I got my first experience with horn today. A friend who makes shepard crooks had some horn scraps and gave me a box of them. I chucked up a small piece just to see how it was to work. Not bad. Sort of worked like a tauga nut although my friend (who works in metal most of the time) said it works like aluminum. Can't wait to do some actual projects with it.
Brian
Hi Brian
As I don't see a question, and I have never turned horn, I will wait and hope we are going to hear what project you did with the horn and how it worked and etc.
Actually I was just messing with a small piece just to see what it was like. But as I worked with it I decided that it will be the end of a crochet hook with a bigger handle.
Brian
Hi Brian
Good idea, would look better than those plastic ones, and the stuff (horn) is pretty tough I'm told.
At the wood show last week, there happened to be a boot, right next to us, with a couple'a guys that made and sold longbows, and used laminated wood, also horn and bamboo and other combinations, and laminated water buffalo horn makes apparently a very tough and strong longbow.
What all this has to do with wood turning, ??
I never thought to ask if they had, (and I know they did) some cutoffs so as to give me a chance to try turning some, I guess I was to busy with our wood turners show, surely will next time I see them.
I finished the hook yesterday. here is a photo. The wood is spalted maple then the furel on the end and the button on the end of the handle are water buffalo.
Just be sure to use a respirator when working with bone or horn. The dust particles can lodge in the lungs causing the same sort of damage as asbestos.
dcm
What is this, the misinformation thread??
You don't soak buffalo horn and it won't give you asbestosis. AAMOF, soaking horn is one of the better ways to get it to be soft, mushy and break down. You can turn bone or horn with no more precaution nor preparation than any other wood. It WON'T give you some bizarre form of cancer and it won't fall apart if you don't soak it in water. I've turned, carved and otherwise abused plenty of both of these natural materials and they're no more toxic than a pork chop, and will outlast many woods.
Not nearly so dangerous as MISinformation.
now that I have turned several pieces of the buffalo horn I have to say that it is very nice to work. it turns something like tauga and comes off in very nice long shavings. it sands easily and when taken to 2000 grit it takes a rather nice finish.
my farrier who gave me the pieces does heat horn to bend it to shape the crook and then works it with lots of sanding and polishing and he has also put it into hot water for an hour or so just to soften it enough to bend though.
i like the stuff
Brian
Hi Brian
Thanks for the update, I have turned UHMW and Lexan/plexiglas also nylon and all those give long shavings, it gets stuck around everything also, but never polished any of that, yes one of those days I will have to try turning some horn, but first have to get some.
On this day, 2/22/2006 8:28 AM, the esteemed Brian gave forth this bit of wisdom:
Hello,
I have a question. The Mrs. just started doing pyrography/carving. She bought a small hand grinder from a manufacturer.
When discussing uses with the manufacturer, he said to NEVER grind spalted maple. He said she could hand carve it, but
grinding is extremely dangerous given what the spalted maple contains. He said it's not worth the risk even when using
a respirator. Your thoughts?
Steve
Spalted maple has the markings that it does because of a mold that spreads through the wood as it rots. Over time inhaling the stuff can apparently cause your lungs to spalt ;-) which I am told may be a bad thing. I have not heard that you shouldn't grind/sand it even with a respirator though. I suppose it depends on how much you are doing too.
Brian
The mold which causes spalting eats lignin, others in the wood, cellulose. Your lungs contain neither.
The mold does create waste products and deliberate toxins to protect its food from competing bacteria, which do have structures similar to your cells. Herein the danger. Dosage which is fatal to single-cell organisms is probably not significant to us, but our own immune system may produce a significant reaction. Consider antibiotics derived from molds.
The dose is in the dust - deflect or collect it.
The mold which causes spalting eats lignin, others in the wood, cellulose. Your lungs contain neither.
The mold does create waste products and deliberate toxins to protect its food from competing bacteria, which do have structures similar to your cells. Herein the danger. Dosage which is fatal to single-cell organisms is probably not significant to us, but our own immune system may produce a significant reaction. Consider antibiotics derived from molds.
The dose is in the dust - deflect or collect it.
Thanks for the replies. Steve
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