Working on a powder horn, octagon to round

[rich pierce]

I believe this style is from New England. I saw and bid on and didn’t win a very nice horn on eBay and am basing my current build on that one. It’s octagonal from the pour tip halfway up the body then transitions to round with a scalloped border. Still a work in progress but it’s coming along. I think the plug on the original was hand fitted, not turned, but that is a guess.

Question: I want to use pine for the butt plug, looking like old growth. I’m thinking 5/4” would be thick enough. Do you go to architectural salvage places for narrow growth ring pine lumber pieces?


The original

[TN Longhunter]

 I want to use pine for the butt plug, looking like old growth. I’m thinking 5/4” would be thick enough. Do you go to architectural salvage places for narrow growth ring pine lumber pieces?

The easiest to find would be salvaged door frames.  I had some that a good friend gave me from when they remodeled a lake home.  Most will run 6/4". Should have a nice yellow color.

Don

[Eseabee1]

This is going to be a nice looking horn when finished

[Tim Crosby]

 Are you talking Yellow Pine or White? You can find White with narrow rings at plenty of places. Thinking New England White Cedar may be an option. Nice job on the scallops.

  Tim

[rich pierce]

White pine for sure. I guess a lot of old lumber is Douglas fir and that would probably pass cursory examination.

[Tim Crosby]

 Here is a Pix of White Pine, it is pretty tight on the one edge, more had been cut away but similar should be easy to fond. If the piece you find is not think enough glue and tack a piece to the side that goes in the horn, only you will know.

  Tim

 

[Robby]

Just about any place that does mill work, like a sash and door shop. They have a lot of unusable, to them, pieces of clear white pine. The decoy carvers haunt those places regularly.
Robby

[rich pierce]

Thanks fellas!

[snapper]

I have white pine in big enough pieces.   Sending you a PM

Fleener

[Top Jaw]

Saw your finished Horn and it came out well. Looks like you found some old growth pine for the base. I’m always keeping my eyes open for pieces of old growth pine, poplar, cherry, walnut, etc that I can make domed or turned bases from.  I have hit the mother load a couple times at estate sales of two guys that were older woodworkers, who saved everything. I bought some smaller scrap old growth pieces of thicker wood that nobody else really wanted for a song at both sales.  One source to be aware of. 

I guess  I’m resembling one of those old wood worker more myself every day now.  And I have the old scrap wood odds and ends to prove it!   😀

[rich pierce]

Fleener sent me a perfect piece of old growth white pine. I use a wire brush to emphasize the growth ring contrast. It rubs away the softer, “between the rings” wood.