Questions about Water Buffalo horn handle...

D

DaQo'tah Forge

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This is DaQo'tah

I wish to learn how to make a hidden tang handle out of Water Buffalo horn.

I have the water buffalo horn already, but Im not sure what to do with it. The horn turned out to be mostly an empty tube that I have no clue if its useable. There is a more solid section near the end on the horn that I plan to drill out for my tang to slide into.

here is my problem,,,How do I work the horn?

what treatments do you use with horn?

what type of things do you do to stabilize it, and when do you do that?...before you start to sand it to form, or after its glued to the tang?
 
This is what I do with it and it stays real stable. First I cut my handle material to length, then I hollow it out for the tang, this just lets the stabilant inside the material so it can soak from inside and out. Then I pull a vacuum on it and fully saturate the horn. If you don't have a vacuum pump you can place you horn in a jar covered with minn wax wood hardener for several days and it will soak it up. But Buffalo horn is really unstable unless to do this. Once you get your material soaked up good let it dry for 3 or 4 days and it should be ready to use. fit it to your guard , spacers or whatever and fill it with 2 ton epoxy, put on the butt cap or pommel material and let it set for 8 -12 hrs.Then grind, and sand off the excess materials being careful not so grind to deep, that it will expose the epoxy, I like to finish sand it to 600 grit and then buff with green compound on a loose sewn wheel. See nothing to it. ;)

Good luck

Bill
 
Bill....what is this product you called Minwax "wood hardner"?...I looked in one lumberyard and they have many varnishes and stuff you put on top of the surface to leave a hard shine,,,,is that the same thing?
 
No, Minn wax wood hardener is for rotting wood. It comes in a pint can and sells for about $8.00. You should be able to get a can at your local paint supply store. I get mine at Lowes. It penetrates wood and helps to strengthen wood after it dries.

Hope this helps,

Bill
 
Kyle,,,I looked in Menards,,,but didnt see it,,,I asked the "kid' who was working that section,,,and he just gave me a funny look and said,,,"Hardner?"
 
QUESTION;
Where do you find a vacuum pump?

my ANSWER:...they are in almost every tool
website,,,they sell for very little money,,,Im looking right now at one from GRIZZLY. Habbor Fright has one Im told too


there are also them Kitchen things to suck the air out of canning jars...they are sold in reg. stores I guess..
 
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