Tonights piece is a Long Horn Head out of 1/2″ sq. I have made them out of everything from 3/8″ to 2″ square stock.

Flatten the end on the face of the anvil back about 1″.

As you flatten or taper the end, keep it the same width as the stock. We take a good heat and use a hot cutter to split all the way through the length of the taper. I put in the vice and use a blunt punch to spread the what will be horns and eliminate sharp end of the cut.

Now we start drawing the horns out (we keep them square at this point).

There is a lag tonight. Please just bear with us and we will get it all done. After we draw out the horns a little bit, I put it in the vice and bump up the end until I am completely flat across the top. Makes a “T”. A long horn doesn’t have have a cut in the middle of his horns like a water buffalo.

Now we start rounding the horns out and bring them out to a point.

At this point, I “Cool the Horns ONLY”. I want to get a lot of heat in the section right below the horns, and make my bend as short as possible so as not to end up with a big long face. I fold it back over itself as SHORT AS POSSIBLE!

After I make the bend, I move the horns back out of the way, so I can shape the face. I use a rounding hammer to taper the end and shape the face. I use a rounding hammer so I can get a dish or divot in to the edges of the face where the eyes are going to be.

After I get the face pretty well shaped with the radius in his face, I clamp it in the vice.

Using a dull center punch, I punch the nostrils, and use a hot cutter to cut the mouth.

I take another heat and punch the eyes with the eye punch

Now we straighten the horns back out, and start rolling them down to look like a long horn. I do this over the tip end of the horn of the anvil by rolling it back toward me as I GENTLY tap on it. Repeat the same process (IN REVERSE) for the other side. (THIS DOES TAKE A LITTLE PRACTICE!) Try to keep the horns as uniform as possible.

One went down, will work from here. I take a good heat the stock below the head, I cool the nose and loop it back. Go over the edge of the horn and hammer it down so it will center up.

Sorry my picture isn’t very clear. I use this on fireplace tool sets, on Boot scrapers, and assorted other things. They are very popular. The longhorn firetool set that I do sells for $450.

Any questions or clarifications ??

When you rolled the “face” over, do you bring it to a welding heat to make it solid?

Bill, where the different points cross each other do they actually touch each other ( does this effect the tone)

could you put this on the head of a cane…?

It is not necessary to bring the head to a welding heat because I bend it so short the part in front of the crack is what I use to shape the face with. When you fold a piece of 1/2 over itself, 1/2″ back, you end up with full 1/2″ of metal in front to shape the face with.

What time does it take for you do do this?

You have to get it up to almost a welding heat to be able to bend it that short, that’s why I say, AS SHORT AS Possible. It takes me about 30-45 minutes to make one of these from 1/2″ stock. Bigger stock longer.

how do you get it so hot and not burn the horns off!

A horse head is different, but this same head can be made into a Rams Head, A Mule Head, a Gazzel, a Moose, a Deer, Elk, anything with horns. You just got to shape the horns, the face is approximately the same.

T-Boat – You have to dip the horns in the Quench tub, and ONLY the horns to keep from burning them up while you are heating the bigger mass. I cool the horns alot. Sorry, I forget to say this enough, it’s too automatic for me.

T-boat, It also helps to control your fire so its not TOO hot! Gas forge does a nice job on this type of stuff.

Very true, gas does real well on this. I use gas at shop, of course always use coal at a show. Worth every penny JJ, I just got a raise. Hi Gary, How’s the bride.

Jock- Even with a gas forge you have to cool the horns don’t you?

John, Not unless the forge is cranked up for welding. OR you are using toobig a furnace.

I use charcoal, it takes a deaper fire to produce enough heat to get things hot it seems, happy day, J-J!