Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: solodesperado81 on August 21, 2012, 09:44:55 am

Title: Horn tip tips?
Post by: solodesperado81 on August 21, 2012, 09:44:55 am
Anyone have any good advice on how to shine up horn tips for an English longbow after its been sanded down?
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on August 21, 2012, 10:08:10 am
Steel wool - OOOO
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: SLIMBOB on August 21, 2012, 10:17:15 am
I read a post a while back about this question.  The suggestion was...your wife's "Magic Nail File".  The one that has 3 different grits.  So under the cover of darkness, I borrowed my wife's.  I used 1000 grit sand paper first, and then polished them up with the "Magic Nail File".  Worked like a charm.  Beautiful shiny finish!  Only problem was the abuse suffered by the dainty little critter.  It looked as though somebody had locked it in a vice and tried to polish buffalo horn with it!  Oh, and then left it on the shop floor so the dog could have its fun with it.  In my home, this would have been considered an unacceptable security breach.  So I bought her a new one from Walley World, and under the cover of darkness, replaced the original with the copy.  International crisis averted, and I have a horn polishing tool of my very own.
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: blackhawk on August 21, 2012, 10:30:16 am
I got a polishing kit that goes to my dremel tool.
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: toomanyknots on August 21, 2012, 10:57:14 am
I read a post a while back about this question.  The suggestion was...your wife's "Magic Nail File".  The one that has 3 different grits.  So under the cover of darkness, I borrowed my wife's.  I used 1000 grit sand paper first, and then polished them up with the "Magic Nail File".  Worked like a charm.  Beautiful shiny finish!  Only problem was the abuse suffered by the dainty little critter.  It looked as though somebody had locked it in a vice and tried to polish buffalo horn with it!  Oh, and then left it on the shop floor so the dog could have its fun with it.  In my home, this would have been considered an unacceptable security breach.  So I bought her a new one from Walley World, and under the cover of darkness, replaced the original with the copy.  International crisis averted, and I have a horn polishing tool of my very own.

HA!
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: Gaur on August 21, 2012, 12:16:30 pm
sand them as fine as you can and then buff them.  A little true oil on them then looks awesome
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: JackCrafty on August 21, 2012, 12:20:18 pm
I like Slimbob's method... and story. ;D
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: JW_Halverson on August 23, 2012, 12:18:12 am
If you use a power tool to polish, be sure to keep the horn moving on the buffing wheel.  DO not let it build up heat or the horn will toast.  The smell is unpleasant, but then you have to scrape off the nasty brown crappy surface and re-polish!

Learned that the hard way on my first powderhorn.  Lovely black tips until they burnt brown and stinky!  Yech ???
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: Tom Leemans on August 23, 2012, 04:45:03 pm
Go to the local beauty supply and they've got foam nail boards that have as much as 8 different grits. You can get a very highly polished surface with them, or you can quit a little sooner so the finish will stick.
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: Bryce on August 23, 2012, 05:02:11 pm
I read a post a while back about this question.  The suggestion was...your wife's "Magic Nail File".  The one that has 3 different grits.  So under the cover of darkness, I borrowed my wife's.  I used 1000 grit sand paper first, and then polished them up with the "Magic Nail File".  Worked like a charm.  Beautiful shiny finish!  Only problem was the abuse suffered by the dainty little critter.  It looked as though somebody had locked it in a vice and tried to polish buffalo horn with it!  Oh, and then left it on the shop floor so the dog could have its fun with it.  In my home, this would have been considered an unacceptable security breach.  So I bought her a new one from Walley World, and under the cover of darkness, replaced the original with the copy.  International crisis averted, and I have a horn polishing tool of my very own.

HA!

HAHAHAHAHA OMGOSH!! Sounds like the next Mission Impossible movie. Just think you'll be played by Tom cruise lol ;D
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: Del the cat on August 23, 2012, 05:48:25 pm
I use a buffing wheel in my pillar drill (drill press) with polishing compound on it (or an electric drill will do fine).
Comes up like glass.
I bought a couple of small wheels and half a bar of 'Vonax' (redish brown stuff) and half a bar of 'Lustre' (creamy white)
I use wet & Dry paper first going down to 240 grade then maybe a quick rub with 400.
The vonax wheel gets it pretty shiny and then the lustre, blows you out of the water. ;D
Del
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: RidgeRunner on August 23, 2012, 06:34:44 pm
I did like SLIMBOB.  But, I got busted. ::)
Had to buy the wife another. ;D

That was years ago.

Now she just give me her old ones.

David
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: bobnewboy on August 23, 2012, 06:42:11 pm
I finish horn like Del does, but I use 320/400 grit paper, and then T-Cut on a cotton buffing wheel for the final finish.
Title: Re: Horn tip tips?
Post by: Eastman on August 28, 2012, 01:00:18 pm
I've sanded them down with 300 grit and then put sanding sealer on. And then buffed up with a cloth. Not the best way, just how i do it. (: