This started out as a How Too on casting Pewter Bands and Collars but I figured If I was going to do that I may as well add some other Pix of the horn they will go on and the base to the mix. There a Lots of Pix and If something is not clear, not the Pix cause I know some of them are not the best, just ask.
The first set of Pix show the horn, scraped down close to its almost finished contour. To start with take a square piece of Pine, this will be your Mold, that is 1 to 1 1/2 larger than the diameter of the horn. Measure the Diameter of the horn, take half of that for the Radius. Mount another piece, of Pine, a Backer, to your Face plate, it should be a little larger than the first Square, centering it as close as possible. Attach the first Square to the Backer, 1 Drywall screws work well, so they are about ½ from each corner, mount it on the Lathe. Using the Tailstock with a Center in it mark the Center of the Mold. Now using a Compass set to your Radius and the Center mark draw a Circle on it.
Using a Parting tool, mine is 3/16 thick, cut a groove about ½ deep, cut just on the inside of the mark and a little wider on the outside. Use the horn inserted in the groove to check you progress, the groove should end up being Ό - 3/8 thick, to small is not good but larger can be worked with. DO NOT go all the way through the Mold. This may take some practice.
Leave the Mold on the Faceplate and set it up for pouring the Pewter in, locked in a Vice is good. Rub some Pencil lead in the Groove to help the Pewter flow and release better. The amount of Pewter is questionable, the best advice I have is melt more than you think you need. Melt and pour the Pewter, I let it heat more than just melted maybe a Minute more, fill the groove up, let it sit until cool.
Now back on the lathe, the outside edge will be rough, smooth that out, then start taking out the center, if at all possible dont cut into the Pewter yet. Once the center is out start cutting the Pewter, the cut will be at an angle, remember the taper on the horn. Once you have the inside cleaned up take the Mold off the Face Plate, be sure you mark the Mold and the Backing in a couple of places so you can get it back together centered again. DO NOT take the Pewter out of the Mold yet. Try it on the horn, a lot of this is Eye Ball work, how close is it to the base? If it is way off put it back on the Face Plate and the Lathe and turn the inside down a little more and try again.
The band is really round, the horn may not be, if it is close put some transfer on the inside of the band, slide it on the horn, remove, scrape/rasp/file the high spots down until the band slides all the way down to the base.
Once it is there crack the Mold off and put the Band on a Mandrel, to hold it in place spray a little Water on the Mandrel where the Band will sit, pull it down as tight as possible. The idea is to het it even, Pewter is soft and it will split or crack if pushed, read tapped with a hammer, too much. The Wood will swell and hold it in place. Now turn to you desired width, thickness and add your. Remember not to thick, to thin or to wide.
Subsequent bands are done the same way just start with the Circumference in the area you want the band(s).
Now for the Tip; A mold is use for the Collar, it is fairly simple to make and use. Start with a block of 2 X 4, drill a Ό hole in its center, fit a piece of Ό dowel, maybe 5 long, in it. Take a piece of 1 or so dowel, an old Broom handle works well, and drill a Ό hole through the center, a lathe with a 4 jawed chuck works well for this, it should easily slide on and off the 1/4 dowel.
Wrap a piece of heavy card stock, I use file folder, around it so the seams overlap about ½ and it is about ½- 3/8 taller than the finished collar. In this case the finished collar is 1 Ό so it started out at about 1 ½.
Slide the larger dowel on to the smaller one, you can tape all around the bottom of the paper sealing it to the base but it takes a lot of tape and each layer needs to be flat and smooth or you will have leaks. I have been using an Oven bake modeling clay,
Sculpey with great success. Roll out a piece that will fit around the base, I put it in my pocket an hour or so before I am going to use it to soften it up. Press that in place, make it tight, follow that up with a larger roll until it comes out about 3/4s, it should be about 1/8 or better thick. Remove the large dowel, pour your Pewter, once it is full tap the sides, Lightly, with a pencil to help any air trapped to come to the top.
Once cool, remove the cylinder from the dowel and place on a Pen Mandrel, and rough turn it smooth and parallel. Now it gets removed from the Mandrel and put in a 4 Jawed chuck to be drilled. A ½ hole is drilled all the way through, then one inside end is tapered for the horn to fit, this will take some hand work as well.
The Antler tip is next; Select a fairly straight tip, the smaller diameters work well, less Pith and stronger. Drill a Ό hole through it, then put it on the Pen Mandrel, turn it smooth and parallel. Then turn one end to ½ dia. So it will fit tightly in the collar about 3/8.
Then the two pieces go back on the mandrel, a wooden cone with a Ό hole through it goes in the tapered end of the collar to keep things centered. A couple drops of glue can be used to hold the Tip and Collar if they are not tight. Turn them to your desired shape.
You should now have a Band or two and a two part tip. I would leave the tip a little long until you get everything final fitted and a base installed.
A couple of extra Pix of the build.
Tim C.
