Reaming a tapered hole in a horn spout

[Robert Wolfe]

I was working on a horn the other day an wanted to taper the spout hole to hold a plug better. I don't have a real tapered reamer so I cast my eye about the shop and saw a three corner file. First I turned it by hand then just chucked it up in my drill. Worked a treat to ream a taper to the hole - just go slow. Thought this might help someone who only does the occasional horn (like me) and doesn't have all the tools.

[Tim Crosby]

 The tang of a file works well, Just put it in and turn it by hand. Using a file like that in a drill I would think you take the chance of snapping it off in the horn, The tang is not hardened.
 I found these old reamers at a yard sale they work really well. I broke one off and use it to tapper the inside of tips.

    Tim C.

 

[19112tap]

I use one I got from Harbor Freight for $4.99, seems to work just fine.

[tooguns]

I use the handle end of a file, works great

[Bob Gerard]

I use small rat-tail files, by hand.

[TDM]

I use rat tails too. But a good reamer works well. 

[Tim Crosby]

 One thing to remember if you are tapering spout holes; if a person 'Pops" the stopper with the palm of their hand there is a risk of splitting the tip. A very slight taper or a straight hole and longer plug is better. A lot depends on how deep/large the taper is, if there is a rim on the stopper to keep it from going in to far and how thick/long the tip is.

   Tim C.

[Dennis Daigger]

#3 and #4 taper pin reamers work quite nicely for a gentle taper for holes in the 1/4” vicinity.
Dennis

[Top Jaw]

Agree with Tim C’s comment.  I still like to taper my holes, but I now almost always leave a carved-in raised ring at the end of the spout tip to reinforce it. As all plugs are sometimes pushed in overly firm (or jammed in) over the years.  Especially by kids and novices.   It’s a bit of a pain to make one with this ring, (much easier without one).  But I think it helps long term. 

Have also repaired a cracked tip on a horn without a ring on the tip with a small section of cut brass cartridge case of appropriate diameter, inlet flush onto the end of the tip surface.  If one with a ringed tip like those pictured ever cracked, I would probably glue it and wrap the tip below the ring with several wraps of very small diameter copper wire. 

[Tim Crosby]

  Good ideas, here's a couple of mine with a lip and you can see the slight taper. The hole is !/4" only about 1/4-3/8ths is tapered the longest part is straight.

      Tim