This year’s 4-1/2 day long horn skills class at the 24th Annual Conner Prairie Arms Making Workshop in Fishers, Indiana, focused on each participant making their own replica of the Early Philadelphia style internal screw-tip powder horn.  The class started on Saturday, October 5 and concluded on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 with all ten participants completing a fine Early Philadelphia powder horn with screw-tip, applied collar, and decorative band.

The class began with a lecture on screw-tip powder horns in general and the specific historic significance of the Early Philadelphia style.  Several original examples of this style were on hand for reference, along with additional contemporary examples.  Following the lecture, question and answer period and distribution of the course syllabus, work began in earnest.

Instructor Art DeCamp and his assistant Jim Pease helped all the participants in the class learn how to heat and shape the horn body, turn its ends true in the lathe, cut and fit a horn band, drill, bore and fit the applied collar, turn and thread the internal screw tip, and develop their lathe turning skills on both horn and wood to the point that each was able to produce a very nice rendition of the French & Indian War period style horn that was made in Philadelphia, PA in the late 1750′s through the early 1770′s.  With four individual turned horn pieces, and one wood piece this internal screw-tip style horn is one of the most complex types that can be replicated.

The participants came from near and far and included:

• Daniel Boling, Maryville, TN
• Jeff Gier, West Liberty, OH
• David Gundrum, Fortville, IN
• Walter Mabry, Jackson, MS
• Rex Reddick, Denison, TX
• Chris  DeCamillis, Traverse City, MI
• Joe Rushton, Tipton, IN
• Brian Shrader, Marion, IN
• Glenn Sutt, Olympia, WA
• Kevin Walden, Russiaville, IN

To see more of Art DeCamp’s Master level work, go to his website at: www.artspowderhorns.com.