How do you make a shaper for a flat horn?

[Rolf]

How do you design a shaper for a flat horn so it follows the curve of the flaten horn?

Best regards

Rolfkt

[BrownBear]

I can't find my copy of Sibley at the moment, but unless my memory is mixing sources (again) he has some pics and a short discussion in there.

I haven't tried it myself and this is all second hand, but was recently talking to a friend who has made a fair number of flat horns.  He had to make a new former for each horn if the shape changed much, and he got sick of doing it.  He said best for him now is just to clamp them in a vise to shape them while they dry and cool.  I'm sure there's some fiddling involved doing it that way, but he sure turns out nice work.

[Jefferson58]

Take a look at Buckskinning VI from Scurlock Publishing. There is a great chapter about horns and particularly flat horns, including how to make a form and press the horn.

I did some checking and apparently this book is now out of print. I am sure it can be found online through Alibris, Abe Books, or even Ebay.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[G. Elsenbeck]

Lately I've been taking a different approach when I make a flat horn pattern versus the paper exercise (I grew weary of making the paper to conform to the horn).   I boiled up a small horn I was going to flatten and threw it in the bench vise (woodworking) at nite and next morning used the 'flattend' horn as a tracing pattern on a piece of wood.  Then I make some length and width adjustments of the pattern to be sure it will fit inside.  After making my kerf cuts and rounding over all the edges I will then make a couple of hardwood wedges for use. 
Be warned, you may have to boil, clamp, re-boil and clamp again to get the horn to 'obey'.  Most times this will happen the thinner you want the horn to be, e.g., half inch or thinner vs. 3/4 inch.  I'm not talking the thichness of the form, the total width of the base plug plus the horn. 
Gary

[T.C.Albert]

Masking tape is used to make my patterns...first wrap horn sticky side up...
next wrap over that sticky side down...slide the horn out and the tape remains the shape of the horn...you can then flatten, crease and fold the tape image of the horn like you want it and transfer that to the wood form....
TCA

[G. Elsenbeck]

Tim, that's a good idea and I will try next time.  There's always more than one way to skin a cat. 
Gary

[blackdave]

When I make a flat horn, I use a number of shapers all much narrower than the finished horn, but of the proper length.  I made a press from a stray piece of acme thread I found at a yard sale. Start by softening the horn and sliding in two of the narrow shapers. Then, slide in a wedge and start pressing the horn, removing the wedge and replacing with another shaper or a wider wedge until the horn is of the proper shape.  It takes longer to try to explain it than to actually do it - think splitting a log using wedges and gluts or breaking stone using feathers and wedges.  I boil the horn in vegetable oil and work pretty fast.  It has worked for me on many flat horns.

Your humble servant,

Black Dave