# How to drill antlers



## rebel1 (Feb 12, 2013)

Does anyone have a jig or vise to drill dreer antlers. I try to drill on a drill press but I blow outthe sides on a lot of them. Even when I manage to get the hole through them the ends are wallard out to big for the pen tubes. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks Rebel1:usflag:


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## mrcook4570 (Feb 12, 2013)

Mount them between centers on your lathe and round them first.  Then, it will be much easier to line up the antler in the vise so the drill does not blow out the side.


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## AKPenTurner (Feb 12, 2013)

I clamp them tight in a vice and use my drill press. If your problem is the blank blowing out, then super sharp bits and slow speeds help prevent that and sloppy ends, but sometimes the antlers are just too small or curved to work.


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## keithbyrd (Feb 12, 2013)

Watch this you tube
Drill2 - YouTube


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## plantman (Feb 13, 2013)

Are you positive your antlers are dry enough??   Jim  S


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## booney0717 (Feb 13, 2013)

I've only turned antler mabey 10 times but only had it blow out on me a couple. It has to be held tight. I might have to start my drilling off center on top on curved peices to have it come out right on the exit. Kinda like shooting aim for the exit. Drill slow and keep it cool, if the antler gets hot it can crack or blow out. Dont know if this helps but its what i do.


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## Tim'sTurnings (Feb 13, 2013)

I drill mine on the lathe just like keithbyrd's youtube link except I hold the antler between the drillbit and live center and line up the tube beside/ontop of the antler. That way I can see exactly where I want to drill. I try to leave some of the textured outside of the antler in my finished blank. This procedure works great for me.
Tim.


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## KenV (Feb 13, 2013)

Les Elm's tutorial on the topic provides a fast and direct process on the lathe.  Hunt for "drilling_antler.pdf" by Les.


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## leehljp (Feb 13, 2013)

There is one way to drill on the drill press and be accurate. It uses the same principle and there used to be a video of it - but the web page has been taken down. 

Mark and make a small hole for the entrance and exit points as shown on the video and PDF for the lathe. ON the DP mount a 1/4 to 3/8 inch board, that is about 6 inches square or round, clamp it down. The board needs to have a nail protruding to the top by about 1/8 inch, in the approximate center. Set the antler in place and hold with pliers. Your entrance and exit points are now determeined. Drill down to almost the nail and then raise the antler with the pliers in a similar fashion as in the video on the lathe.

I personally perfer the lathe but if you don't have and MT Drill chuck, this method will work.


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## jbswearingen (Feb 13, 2013)

keithbyrd said:


> Watch this you tube
> Drill2 - YouTube





This is my method, too, though I have rough turned round and then mounted in my chuck's pin jaws to drill on the lathe.


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## rebel1 (Feb 15, 2013)

I watched the vidio and tried it. drilled 5 antlers and no blow outs. Thanks for the help.


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## rherrell (Feb 16, 2013)

leehljp said:


> There is one way to drill on the drill press and be accurate. It uses the same principle and there used to be a video of it - but the web page has been taken down.
> 
> Mark and make a small hole for the entrance and exit points as shown on the video and PDF for the lathe. ON the DP mount a 1/4 to 3/8 inch board, that is about 6 inches square or round, clamp it down. The board needs to have a nail protruding to the top by about 1/8 inch, in the approximate center. Set the antler in place and hold with pliers. Your entrance and exit points are now determeined. Drill down to almost the nail and then raise the antler with the pliers in a similar fashion as in the video on the lathe.
> 
> I personally perfer the lathe but if you don't have and MT Drill chuck, this method will work.


 
I use this nail in board method, it works great!


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## randyrls (Feb 16, 2013)

keithbyrd said:


> Watch this you tube
> Drill2 - YouTube



That is interesting and informative!  Although rather late,  one caution is that if you put a drill chuck in the headstock, be careful it doesn't come out of the morse taper!!   
If the drill chuck has a drawbar on the base of the taper, be sure to use a length of threaded rod and knob or nut to keep the drill chuck firmly seated.  Be sure to stop the lathe before trying to remove the blank.  If you pull on the drill bit, blank, or chuck, you can easily pull the spinning chuck out of the headstock.  BAD NEWS!


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## Boz (Feb 16, 2013)

That is the same way I drilled mine.  Remember if you want to keep some of the bark it will be the portion on the inside of the curve.  When determining where to put the dimples for the drill bit and live center set the brass tube on the section of antler and line it up.


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## Kenny Durrant (Feb 17, 2013)

Guys thanks for the tip using the nail in the board on the drill press. I use a driil chuck on the lathe because that was the best way at the time I was looking to do something better than a pen vise. A frieind just started pen turning and has limited funds but he has a drill press and this idea will work great. Thanks for sharing.


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