Possible solution to turning Buffalo Horn...

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d01phn1vr

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Joined
Apr 3, 2007
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15
Location
Lake Hamilton, FL, USA.
I turned my first horn about a year ago after searching this site for tips. I had an epiphany that horn is obviously made of the same stuff as fingernails & hair. What happens to them when they dry out? CRACK... But water is not what keeps them hydrated, so to speak. Which led me to the only oil I have in my quasi shop - boiled linseed oil. I had already cut & drilled my pieces when I had read here about soaking them in water (I know that my nails get soft & weak when soaked in water). So to try to compensate for this omission, and after reading someone had finished his horn with some sort of oil, I generously applied my oil to the blank before & during turning. My blank had a natural crack almost all the way through it, so I was nervous & cautious. As I turned it, if the cuttings started coming off as dust, I'd apply another drop or two of oil. It wasn't until I was halfway through it that I noticed I didn't smell burning hair. Even my husband, who has a touchy sniffer, couldn't smell it!

I finished it with just 1 coat of Renaissance wax, knowing it isn't a permanent finish, with the thought that sealing the pen would be bad because the ends wouldn't be sealed & would allow the horn to gradually dry out. Then there would be no way to re-hydrate the horn. The other part of my theory came from reading that those who squirreled away their horn pen had it crack on them. I think that it should be used on a regular basis & re-oiled occasionally. I have had it for a year now with no problems, and the finish is just as shiny as when it came off my lathe. My husband can't keep his hands off it.

If and when I sell my buffalo horn pen, directions following the above including protecting it from extreme temperature changes and a vial of oil will go with it. One drop would be more than plenty per application. This would not be a guarantee from cracking, but special care instructions.

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts & feedback to my theory.
 
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Your solution strikes me as incomplete. It seems that if the problem is drying out, then sealing the moisture in with a dozen coats of CA would be the answer. Some oil soaked in under the CA might be even better.

I agree that the problem is drying out and shrinking. Slow to dry out woods like ebony, pink ivory and snakewood tend to crack long after they were made even with multiple layers of CA.

I'm semi-skeptical about your solution, but I'm going to give it a try to see if it works, I hope it does. Maybe something like Danish oil or walnut oil would work even better, they have a little more body than BLO

If walnut oil is made from walnuts, and linseed oil is made from linseeds, what is Danish oil made from?
 
I say go for what you are doing. It is obvious that the problem has not been solved and sometimes it takes one person building upon another's ideas and experiments. Solutions are often a process of several people's ideas and it has to start with one.

And I think the gender that is into "fingernail" finishing would generally have more insight on the solution. Keep us posted!
 
I can see why the CA might not be a good option, as it doesn't seal the horn, it only
seals the sides. The ends are still open and that allows it to dry out.
The oil makes sense, but a CA finish would stop you from oiling it.
I'd be interested in trying this myself.

Good post.
 
I cannot remember where I saw it, but I saw STABILIZED buffalo horn for sale somewhere.....if you can track it down, it might be a better bet???
 
We make and sell a bunch of buffalo horn pens. I have not experienced the problems which this thread is trying to solve.
 
COuld you explain when the cracking occurs on you?
I have done 10 of the 12 blanks that I got. Actually 11, but I wrecked the first one during turning and figured out how to not wreck it the way I turn (with a skew). While turning, if I start to hear clicking, then I stop, and coat with CA to firm up any of the natural inclusions in the horn. It take me three to four times longer to turn a horn pen, but they are worth it in the end.
As for the one I have finished, I have accountability on eight of them, with two in my possession, and none of those have cracked. But they also do not see daylight as well.

Jerry
 
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