Would like to make a couple of cups from cow horns. A friend made two for my wife and I as wedding presents. He lined the cups so we could use hot/cold. Yea, I know ask him. Unfortunely, he passed a while back.

Been looking on line trying to find something to line the cups with, with out being toxic. Much help would be greatful
smallcrow1

Tony horn from personal experience is a hard material to use for both hot and cold. Don't get me wrong it can but I have found useing it for cold to be better in the long run. I use a pottery mug for coffee, tea etc n have a horn mug for water, juice, ale etc. Heat will give you problems with most natural sealents so you may have to go with a food grade poly of some sort, I don't know for sure, but if you keep them for cool n cold quite a few natural coatings can be used n recoated every few years.Horn will expand and contract with heat so the sealent needs to do the same n still adhere, tuff to do. For cold I usually just use bees wax although its not really historicly correct early on, honey bees are an import n moved west with the people as they moved along so you can get away with it. I like a pottery mug nice n warm to wrap yer hands around when full of a warm drink on a cold day--just some thoughts YMHS Birdman

Birdman:

I ended up going over old replies back to 2008.One person said polymer compound. I called the local paint depart at Lowell's and they said butcher block oil. I do have one more place to call. Thanks
smallcrow1

From my ignernt & po childhood I recall gourds being used for cold drinks, at least. Don't know if they could be made to work with hot but I don't see why not. Now I can't speak for HC'ness.

Well, like I said in my first, our friend made one for hot or cold. Unfortunely he passed a couple of years back, so I don't know what he use.
smallcrow1

Small just curious, what color is the inside? If its black its most likely brewers pitch, if clear maybe a poly compound if sort of yellowish n slightly sticky feeling it may be bees wax.

Birdman:
Not pitch. It's clear, but not sticky. It's also smooth, "see through" as it were.
smallcrow1

just an educated guess then but I'd say its probably a modern poly compound of some sort. Exactly which one is up in he air though.Personally though Small I'd stay away from hot drinks in a horn cup, the horn just flexs to much with the heat n cooling off to maintain a seal for very long without the bottom starting to leak or the finish inside cracking or peeling. I could be totally wrong n maybe some others will chime in with better knowledge on this, I just talking from personal use of horn cups over the years YMHS Birdman

I'm guessing some kind of epoxy finish. Horn may seem like a neat idea but, in reality, kind of stinky and not really practical. I ended up with a wood noggin that is unfinished. Any finish came off and made an unpleasant mess of what I was drinking. Plain wood takes hot or cold well.

Hey Smallcrow,a hornmaking friend of mine uses an epoxy called pour-on,made by environmental technology,inc.The stuff is almost bomb proof,he's been using it for years just for hot/cold ,adult beverage horn cups with no complaints,it's just not hc/pc

chuckles:
Thanks. I,ll try and find them on line. See if they have a list of stores or try to order from them. This stuff is food safe? Right.
Have been using the cups made for me for years---hot/cold. I think Tom cleaned out the inside very well before he put the coat inside. No bad flavors coming out from the horn. It's about 6" tall, not real deep. About 4" across.
smallcrow1

hey all:
Just though I would let everyonr know, that I talked to a company calle "systems3". After 4 days looking and calling, they said that a product that they have called "clear coat" would work.

It's an epoxy, and should set for about a week or better to cure. It will hold hot liquids and other good stuff.

smallcrow

Just though to let Mr. B. know that a couple more days and I'll try some hot stuff in my cup. I'll let you know how it goes.

smallcrow1@att.net