how we make horn plate flatter for making horn comb etc

[stiventiger]

making natural bent hor strips is the problems for many new horn bow maker,turkish use heating water way,here in china,
heat oil at 60-100degress,time is 5-10 minutes(less time if more higher)
and then use hand or simple tool to fix the horn shape to your liked.
(be carefull to take very thicker glove or use thicker bottom shoes to make them straight ) or press machine (like or similar machine photo shown),if horn strips is still very hard to straighten,continue to heat some minutes,and then straight them again till to your need shape,up:forbidden smoking or fire when do such work.
last step is use sand paper to sand the surface of horn strips till you see the horn original colour(it is not hard sand:sand it to grey colour)and you can use glue to stick them on the bow core easily

[stiventiger]

making natural bent hor strips is the problems for many new horn bow maker,turkish use heating water way,here in china,
heat wax or oil more than 100degress(more higher degree than water,may be 200-300 degree )
and then put horn strips into very hot liquid wax or hot oil for some minutes.and then take out strips to straighten them by hand(be carefull to take very thicker glove or use thicker bottom shoes to make them straight ) or press machine (like or similar machine photo shown),if horn strips is still very hard to straighten,continue to heat some minutes,and then straight them again till to your need shape,water heating is easy to broken split horn strips,as water is maxium to 100 degree(not enough)and water into horn deeply,when it dry by wind,sometimes is easy to split the horn,it is the top secret how to make horn strips straighten,but be carefull:wax or oil is easy to fire up:forbidden smoking or fire when do such work.

and than all bent and twist horn strip(small and big)become very flatter

[redhawk]

I guess horn heated so high is worthless for a bow, cause the ceratin, the main component of the horn will be destroyed?
Michael

[Botondbow]

Tiger,

I'm afraid the use of wax or oil will reduce or even stop the glue penetration into horn strips. It means horn may not be glued to the core!

[stiventiger]

I guess horn heated so high is worthless for a bow, cause the ceratin, the main component of the horn will be destroyed?
Michael

i ask 20 years horn worker here and who reply me :
1)tempreture is 60-100,or 60-70degree for 5-10 minutes,you can draw them and try if they are soft for making your liked shape,and then when they cold down the horn strips will be return a little original shape,and then you repeat the process till your like shape,at last you use sand paper to sand out horn strips oil surface( oil inside layer,but very thin,less 1 mm)
till you see the original horn strips colour show,and then you can use glue to stick them on the bow core.
some experts best way is make bow belly what even bamboo or wood to bent to strips shape:big C.

[redhawk]

The c-shape is made by the outer curves of 2 matching horns. If a horn is big and wide enough the inner curves will work too.
Have a look at http://redhawk55.wordpress.com/2010/10/ ... g-cutting- working-the-horn/
Michael

[jack farrell]

Tiger; Maybe the yellow horn is goat horn? Better picture in your post in the "Where can I find" section.

[stiventiger]

Tiger; Maybe the yellow horn is goat horn? Better picture in your post in the "Where can I find" section.

done already,thank you
tiger

[stiventiger]

The c-shape is made by the outer curves of 2 matching horns. If a horn is big and wide enough the inner curves will work too.
Have a look at http://redhawk55.wordpress.com/2010/10/ ... g-cutting- working-the-horn/
Michael

i can't see the link and very problem is biger horn is quite difficult to find out and very expensive in china too

[stiventiger]

Tiger,

I'm afraid the use of wax or oil will reduce or even stop the glue penetration into horn strips. It means horn may not be glued to the core!

i ask 20 years horn worker here and who reply me :
1)tempreture is 60-100,or 60-70degree for 5-10 minutes,you can draw them and try if they are soft for making your liked shape,and then when they cold down the horn strips will be return a little original shape,and then you repeat the process till your like shape,at last you use sand paper to sand out horn strips oil surface( oil inside layer,but very thin,less 1 mm)
till you see the original horn strips colour show,and then you can use glue to stick them on the bow core.

[Stephen Selby]

I do believe that traditional Chinese bow-makers would apply heat to the highest temperature the unprotected hand can endure and then flatten the horn in a press. They also use lye water to remove oil contaminants (mainly from their own bodies) before gluing.

It seems to me also that using hot oil in the process is not ideal and perhaps unnecessary.

[stiventiger]

I do believe that traditional Chinese bow-makers would apply heat to the highest temperature the unprotected hand can endure and then flatten the horn in a press. They also use lye water to remove oil contaminants (mainly from their own bodies) before gluing.

It seems to me also that using hot oil in the process is not ideal and perhaps unnecessary.

in future,if i have free time,i will test with oil or hot water or oven and see which way is best.oil heating and press way is mainly used to make small sort horn strip into flatter and then make them into horn comb,not for making horn bow.