Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

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roaringtwenties
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Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by roaringtwenties »

I saw this video on Youtube a while back and was simply amazed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2w-UOJse8I

I know that the guy who made this incredible horn is part of this forum and I believe he is German. Anyway that record is by Hanz Bund and his orchestra, and it sounds almost hifi with that amazing horn! I would like to make a horn like that (on a smaller scale) from plaster. If anyone has made a plaster horn, could you share how you made the mold? Is there a rigid structure behind the plaster? Also does a bigger horn mean a better and louder sound? I've seen this theory disproven with horns made from standard printer paper, but was not sure about a horn made from a more rigid material. Also I am asking this mostly because the guy who made this huge horn "sort of" shared how he made the horn. By this I mead he just posted dimensions, at least in the two forms I have seen, and no actual instructions to make one.

Thanks for the insight everyone, I really do appreciate all the kind input I have gotten recently!

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Re: Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by redgem94 »

Hi mate looks like it could be paper mache with a wire frame? fiber glass would be to heavy? for a horn that size.
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Re: Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by roaringtwenties »

Thanks for the quick reply! I was thinking that though a wire frame could create a "buzzing" sound while vibrating with the plaster.

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Re: Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by redgem94 »

No worries mate still sunny here in Queensland, Australia.
if the wiring is encased in the plaster firmly enough it should not be a problem although if its not set right the plaster may chip or crumble with the repeated vibrations?

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Re: Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by Curt A »

Actually, the horn can be seen better in this video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTTr2MdlwRk

It appears to be made from paper mache, just looking at the construction. It reminds me of British Expert horns, which were also made of paper mache. It does sound good, considering its appearance, and surprisingly it apparently does not need to be smooth to sound good. I would say that it was made using a wire form for the base and then covered with paper and glue until the shape was formed. I'm not sure how plaster would work, because of its weight and difficulty to form. If you want a large horn, paper mache, a thin sheet of aluminum or thin plastic laminate of some sort formed into a simple cone would probably be easier and lighter. I make horns for Polly Portables out of laminated paper and they sound great.

You could also make it out of wood veneer. The idea would be a large horn that looks like a 10" black cone horn for a Columbia Q, with no bell to worry about. The main problem you will encounter is trying to support it, once it's finished. You would need to make a floor crane that would accommodate a huge horn, rather than supporting it on plastic crates as shown in the video...

One other thought: you might form it out of window screen for the base and cover it with paper mache or try spraying something like Flex Seal coating over it (as seen on TV). https://www.flexsealproducts.com/produc ... al-colors/

Obviously, if you intend to try this, you have to think outside the box...
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Re: Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by Curt A »

redgem94 wrote:No worries mate still sunny here in Queensland, Australia.
if the wiring is encased in the plaster firmly enough it should not be a problem although if its not set right the plaster may chip or crumble with the repeated vibrations?
Plaster is too rigid for a horn and the weight would be a problem to support. You don't have to worry about a wire frame as a base, since it will be covered with whatever you make it out of, so no vibrations. You could make it like an umbrella upside down and cover it with nylon cloth...
"The phonograph† is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.

"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
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Re: Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by Uncle Vanya »

Actually, plaster dipped cheese cloth was a common material for horns in the old days.

The machine in question has a born which is said to be made of plaster and papier-maché.


http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... f=2&t=6065

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Re: Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by roaringtwenties »

Thank you for the reply! I knew that the horn was made out of plaster, but I thought that plaster couldn't support itself at that scale. I thought there had to be a rigid support structure, such as a metal wire frame inside, but again like I said before I thought the wire would make a not needed "buzzing" noise.

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Re: Could anyone give some insight on how to make a horn?

Post by roaringtwenties »

I just looked over the post you sent me Uncle Vanya really carefully, and FOUND the answer. He used a mold, and plastered that! I am still unsure if he has a rigid support structure, or how he connected the two pieces of the horn. At least, I believe it is two pieces.

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