[Liad Bar-EL]

Hello everyone,

I am trying to repair a Ram’s Horn (Keratin material which is a natural (bio) thermoplastic polymer).

I am trying to find an alternative other than using a heat gun.

I am not looking for an adhesive nor for any foreign material that would remain on the horn after its application but rather I would like to know if there is a chemical which when applied will fuse two cracked pieces together.  I hope not to create a hole in this Keratin but rather a substance to perform a “melting process” as it were.

I would greatly appreciate any and all comments on this matter.

All the best,

Liad

[nj_bartel]

So you want something to melt it, but not a heat gun??

What's the mp?

[P]

Maybe a stupid question but I need to ask  -  Is this a living ram with a broken horn or is it a detatched horn that is snapped?

[Liad Bar-EL]

The Heat Gun will melt the Ram's Horn at 150 degrees Cent.

This Ram’s Horn is off from the Ram and used (blown) like a trumpet.  The end farthest from the tip cracked in one side of the wall.

Thanks for your interests,

Liad

[macman104]

Google "shofar" for those not familiar.

As a side note, the shofar should work fine, no?  We have quite a few shofarot that have cracks in them.

[Liad Bar-EL]

When a Ram's Horn (Shofar) becomes cracked or it has a hole in it, it is no longer Kosher and not allowed to be played for the Holidays, etc.

If there is not chemical that can fix this, then I will have to use a Heat Gun.  The Heat Gun just seems like using a cannon to kill a fly.

If you have a lot of Shofarot that are cracked, would you mind experimenting on the worst one with a chemical to see if this is the right approach to take?  Don't apply it to the whole crack but just to one small portion to see if it will make a positive effect.

Thanks,

Liad

[nj_bartel]

Heat guns can operate as low as 100 ^oC, and they have attachments that can concentrate the flow of the air.  I think heat gun is probably your best option.  There may be a reaction to repolymerize around the crack, but I doubt you'd get it to run in a way that it'd just fix the crack, and the substances used for it would potentially be toxic.

[macman104]

When a Ram's Horn (Shofar) becomes cracked or it has a hole in it, it is no longer Kosher and not allowed to be played for the Holidays, etc.

Ah true, the ones in our home are more a result of over-the-years accumulation, so didn't even think about Kashrut in this regard.

If you have a lot of Shofarot that are cracked, would you mind experimenting on the worst one with a chemical to see if this is the right approach to take?  Don't apply it to the whole crack but just to one small portion to see if it will make a positive effect.

I would love to, unfortunatley, they are in my parent's home, while I am in Chicago.

What about something simply to seal the crack?  I'll admit my "shofar kashrut" laws are not quite up to snuff, so I'm not sure if the crack has to be actually sealed/repaired with the ram's horn becoming closed, or if you can simply seal the gap with some sort of sealer.

If you can just seal it, would something like some sort of clear sealant/epoxy work.  Or maybe some sort of acrylic sealer, that wouldn't show?

[Liad Bar-EL]

The Kasherut law is that no foreign substance can be found in the Shofar or it becomes pasul (not Kosher).

If we are talking about heat, then I will need a substance (material) to backup the hollow of the horn when applying the heat so that it will not collapse or become deformed in some uncontrollable way.  Do you know of a material that will form fit the horn and yet not burn?