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I have been asked to make some fox hunting horns

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I have been asked to make some fox hunting horns

#1

I have been asked to make some fox hunting horns

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>And at seeing the opportunity to learn something new, accepted. Now I know how much I don't know!

I started this evening, using a sample to guide me. This is quite a challenge, as I'm no spindle turner.

The original/sample is about 150 years old and made in 3 pieces. The smallest internal diameter is 3/8" except for the mouthpiece hole which is maybe 1/8".

I have dry cherry stock for this project. Tell me if this method is workable or if you can help me improve upon it, please do so, because I'm CERTAIN I don't have all of the good ideas.

I chuck the blank, as square, in my nova jaws from the start so I won't have to retrue it and lose diameter when I move from centers to chuck jaws. The other end is centermarked and supported by the tailstock. The blank is reduced to a cylinder, more or less, retaining as much mass as possible. I then use the tailstock thru-hole to drill down the center to a predetermined depth. Then the outside of the horn profile is formed, for about 2 inches. Then I remove the tailstock, and hollow the interior to that same depth. Then form the outside another inch, then do the same for the inside. Follow this procedure all the way down.

This is the only way I could come up with that would preserve enough mass to keep the workpiece from skittering and moving with tool pressure. It seems to be working fine, and thus far the wall thickness is about 1/16-3/32", which about matches the original. How they managed this 150 years ago I have no idea!

Forming the mouthpiece will be no big deal. I have not yet built a steady rest, but this project is a good excuse to buy a set of smaller tools.

Thanks!


Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting horns

#2

Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting hor

Brad

>This sound like a very interesting project! Could you draw up some plans and post photos of the finished product?

Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting horns

#3

Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting hor

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>Well I don't know about plans but I have been taking pictures. Made some progress this evening. Now all I have to do is turn a mouthpiece. It went a lot better than I thought it would. Can't believe I didn't bust through a wall but its hollow all the way through. It obviously doesn't match the original but its the first try.


Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting horns

#4

Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting hor

Dale Stansbery

>That is a neat project. I just recently read the novel "Hunter's Horn" which makes it even more interesting.

Your first post showed the original placed in what looked like a precarious position on your lathe. I trust the apparent cracks in the second pix were already there :-).

Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting horns

#5

Richard Allen

Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting hor

Richard Allen

>Hi Mike

I would turn the inside first. With the help of a friend or spouse (sometimes those are the same and sometimes they aren't) use a smooth shaft of wood wedged into the bed of the lathe and pulled against the spinning rounded piece while you hollow out the horn. For people, like me, who would rather avoid asking the wife into the shop, a steady rest can be used.

Once the horn is hollowed and sanded to your likeing take a wad of bathroom tissue to put in the horn. Bring up the tailstock and apply just enough presure to the bathroom tissue so the cone of the live center can be stoped by light finger presure. This should provide you with the support needed to work the outside of the horn.

You should still work an inch or two at a time but the tailstock will prevent the horn from flaping around.

Good Luck

Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting horns

#6

Re: I have been asked to make some fox hunting hor

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Took me a sec to figure out what you were referring to, but no worries - the original was just placed there for the picture. The fact that it had cracked was the reason the gent asked me to make him a new one.

Richard - good idea - Thanks!

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