Making a Powder Horn.   

The following discussion on making powder horns should be viewed as merely guidelines, not an absolute set of step by step instructions.  The actual methods used will depend in part on both the tools and skills possessed by the individual.  Anyone with a desire to do so should be able to make a tight, functional and nice looking powder horn without difficulty.  It shouldn't take more than about three hours to go from a raw horn to a simple powder horn ready to take powder.  Carving greatly enhances the appearance and character of a horn.  It takes me about twenty to twenty five hours to go from a raw horn to a finished, relatively simple-carved horn.  

Tools and Supplies:  Working a horn is similar in many ways to woodworking, and the same tools can be used.  A rasp, coarse and fine files, needle files, scraper, drill, hacksaw, woodsaw, various grades of sand paper and coarse and fine steel wool are all that is necessary to create a powder horn.  A disc sander and Dremel tool are useful as well.  I use electrical tape as a guide for carving rings around the circumference of the horn.    

The Horn:  The horn may be from either a cow or buffalo (bison).  Cow horns can come in various colors ranging from whites and cream to browns, greenish-grey and black.  Buffalo horns are ebony black in color.  Horns which are curved in a single plane are best because they can be worn on either the left or right side.  Horns which have a slight curve in a second plane can be acceptable but make sure it curve matches the side you intend to wear the horn on.  Horns which are corkscrew shaped should be avoided. 

Raw horns can be obtained from a number of sources.  Probably the cheapest source is the local meat packing plant.  The freshest horns will be from this source, although horns from this source may still have bone and nerve tissue in the core which must first be removed.  Boiling the horn will loosen the core which can then be pulled out.  This should be done as soon as possible after obtaining the horn because this material will become quite odorous as it decays, a feature which is unlikely to be appreciated by your spouse.  Raw horns can also be purchased from mail-order and internet supply outfits, at muzzle-loader conventions, and at trader’s row at some rendezvous.  Each horn is unique as to size, curve, wear and weathering, so obtaining horns from a packing plant or at a convention allows you to be selective in the horns you walk away with.  With horns obtained from mail order houses or on the internet you won’t know exactly what you’re getting until it arrives and then your stuck with it.  Click on the  thumbnail image to the left to see the rough, scaly, gouged and nicked exterior surface of raw buffalo horns prior to any work.  

If you are having difficulty finding a horn source, I can provide you with buffalo horns for $6.00 each plus actual shipping costs.  Click to contact me 

Trim the Horn:  The horn will be flared at the butte end where it attached to the skull of the cow or bison.  It’s unusable where it is flared and interferes with preparation of the exterior surface.  Trim off the flared end of the horn with either a band saw or fine-toothed handsaw.  I use a hacksaw.  The plane of the trim should be as close to perpendicular to the axis of the horn at the butt as possible.  The thickness of the horn will not always be uniform.  If the horn is especially thin in one area, continue taking thin slices off the butte until the thickness around the diameter is relatively uniform.  (Note: save the material sliced off because it can be used for making horn buttons or inlays)

After trimming is complete, the butte should be evened off.  The end of the horn can also be more precisely aligned perpendicular to the axis of the horn at this time.  Place a sheet of coarse sandpaper on a flat surface and sand down the butte end of the horn until it no longer rocks and uniformly contacts the flat surface around its entire circumference. A disk sander also works well for this task.  

Drill the Tip:  Prepare the tip of the horn for drilling by either sawing of a short length off of the tip, or using a rasp or file.  The flat surface should be at least half again the diameter of the hole you plan on drilling.  The hole should be between ¼ and 3/8 inches in diameter, or you’ll be waiting forever while your powder pours out.  I start off with a 1/8 inch drill size and gradually work up to my desired final hole diameter.  The drill cuttings do not clear well, so drill slowly and pull the drill back often to clear the hole.  Drilling too rapidly and not clearing the hole will cause the bit to heat up and bind, possibly resulting in cracking the horn at the tip.  You can estimate where the solid horn tip ends and the cavity begins by inserting a stiff wire down the inside of the horn from the butte.  Drill towards the cavity.  With deeply curved horns there is always a risk of drilling through the side of the horn before the cavity is reached. 

Initial Preparation of the Exterior Surface:  The horn material is similar to your finger-nail, only thicker and denser.  Over the span of the animal’s life, the horn was subject to all sorts of abuse, abrasion and wear, the results of which are visible on the surface of the horn in your hands.  The horn should be plenty thick so that all of the rough, scaly, exterior material can be removed.  A belt sander, not supported at the back, will conform to the surface of the horn, and allow quick removal of nicks, scars and rough material.  Speed however has its disadvantages in that it will allow you to make fatal mistakes much more quickly.  Rasps, and coarse and fine flat files work equally as well although more slowly.   When removing deep gouges be sure to maintain the curvature of the horn to avoid leaving a flat spot.  After all of the rough surface material and gouges have been removed, I thoroughly sand the entire exterior with coarse sand paper to remove any flat areas resulting from filing. 

Carving the Horn:  Historically, most powder horns were probably smooth and uncarved; especially commercial production horns of the time.  Those powder horns that are preserved today in museums tend to be those exceptional examples of craftsmanship and artistry.  The tip of the horn is solid.  Even beyond the beginning of the cavity, the horn will be thicker than at the butte end.  Rings, grooves and facets can be worked into the horn using various rasps and files.  You do need to be careful not to carve too deeply, or you’ll break through into the cavity.  Carving range from simple rings and facets to incredibly complex patterns or effigies.  Depending on the complexity of the design, carving will require anywhere from a couple of hours to many tens of hours of extra effort.  Even a simple design will add immensely to the attractiveness of your powder horn.  

Scrimshawing:   Scrimshawing is not effective on bison horns, however is an attractive means of decorating lighter colored cow horns.  Scrimshaw on horns is often used to portray animals, town scenes, maps, designs, or the owners name. 

Shaping the Horn:  Sometimes it is desireable to shape the horn in addition to or in place of carving the horn.  Horn material is somewhat plastic when heated, and the horn can be shaped somewhat after boiling for about one half hour.  I’ve also heard of some folks using a paint-stripping heat gun, however, I cannot vouch for this method. 

Flat horns are shaped by boiling the horn in water and then pressing between two boards.  Generally it is necessary to boil/press the horn multiple times to achieve the desired flat shape. 

Also, the butte end of the horn can be shaped if it isn’t round.  I boil only the last three or four inches of the horn in water, and then insert a round cone into the butte.  After the horn cools remove the cone.  The horn should now be ready for fitting the butte plug.

Fitting the Butte Plug:  The design of plugs can range from very simple to extremely ornate.  Some plugs are inset with a small circular mirror or compass.  There are basically two types of butte plugs, those which are flush with the end of the horn, and those which are proud of the end and flush with the sides of the horn. 

I have found a two piece plug the simplest to shape and fit to the horn.  Start with ¾ inch thick material larger than the circumference of the butte of the horn.  Place the butte of the horn down on the wood, and mark the outside circumference of the horn.  Next mark the approximate interior circumference of the horn determined by the thickness of the horn.  Remove excess material to the exterior circumference of the plug.  Taper the plug to just past the interior circumference line.  At this point the end of the plug should be just beginning to fit inside the horn.  Using pencil lead (a carpenters pencil works well for this) coat one-half inch or so inside the butte end of the horn.  Now when the plug is inserted, areas which are high will come out dark with pencil lead.  File down the high areas and repeat the process until approximately one-half to 5/8ths inch of plug fits inside the horn.  Clean and remove the pencil lead from inside the horn and once more boil the butte end until it becomes plastic.  Then insert the plug and gently tap into place and allow to cool.  Be careful not to insert the plug too forcefully as this can split the horn.  When cool, the plug should be tight in the end of the horn.  An alternative is to epoxy the plug into the base of the horn. 

The remaining material which is proud of the end of the horn can now be sanded flush with the end of the horn.  You now have a flush butte plug.   

To make a plug which is proud of the end the horn, first determine how much proud the plug should be, generally between one-half and three-fourths inch.  Take a piece of wood of the appropriate thickness, and cut it so that it is just larger than the butt of the horn.  Epoxy this piece onto the flush plug already fitted in the horn.  This piece can then be filed and sanded until it is flush with the exterior circumference of the horn.  The plug is now ready for final shaping and carving. 

Brass pins can now be inserted through the horn into the butte plug.  Make certain to drill holes large enough to received the pins at least through the horn.  Driving the pins through the horn, or through undersized holes this close to the end will split the horn.   

Strap Hangers:  Finials can be attached to the plug to be used as strap hangers.  Finials can be made of wood, or you can use the tip of the horn which was cut off prior to drilling the spout hole.  I generally make a staple from 1/8 inch square stock steel.  This stock steel can be easily shaped using a propane torch.  Heat the steel until cherry red, then bend with a light hammer over a vise. 

Final Finishing of the Surface:  The surface of the horn will need to be finished just like any woodworking project.  I use a woodworking scraper to remove major scratches and blemishes, then go to fine sand papers, then coarse and fine steel wools.  If desired the horn can be brought to a fine gloss using polishing pastes and a buffing wheel.  I finish the butte plug using gunstock oil, and typically apply one or two very thin coats of gunstock oil to the exterior of the horn as well.

Show Off Your Horn:  Its finished and even if its just a simple horn, you've earned yourself some bragging rights.    

Back to Plans, Designs and How-To's