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Bending horn

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BowEd:
I've got a laser thermometer and check my heat gun periodically.It's still doing ok Aaron.I fixed my vise.Beefed it up.Now the handle crank bolt wants to bend....lol.I still did 3 pair of gemsbok today from horn to laminations and sanded one water buffalo pair also.Buying gemsbok bidding on ebay or other places from a picture can be a gamble.Usually the longer thinner ones are females' horns and the shorter thicker ones are the males.I always try to buy the males.Seems at least half the time the gemsbok will only come in at a little over 1/16" thick yet overall.That is enough for around 15 pounds or so of draw weight.Occasionally one will be between 1/8" to 3/16" thick yet though.That will yeild at least 25 pounds or more depending on design of horn bow.Saw my first delamination incident with gemsbok horn.I won't trust that lamination at all on a horn bow.I'm always shooting for close to 3/16" thick starting down to 1/16" thick on the other end.22" long and at least 1.25" wide.They all don't make that.
It's all in preparing the horn with a file and scraper and whatever works in general really before it's to be flattened.Getting it even thickness throughout while hollowing it out.I use that round file bit on my drill press to do the lions's share of the work in that hollowed out area.It's a great work saver.
Anyway I've got one more pair to do.Plenty of uses for other pieces of horn though yet.

gorazd:

--- Quote from: Beadman on April 25, 2017, 10:58:28 pm ---I've got a laser thermometer and check my heat gun periodically.It's still doing ok Aaron.I fixed my vise.Beefed it up.Now the handle crank bolt wants to bend....lol.I still did 3 pair of gemsbok today from horn to laminations and sanded one water buffalo pair also.Buying gemsbok bidding on ebay or other places from a picture can be a gamble.Usually the longer thinner ones are females' horns and the shorter thicker ones are the males.I always try to buy the males.Seems at least half the time the gemsbok will only come in at a little over 1/16" thick yet overall.That is enough for around 15 pounds or so of draw weight.Occasionally one will be between 1/8" to 3/16" thick yet though.That will yeild at least 25 pounds or more depending on design of horn bow.Saw my first delamination incident with gemsbok horn.I won't trust that lamination at all on a horn bow.I'm always shooting for close to 3/16" thick starting down to 1/16" thick on the other end.22" long and at least 1.25" wide.They all don't make that.
It's all in preparing the horn with a file and scraper and whatever works in general really before it's to be flattened.Getting it even thickness throughout while hollowing it out.I use that round file bit on my drill press to do the lions's share of the work in that hollowed out area.It's a great work saver.
Anyway I've got one more pair to do.Plenty of uses for other pieces of horn though yet.

--- End quote ---

I bought one gemsbok shofar instrument from Israel (ebay)  last year - only to find out that horn was thinned down with polishing so much that horn is unusable (less than 2mm  :( )

In next attempt I have bought good looking ( I think male one) fresh gemsbok ( over 90cm in lenght) ... I filed down the ridges but havent yet flattened...

Maybe There is an option to use the rounded inner side ?   - to groove the horn with rounded scrapper ... but to make that scrapper (and counter part for grooving wood core ) is not the easy task for sure   :-K

BowEd:
Practically all the polished horn gemsbok or water buffalo is deemed unusably too thin.Yes grooving the horn convexly is an option.Finding a good suppiler of raw water buffalo horn is hard too.
Anyway good luck with your gemsbok.

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