end-grain wood. Shelby Gallien

Thanks. I was looking through the Tansel horns on the KRA CD, and where I can determine the grain orientation, it is usually end-grain wood. I was wondering if that was because that was the normal way to turn a plug, or if plugs turned that way just tend to be easier to identify.