In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

Help with powder horn polishing

IRONSTICKSIRONSTICKS Member Posts: 149 ✭✭✭
edited June 2003 in Ask the Experts
What are some good ways to hand polish a powder horn? This is a used horn. I just want to clean it up a little.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • rhmc24rhmc24 Member Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If it is a nice old antique horn, don't do any of these things that might remove the collected patina. Otherwise, first get it clean with detergent and water. Don't soak it, just sponge it and wipe it. Wet is ok but don't let it soak in water. Depending on how it looks, now, if it seems to need more cleaning, try SOS pad, scrubbing lightly. When you are sure you have the surface cleaned, a light abrasive such as Soft Scrub might be next. A final polish with finer abrasive such as tooth paste, followed by a hard rub down with dry cloth or paper. I use a pair of canvas work gloves, holding and rubbing dry. Finally, I use paste floor wax.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The old original horns were never sanded finer than about 0000 steel wool would make them. That is some guide to how far to go in shining it up.

    My heros have always killed cowboys.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jjmitchell60jjmitchell60 Member Posts: 3,887
    edited November -1
    The old time way of polishing a horn was to use a piece of broken glass to shave the horn with. With that said, it is not that easy. If it is an old horn and has to antique look do not, I repeat, do not polish it. Clean it with hot water and dawn dish soap. The polishing will take the antique look off and make the horn whiter. Later on I will post a picture of one of my horns that I bought from a man. It looked real good but I wanted my name on it. To polish his name off and put mine on made the area with the name real white and it looked out of place with the finish of the rest on the horn. I did manage to get the antique look back by using a product called "Old Bones". If the horn is not an antique and you do not care to remove any patina it has gotten over the years, then a fine steel wool will work to polish it. The old timers did not polish their horns to a real glossy finish because it was unnessary. As long as the horn held powder and kept it dry then that was enough. One thing they did do was shave the horn down so far that if you held it up to the sun you could see how much powder was in the horn!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • captkirk3@dslextreme.comcaptkirk3@dslextreme.com Member Posts: 3,804
    edited November -1
    Afternoon: Is this an Old Original Mountain Man/Plainsman or Trapper Type Powderhorn from the 1800's or something that You Traded into that has been made within the past 20 years or so, and used by a Modern Black Powder Shooter?....If its an Old Original 1800's or maybe even older Horn...Don't even think of trying to Clean it....Wipe in down with a little Soap and water...let dry and if You don't have any Bear Grease then use a little Lanolin which You can get at just about any Health Food Store...It don't take much...Rub it in and Buff it with a Piece of Leather Shammoi....It rejuvinates the Horn and gives it Life again...I've used it for over 50 Years on all My Horns...and They look as good today as the days they were made..!
    If your Horn is a Recent Horn...Then You can do as you wish...and I see that some advice has been tendered...Use your own discretion...altho the same Lanolin will work just as good on a new one as well as an old one...


    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rafter-SRafter-S Member Posts: 2,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    This is how I polish powder horns (not antique horns).

    Start by painting the horn surface with black or brown leather dye--the type that is alcohol base and dries fast. Then file the horn surface with a fine tooth file to remove deep scratches. When you have removed all the dye, all the scratches will be removed. Repaint with die and sand with medium sandpaper to take out the file marks. After this, repaint the horn. Then work to a fine paper to remove the marks of the medium paper. After that, put the horn on a buffing wheel with white compound. This polishes it to a high gloss.

    Cow's horn is of the same material as fingernails. It has a grain and can be filed and polished like fingernails. Sand with the grain, especially with the fine paper. Buffing can be with or across the grain.

    Hope this 2-cents worth helps.

    Rafter-S

    "What is truth? No wonder jesting Pilate turned away. The truth, it has a thousand faces -- show only one of them, and the whole truth flies away! But how to show the whole? That is the question."
    --Thomas Wolfe, "You Can't Go Home Again" (1934)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.