General discussion > Contemporary Accoutrements
Old Powder Horn Repair
Majorjoel:
I have an old horn that has what I believe to be a pewter repair. Pewter or perhaps lead was poured somehow to form a hole patch. Does anyone know how this would be accomplished, mainly to keep the molton metal from running into the cavity? I can only quess that the plug would have to be removed to contain the repair?? I also feel that this work was done long ago, judgeing by the patina surrounding the area. If hot pewter were to be poured recently, wouldn't the old build-up be burned off? Has anyone ever run across similar repairs? http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq171/joelhall452/P1000059.jpg[/img]] http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq171/joelhall452/P1000058.jpg[/img]]
Scott Brush:
Joel,
It's possible that the "hole" didn't completely penetrate the horn, in which case, as some have suggested before, perhaps a screw was started in the cavity to act as an anchor for the pewter to adhere to. This might explain why it stands tall of the horn.
Here's a picture of a pewter repair I made on the neck of a horn after filing too aggressively and exposing a crack in the horn. Because my pour surrounded the horn I had no need for an anchor. My "crack" was sort of on an angle and very slight so I also didn't worry about the pewter running in to the horn.
Scott
Randy Hedden:
Joel,
Although I have never made a repair to a horn with lead, I have seen many old horns with such a repair. I have been told that such a repair can be made by packing the empty horn with sand, making a cavity in the sand through the hole and then pouring the lead into the hole. While I have never done this, it may be a solution to repairing a hole in a horn. I just don't know how you keep the molten lead from burning right through the horn? Perhaps someone will have more information about how this type of repair was made?
I had one horn that had a small hole through the body of the horn down by the spout where there was sufficient thickness. I drilled the hole to a standard size and tapped and chamfered the hole. Then I made a threaded length of horn with a matching chamfer on the head end, coated it with glue, threaded it into the hole and then filed the horn material screw flush with the horn. I believe a repair such as this should last for many years of use.
Randy Hedden
www.harddogrifles.com
T*O*F:
I have seen a couple of lead repairs but they were across cracks, not to fill holes. They were shaped like a bow-tie and keyed into the horn.
I think using one of the low temp solders that melts below 300 degrees would probably work OK. Pour the repair and have a water soaked cloth standing by to wipe the joint and cool the pour before it melted the horn.
Levy:
I haven't heard anyone mention a lead rivet yet. Maybe the rivet could've had a head set on one end and then pushed through the horn/hole from the inside and a head lightly hammered on to it from the outside. This would've required some sort of anvil being placed inside the horn and against the rivet head. Lead being relatively soft, it seems possible. The plug would've been removed first of course and then replaced.
James Levy
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