HORN, MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES IN.
Horn, particularly of oxen, cows, goats, and sheep, is a substance soft, semi-trans parent, and susceptible of being cut and pressed into a variety of forms ; it is this property that distinguishes it from bone.
These valuable propertiesbeing known render horn susceptible of being em ployed in a variety of works fit for the turner, comb, and snuff-box maker. The kind of horn most to he preferred, is that of goats and sheep, from its being whiter and more transparent than the horn of any other animal. When horn is wanted in sheets or plates, it must be steeped in water, to he able to separate the pith from the kernel, for about fifteen days in summer, and a month in winter ; and when it is soaked it must be taken out by one end and well shaken and rubbed, in order to get out the pith • af ter which it must be put for hall an hour in boiling water, and then taken out, and the surface sawed even, lengthwise ; it must again be put into the boiling water to soften it, so as to render it capable of separating ; then with the help of small iron chisel it can be divided into sheets or leaves. The thick pieces will form three leaves, those which are thin will form only two, whilst young horn, which is only one quarter of an inch thick, will form only one. These plates or leaves must again be put into the boiling water, and when they are sufficiently soft, they must be well worked with a sharp cutting instrument, to render those parts that are thick even and uniform ; it must be put once more into the boiling water, and then carried to the press. Mr. J. James has contrived a method of opening up the horns of cattle, by which he avoids the risk of scorching or frizzing, which is apt to happen in heating them over an open fire. He takes a solid block of iron pierced with a conical hole, which is fitted with a conical iron plug, heats them in a stove to the temperature of melting lead, and having previously cut up the horn lengthwise on one side with a saw, he inserts its narrow end into the hole, and drives the plug into it with a mallet. By the heat of the irons, the horn gets so softened in the course of about a minute, as to bear flatting out in the usual way.
At the bottom of the press employed, there must be a strong block, in which is formed a cavity of nine inches square, and of a proportionate depth ; the sheets of horn are to be laid within this cavity, in the following manner : at the bottom, first a sheet of hot iron, upon this a sheet of horn, then again a sheet of hot iron, and so on, taking care to place at the to a plate of iron even with the last, and the press must then be screwed down tight.
There is a more expeditions process, at least in part, for reducing the horn into sheets, when it is wanted very even. Af ter having sawed it with a very fine and sharp saw, the pieces must be put into a boiler used for the purpose, and then boiled until sufficiently soft, so as to be able to be split with pincers ; then bring quickly the sheets of horn to the press, where they are to be placed in a strong vice, the clasps of which are iron, and larger than the sheets of horn, and screw the vice as quick and tight as possible ; let it then cool in the press or vice, or it is as well to plunge the whole into cold water. The last mode is preferable, be
cause the horn does not dry up in cool ing. Now draw out the leaves of horn, and introduce other horn to undergo the same process. The horn so enlarged in pressing is to be submitted to the action of the saw, which ought to be set in an iron frame, if the horn is wanted to be cut with advantage, in sheets of any de sired thickness, which cannot be done without adopting this mode. The thin sheets thus produced, must be kept con , stantly very warm between the plates of hot iron to preserve their softness. Every leaf must be loaded with a weight heavy enough to prevent its warping. To join the edges of these pieces of horn to gether, it is necessary to provide strong iron moulds suited to the shape of the ar ticle that is wanted, and to place the pieces in contact with copper plates, or with polished metal surfaces against them ; when this is done, the whole should be put into a vice and screwed up tight, then plunged into boiling water, and after some time it is to be removed from thence, and immersed in cold water, which will cause the edges of the horn to cement together, and become perfectly united.
To complete the polish of the horn, the surface must be rubbed with sub-nitrate of bismouth, by the palm of the hand. The process is short and has this advan tage—that it makes the horn dry prompt ly. When it is wished to spot the horn in imitation of tortoise shell, metallic so lution must be employed as follows : To spot it red, a solution of gold in aqua regia must be employed ; to spot it black, a solution of silver in nitric acid must be used ; and for brown, a hot solution of mercury in nitric acid. The right side of the lions must be impregnated with those solutions, and they will assume the color intended. The brown spots can be produced on the horn by means of a paste made of red lead, with a solution of pot ash, which must be put in pieces on the horn, and subjected some time to the ac tion of heat. The deepness of the brown shade depends upon the quantity of pot ash used in the paste, and the length of time the mixture lies on the horn. A demotion of Brazil wood, a solution of indigo with sulphuric acid, a decoction of saffron, and Barbary tree wood is used. After having employed these materials, the horn may be left for half a day in a strong solution of vinegar and alum.