Bulking problem?

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Presumably you are referring to the text that I linked last night, Ian

MichaelG.

What about trying string..? something like a good quality thick parcel string. Heat the horn and then work along its length tightly coiling the string, leave to cool, remove the string and then repeat the process. It would probably mean a good number of repeats as it would be gradual but it may work.

May also be a daft idea.

Ron

Edited By Ron Laden on 10/08/2019 09:07:17

Thinking about Ron Laden's suggestion of binding with string, I think that could be a winner. Old time stick makers wouldn't have had a lot of tackle, such as an array of hose clips, to reduce the size of a horn, from whatever animal it had come from, so reducing it gradually with it bound tightly after boiling to soften it and letting it set thus clamped was probably how they went about it.

Repeated treatments were probably needed, I would not expect final size to be achieved in one hit.

Regards

Brian

I would just like to thank everyone for their advice and contributions to solving this problem. I have a lot to ponder/ consider and your input has given me lots of food for thought and is much appreciated. Thanks Brian

How elastic is the material? How quickly does it spring back when a clamp is released?

The Mikalor clips have a range over which they are designed to clamp. Exceeding this will, as you have found out, lead to breakage. Once you reach the lower limit of a particular clamp, you might have to release it and replace with a smaller one.

One principle of the piston ring clamp that you might borrow is the spiral of spring steel that surrounds the rings. If you put something similar on the horn, and then the Mikalor clamp over it, the spring steel should slide over itself, especially if lubricated, and reduce the force needed.

MichaelG, yes it was the same site although I didn't find it through your link.

Ian S C

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Well ... if two of us, opposite sides of the world, found it independently; it must be a good source

MichaelG.