# Working with deer antlers



## Larry

Has anyone here worked with deer antlers? Living in the mountains of Colorado I have plenty available to turn. I have cut and practiced turning some small pieces but find it very hard to cut with the shaping tools any suggestions? Also cutting a piece that is straight to hold in the lathe seems to be somewhat of a problem as well. Help folks this seems to be a tuff material to work with.

Larry


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## Paul in OKC

It is tuff to work with, but very rewarding. When drilling, it takes a good eye to line up the piece to be sure the bit goes straight thru. You may want to slow the rpm down if it is very out of whack when you start. You will have to touch up your tools a bit more frequently. HTH


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## ed4copies

Larry,

It's way too hard to do.  Please send your supply of antler to me to make it much easier on yourself.  Just a gesture of goodwill!!![][][][]


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## ctEaglesc

I work it all the time and there are times I swear I like it better than wood.
Square one side for drilling.
I use the bandsaw or a jig on the tablesaw.
Once you get a 90* side you don't have to bother squaring the remaining sides.


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## ed4copies

Too late, Eagle!!

I'm sure Larry is packaging it up to send to me.[][][][]

Seriously, Larry, Eagle does wonders with antler-follow his advice (if you keep a few pieces after shipping most to me!)


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## Rifleman1776

It does require a light touch to start turning. I use high speed and a narrow gouge (1/2"). Don't worry about making it look 'perfect'. Some outside bark and curves left on make it an out of the ordinary pen, it makes it an 'antler' pen. You want perfect? Use plastic. [][]


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## Rifleman1776

Wow! You sure do live in the mountains, rugged country where you are. I had never heard of Crawford, CO and Google Earthed it. That mountain called Saddle Peak just east of you looks like a former volcano. Is that an atv trail running around it? Looks like it would be a fun ride. What happens in Crawford beside antler collecting and pen making? [][]


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## Larry

Thanks everyone for the help.Just starting in this art of turning so I have a lot to learn. Gosh Al I would send you the antlers but being new I will probably screw them up several times and need them all. But then again maybe I will become good at working with them and have some left overs.


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## myname1960

Just out of curiosity when using any kind of antler is it wise to use fresh antlers or should they be allowed to age a bit. 

I have looked around the site but didnt actually notice this question so if it had been answered please know i had looked before asking. Thanks.


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## rtjw

depends. SOme antlers turn yellow with age. It also depends if you want the yellow look.


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## myname1960

Wasn't sure if it needed to age a bit. I believe when measuring racks they need them to dry out for a bit before they do a final score.


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## rtparso

As 1960 said apparently they shrink a little. I have never had to worry since most of what I get is from friends excess piles. I have turned some that had a yellow cast but it had hung on a wall for 10s of years. As far as drilling Eagle's method sounds good. I have a clamping jig (see below) and I just make some guide lines and visually line up the piece of antler in the jig. Some (Grizzly I think) cuts a piece and rough turns it round between centers and then drills it. I am sure there are many more that I missed.

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## tnilmerl

Ok, this is a late response to the question, but better late than never.    Being is South Texas and deer roaming free all over the place, I get lots of materials free for the picking up.  Free is always good in my book.  While I spin all kinds of woods and other materials, my customers overwhelming purchase antler pens.

First the question of 'freshness'.  Natural sheds are always better than any other antler development stage.  By then the velvet is gone, and the antler has 'calcified' fairly well.  Depending on the breed of the deer will also determine whether the antler is solid from base to tip.  Antler is very solid and hard at the tips, but this usually diminishes the closer to the base of the antler.  Some breeds have a hollow vein that runs thru the core branch.  Not usually a problem since you are drilling it out any way.  

I used to just store all the racks in the shop until I was ready to use them, but now I go ahead and band saw all the branches off the trunk and store them in big trays in my shop.  Easier to manage that way.  This has the added advantage in that I can determine how much color is in the antler from looking at the cross-section.  Not all antler is bone white.  Diet and environment plays a big part.  I have had grey-blue, green, pink, ivory, purples, and other shades.  Pretty cool.

I usually discourage customers from ordering a pen with upper and lower barrels of antler.  Any sealant with eventually wear thin, and antler is porous, and any oils from the skins will be absorbed and discolor the pen.  I have seen pens very yellow and grungy after only a year or two, while pens I made 6-7 years ago still look factory fresh.  

So, when I am ready to make a pen, I pick a piece of antler that is of appropriate thickness and not too curved.  Curved is ok, as long as I can drill from one end of the blank to the other without penetrating the external bark.  This to have to do by eye.  Take your tube and line it up against the antler and locate it where the curve and thickness are suitable.  I then mark off the end of the tubes on the antler with a pencil.  Try to get the marks across the antler at a 90 degree line from the tube.  I then use a band saw to cut my blank.  I ALWAYS cut it long.  You can always trim it down to the final length, but adding a filler is problematic.  Excess antler goes back into the storage tray.  Short pieces are saved as well to be used as fillers or center rings or such.

I guess I should also mention that you should wear a good quality air filter/mask.  Antler is a nasty material to begin with and breathing in air-borne particles is just asking for health problems.

To help with drilling, take your pencil and lightly mark a vertical line down the entire blank.  If the blank is fairly straight, you can skip the next step.  Go around the blank and mark a vertical line for each quarter segment of the blank.  Some people I know use the blank holding jig that holds onto one end of the blank is a vise-like arrangement.  This works for straight blanks, but curved blanks is prone to problems.  I created a jig from a 4x4 block that has a 45-degree nock cut into it.  The block is about 5" tall, so most pen blanks will fit without slipping over the top.  This block is screwed to a base mounted on my drill press.  The antler blank is placed into the jig with the curved side out (away from the jig).  The pencil lines now help you visually determine if your blank is vertically centered in the jig.  You may have to shim you blank to get it vertical.  Once you do this, I pressure clamp it into place and drill it out.

Take your time drilling.  Stop and back out your bit frequently.  If the antler is old and completely dried out, you'll get lots of fine dust everywhere (remember the mask warning?).  If not, then the antler tends to be moist internally and this will stick to your drill and keep gumming it up.  When I finish drilling, I keep up my bits before any antler material can dry out on the bit.  Absolute pain to remove later on.

Now dry fit your tube.  I hate it when I butter up a a tube and it jams in the blank before sliding all the way in.  So dry fit your tube.  If it doesn't slide thru, I use a round rasp to smooth out the bore.  Once it fits, glue the tube in.  I use CA, but other use epoxy.

Once your glue is cured, square up your blank.  One end of the tube should be fairly flush already.  I start there.  The other end should be long (you cut your blank long, remember?).  Depending on how much excess needs to be trimmed, I may go to the bandsaw again and trim off the excess, then square up the blank.  

Now, before starting to turn, check your blanks core near the tubes.  If it appears porous, drip some thin CA into the porous sections and let it wick into the blank.  Do one or two drops at a time and let it wick in as much as it will take.  If the blank is solid, skip this step.  Let the CA cure and harden before starting to turn.  You may have to square up your blank to remove any excess CA that has expanded during curing.

Mount and blanks and spin.  Remember to wear your mask.  My spinning speed varys based on the hardness of the antler.  The harder the blank, the faster I spin it.  Use sharp tools.  Take your time.  You may to stop a couple of times and 'freshen' your tool edge.  You also will get an acculumation of antler dust on the top side of your cutting tools edge.  You'll need to clean it off the same as you did your drill bits.

If your blank is solid and hard all the way thru, then life is good and easy.  If you encounter some porous areas, you'll need to stop and drip some thin CA into the area and let it wick up as much as it will hold.  After wicking, I shoot it with some accelerator to quick dry it.  Otherwise, when you start spinning again, you'll get CA glue throwed all over the place.  Turn the blank down where you need it.  If you do it the way I do it, you should still have some bark exposed and have a pen with some extra character.

Finish the blank as you normally would.  I tend to use a friction polish or other material to seal the antler to prevent the antler from absorbing anything extranous and unwanted.

Anymore questions?  Email and I'll give you some more guidance.

Travis


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## Skye

> _Originally posted by tnilmerl_
> <br />Ok, this is a late response to the question, but better late than never.    ...............lots-o-text........to prevent the antler from absorbing anything extranous and unwanted.
> 
> Anymore questions?  Email and I'll give you some more guidance.
> 
> Travis



Is that all you  have to contribute? []

Great post man, it's on the way out of my printer right now!


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## tnilmerl

What?  You want me to turn on the verbosity switch?[8D]  Just be glad I did not includes pics. 

No problem.  Its comforting to see that someone at least reads what I post.

Thanks!!

Travis


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## wdcav1952

Travis,

Let me echo the "Great Post" remark.  That is a wonderful tutorial for beginning antler turners.  I only wish you had posted it a year ago; I would not have ruined so much antler.

Fantastic start to your membership.  I look forward to your next post.


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## tnilmerl

Thanks!

I forgot to add, for all you garage shop turners, turning antler creates a pungent aroma (stinks to high heaven).  You'll quickly get on your spouse's "we've got to talk" list.  For anyone who has been in the O.R. during surgery, you know exactly what I mean.  The dust seems to be absorbed directly into the skin, so you'll need to scrub up pretty good to remove the smell.  After scrubbing, I wash my hands and forearms down with vanilla (old pickle vendor trick).  Lemon juice is also a suitable alternative.


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## Charles

great post!! I'd like to add.... If you want a fairly white pen DON"T SAND! There is a trick to that. The sand paper will get in the pores of the pen and give a discolorization. If this is the look you want sand away and don't worry about it. Personally I like the look. However, if you don't want the discolorization after turning down the blank to shape, coat the entire outside with CA BEFORE sanding. This will seal the antler and the small particles of aluminium oxide won't get embedded in the material. Just my two cents worth.
Good Luck!!


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## tnilmerl

True.  Same goes for any light colored material, such as maple or ash.  I found a white sandpaper ($$) that I use for all my light colored materials that I do not want to have a 'muddy' look after sanding.  I write on the backs of each sanding strip the materials it sanded (antler) and the date it was first used and the grit (of course).  I use clothes line clips to bundle each batch together.  I also write the material on the clothes clip (antler).  Certain materials I do not want to cross mix them and I keep them sorted out on the materials/prep bench.


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## tnilmerl

You also should wash your blanks down prior to finishing.  The antler dust can cloud are mask any underlying color or character.  I used plain water, but sometimes I used mineral spirits.  Mineral spirtis will be absorbed slightly and gives the friction polish a softer patina.

Otherwise, leaving the dust on fills the pores and gives the blank a more uniform color (usually whiter).


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## jkoehler

hi,
i was wondering how porous freshly turned antler is?
can freshly turned antler be wet sanded?


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## alamocdc

I'll echo the great post comment, Travis. I seldom use sandpaper on my antler (or anything else for that matter). I use MM and it does not color the material being sanded. If I have to start out with sandpaper, I use the stuff I got in the group buy from Dario (Klingspor, IIRC).


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## Dario

I know someone buying the Klingspor Stearate sandpaper in bulk...maybe he will offer some to you guys (sorry I can't name him unless he volunteers himself).  This sandpaper have light beige grits.

I really love that sandpaper...works great when used in tandem with micromesh.


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## Rifleman1776

Very excellent tutorial. I have some experience with antler although not nearly as extensive as yours. On the old, dried stock, I have found that soaking in water for a few weeks restores some resiliance and makes it less 'chippy' when turning. It does not make it wet or resistantant to finishing. As for wearing a mask. Good idea always around dust. But I believe there are unfounded concerns about health risks when working antler. I have never seen qualified information that says working antler can do bad things to ones health.


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## alamocdc

First, let me say that I have the utmost respect for Frank and this in no way is meant to contradict his thoughts on this. His experiences are his and I have no reason to doubt him. Mine are simply different.

I picked up some whitetail antler from the woods near my dad's house this past summer. It was very dessicated with fine cracks all over it... some quite deep. I tried Frank's suggestion of soaking them in water for a few weeks. They looked good when I took them out, but within 2 or 3 days were dessicated again. Someone else recommended mineral oil so I tired that and have been quite satisfied. I leave it soaking for about a week and when I take it out it stays looking refreshed until I decide to turn it. I usually wait a few weeks to give the excess oil a chance to drain/dry. The only negative about this is that it does darken the antler just a bit, but not to the point that it looks bad.


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## Rifleman1776

> _Originally posted by alamocdc_
> <br />First, let me say that I have the utmost respect for Frank and this in no way is meant to contradict his thoughts on this. His experiences are his and I have no reason to doubt him. Mine are simply different.
> 
> I picked up some whitetail antler from the woods near my dad's house this past summer. It was very dessicated with fine cracks all over it... some quite deep. I tried Frank's suggestion of soaking them in water for a few weeks. They looked good when I took them out, but within 2 or 3 days were dessicated again. Someone else recommended mineral oil so I tired that and have been quite satisfied. I leave it soaking for about a week and when I take it out it stays looking refreshed until I decide to turn it. I usually wait a few weeks to give the excess oil a chance to drain/dry. The only negative about this is that it does darken the antler just a bit, but not to the point that it looks bad.




   Thanks for all the respect Billy, I am very deserving. [][] Actually, the mineral oil treatment is a time honored method among those who work antler and bone. It cannot be faulted and for revitalizing old antler is vastly superior to my water bath idea. However (in caps) HOWEVER [:0], for penturners, it has a huge downside. No way, no how can you put a finish on the pen when soaked with mineral oil. You must deliver your product as natural. Eventually, it will darken and yellow from handling and will get dirty. For those, like me, who reenact history from 200 years ago, that antiqued, patina, rugged, masculine, well-used appearance has it's own sort of beauty. But for a status symbol, beautiful pocket pen, most would not appreciate. For oldy style knives and pistol grips, go with the mineral oil. But for Rolex-quality pens, avoid.


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## alamocdc

> _Originally posted by Rifleman_
> <br />However (in caps) HOWEVER [:0], for penturners, it has a huge downside. No way, no how can you put a finish on the pen when soaked with mineral oil. You must deliver your product as natural.


Oops! Frank, I finished this one with CA and worked quite well over the mineral oil. At least for now. [:0]



<br />


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## tnilmerl

The dark yellow/brown, aged-look reminiscent of 'stag antler' can also be achieved with a slow even application of heat.  Have to be very careful not to heat any one area too fast or it will crack on you. True indian  stag antler can still be bought, but is not cheap.  Price is not worth the return investment.  Meaning I usually cannot pass the extra cost for the real stag on to the customer.  Beside, I can get some outstanding pens from the local materials.

I have heard of the soaking in water technique.  Supposedly, when you drill out for your tube, the antler blank will dry out and schrink up enough that glue isn't needed.  I'm not too confident that that is 100% fool-proff, so I've never tried it.

As far as the soaking in oil, that's a new one for me.  I have been saturating the porous area with thin CA and letting it absorb into the porous areas and setup before turning.


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## alamocdc

Travis, I use CA on the pith as well. Seems to work well enough.


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## Rifleman1776

Bill B. said "Oops! Frank, I finished this one with CA and worked quite well over the mineral oil. At least for now."
  Very interesting. Now we need some chemistry geek to tell us what the reaction might be in the long run. I would have thought the CA would not adhere to the oily surface.
  For giving a nice, instant, patina to antler or bone, just apply Neatsfoot oil. Good for restoring dried out stuff too, but does add color.
  My personal antler Baron was finished with CA. Now, the pithy parts are beginning to feel, well..uh...pithy and are acquiring patina. I guess the CA is not a titanium hard finish. Actually, I like the looks and feel, glad it is my pen. If it wasn't I would want it.


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## Monty

> _Originally posted by Rifleman_
> <br />Bill B. said "Oops! Frank, I finished this one with CA and worked quite well over the mineral oil. At least for now."
> Very interesting. Now we need some chemistry geek to tell us what the reaction might be in the long run. I would have thought the CA would not adhere to the oily surface.



My chemistry is very weak, so let me pose this question. Why would CA not adhere to an antler treated with mineral oil, but works well in a BLO/CA finish?


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## Rifleman1776

> _Originally posted by Monty_
> <br />
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Originally posted by Rifleman_
> <br />Bill B. said "Oops! Frank, I finished this one with CA and worked quite well over the mineral oil. At least for now."
> Very interesting. Now we need some chemistry geek to tell us what the reaction might be in the long run. I would have thought the CA would not adhere to the oily surface.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My chemistry is very weak, so let me pose this question. Why would CA not adhere to an antler treated with mineral oil, but works well in a BLO/CA finish?
Click to expand...


Mannie/Monty, as I said, we need a chemistry geek to help us. My laymans belief was that glue would not stick to an oily surface. Now you come along with a perfectly logical question and doubly confuse us all. [:0] Way to go. []  Chemistry geek... HELP!


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## kent4Him

I don't know where I got this tip from, but it works great for my antler blanks.  To avoid the problem of not being able to drill the usually non-straight blanks, I take the blanks and turn it round between centers first before drilling.  It doesn't have to be perfect, but it makes it real easy to hold in your vice and you know exactly where the center of the blank is then.  It also gives you a real good idea of what the color and porasity of the blank is before putting a tube into it.

I also find that antler that have been left in the wild for any long amount of time deteriate and become very porous.  The best I've found comes from those killed during hunting.  If I can get more that 2 pens from a rack, I trade a pen for the rack.


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## Skye

> _Originally posted by kent4Him_
> I also find that antler that have been left in the wild for any long amount of time deteriate and become very porous.  The best I've found comes from those killed during hunting.  If I can get more that 2 pens from a rack, I trade a pen for the rack.



I've also heard though, that you need to let it dry a little, just like wood. Never worked with any that was fresh though.


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