I used to think cowhorn was built complete layer upon complete layer.
Picture one horn shape layer inside another inside another and so on.
Kind of like a stack of plastic drinking cups.
This is still my way of looking at it but something,
I am doing leads to ambiguous results.
Someone gave me a short section of horn with the tip cut off.
In other words it is a section about three inches long that
looks like a truncated cone. I hope i am explaining this correctly.
When I was given this a couple of the inner layers,
had become somewhat burned and misshapen.
The inner most layer or two had bubbled in spots.
My idea was to submerge the horn in just off the boil water,
and remove the inner damaged layers when they became pliable.
This is working except I never seem to get to the end of a layer.
It seems as if I am peeling a roll that will only end when the horn ends.
Which sounds like the most accurate description?
The former being the case,is it possible,
I am damaging the inner layers by,
using water at too high a temperature?
The latter being the case,
should I leave well enough alone,
and sand the interior relatively flat?
My idea is to make this into a small or shot glass,
by plugging the smaller end.
How many layers of horn must there be for,
the glass to be resilient enough to use?
Thanks,
Kevin
Picture one horn shape layer inside another inside another and so on.
Kind of like a stack of plastic drinking cups.
This is still my way of looking at it but something,
I am doing leads to ambiguous results.
Someone gave me a short section of horn with the tip cut off.
In other words it is a section about three inches long that
looks like a truncated cone. I hope i am explaining this correctly.
When I was given this a couple of the inner layers,
had become somewhat burned and misshapen.
The inner most layer or two had bubbled in spots.
My idea was to submerge the horn in just off the boil water,
and remove the inner damaged layers when they became pliable.
This is working except I never seem to get to the end of a layer.
It seems as if I am peeling a roll that will only end when the horn ends.
Which sounds like the most accurate description?
The former being the case,is it possible,
I am damaging the inner layers by,
using water at too high a temperature?
The latter being the case,
should I leave well enough alone,
and sand the interior relatively flat?
My idea is to make this into a small or shot glass,
by plugging the smaller end.
How many layers of horn must there be for,
the glass to be resilient enough to use?
Thanks,
Kevin
)in the center of the tip section...the rest of the horn has a
bone core, so the layers don't connect the same way. Cow horn is particulary 'layered', it apparently can't be used for composite bow bellies
because it delaminates so easily. A lot of horn material has ingrown cracks and other flaws, it can be hard to find a solid-enough piece for a large object. I
have quite a few water-buffalo horn tips, most are too cracked to use the whole tip for anything.
