Skip to main contentSkip to main navigationSkip to footer content

Black Powder

For details, call Donna Haddow at 719-846-5724.
Continuing Education only - not for college credit.

18th Century Powder Horn Construction and Sculpting
June 5–7 2023
and
Longrifle Hunting Pouch Construction
June 7-9 2023

Using 18–19th Century methods, students will sculpt a powder horn in the manner of an early campaign horn. Starting with a descaled horn, students will use hand tools including chisels, files or scrapers to sculpt it in the manner of a period horn, dill a hole for a pouring spout, carve and fit a wood plug, pin and glue it in place, and stain the horn.

Students enrolled in the hunting bag class will construct an 18–19th Century possibles/hunting pouch. These bags were carried by long hunters, farmers or explorers to carry the accoutrements necessary for the care and use of their firearm. After cutting the leather pieces, students will sew them together, attach the carrying straps, dye, and if desired, artificially age them.

These two seminars compliment each other and since both involve extensive use of hand tools, students should have manual dexterity and familiarity with simple hand tools.

Additionally, we anticipate an optional field trip to a private firearms museum to view period guns near Santa Fe on June 10, 2023. Car pooling is encouraged as parking is limited.

Instructor: Gary Yee

Tools for 18th Century powder horn

  1. Coarse 4-6” Rat tail file
  2. Fine chain saw file
  3. Rasp (4 in 1)
  4. Mill bastard file, 8”
  5. Utility knife with replaceable blades (or sharp 3” knife)
  6. Pencil and eraser
  7. Small sanding block (may be wood or rubber)
  8. Coping saw
    Optional:
  9. hacksaw
  10. dividers
  11. Wood mallet (small 12 oz ball peen hammer)
  12. hand vise (only if you intend to use flat nails)
  13. Apron
  14. 12” long 2 x 2 square scrap wood (to be rasped to fit the horn)
  15. ¼” metal rod (may be brass or cold roll steel), about 4”
  16. scrap leather sufficient to wrap around item 14

Supplies:

Round toothpicks, or brass tacks or flat nails (about 10 mm long – note you may bring longer nails that may be shortened) for securing the horn plug to horn, polished mostly white horn 8-14”, pine 4x4” and between ½” to 1” thick. Optional: ½” toy compass. India ink (black) if you want to scrimshaw it.

Bag making class

  1. Overstitch wheel
  2. leather awl
  3. Utility knife (with replaceable blade)
  4. Heavy duty shears (for cutting leather)
  5. Scratch gauge
  6. Leather punch
  7. Ball peen hammer
  8. Duct tape (optional)