# dying deer antlers



## rebel1 (Feb 17, 2013)

I have some deer antlers from West Texas. They were all sheds and must have layed in the fields for a long time. They have turned off white, I make pens out of these and would like to get them back with a little brown tint to them. I have tried brown shoe polish but it did not look right. Is it possible to get a brown tint back to them? Thanks, rebel1


----------



## Jgrden (Feb 17, 2013)

Hard to do. I dyed some antler red and blue and it took real well but to provide an overall change in color would be hard.


----------



## booney0717 (Feb 17, 2013)

i've had some pretty good results using walnut wood stain. its a pretty close match.


----------



## SteveG (Feb 17, 2013)

I have read that you can strip the color from antler yielding a close-to-white color just by soaking in standard peroxide. That might be a starting point for you, or may be an acceptable color to use. The process is said to leave any natural color in the "bark". This is something I ran across in research, but have not tried myself.


----------



## KenV (Feb 17, 2013)

Walnut Watco does a reasonable job of bringing forward a light brown.


----------



## lyonsacc (Feb 17, 2013)

Recently read in Rich Klienhenz's The Pen Turner's Bible that soaking the antler in "potassium permanganate can restore faded bark to a dark brown". According to the book you can find it on ebay - and wear gloves when using it.

Thanks to LMOL for getting me the book for Christmas:biggrin:


----------



## reddwil (Feb 18, 2013)

I assume you have turned it down to size and is it still to white??  I use alot of sheds, and most are bleached and chaukly on the outside. Once I turn them they are fine. When i was doing taxidermy i would use walnut wood stain and some suppliers sold a antler stain. I was cheap and used minwax.


----------



## Phillikl (Feb 19, 2013)

I've done antler in red with aluminite dye, works out pretty good.  If you want some "interesting" results; cut your blank long and stop drilling about 1/4-1/2" from the end and fill the hole with dye and let it set for a couple days.  The dye will absorb through the weak points of the antler and enhance the patterns after turned.  I've also read somewhere that the Rit clothing dye will give some good results.


----------



## rebel1 (Feb 19, 2013)

Where do you get the Aluminite dye from and what is it?


----------



## MarkD (Feb 19, 2013)

rebel1 said:


> Where do you get the Aluminite dye from and what is it?


Alumilite - Products - Support Products - Alumilite Dye


----------



## triw51 (Feb 19, 2013)

I have used potassium permanganate and it works. When you mix it with water it looks like grape kool-aid but when it dries it is pretty.  (Don't get any on your hands they will turn purple.)  I have heard if you take old antler and put on several coats of thin CA, letting it soak in well between coats, until no more will soak in.  Let dry for several days when buffed looks like ivory.  Have seen some but have not done it my self.


----------

