Antler

[Dave_M]

I bought some Elk antler from CSUSA to try. Hard stuff but not too hard for the Woodchuck Pen Pro that's for sure. The Elk antler I received looks nothing like anything I've seen posted here. There is a very thin bark and then nothing but pith. As soon as turn past the thin outer bark I'm left with a pith that resembles balsa wood. I could soak some balsa in CA and end up with a very similar looking product.

Is this common with Elk? Maybe I should have went with deer antler instead? I'm just trying to figure it out. I was hoping for that white thick bone type layer under the bark with a little pith running through the center. Is it just the luck of the draw when it comes to buying antler?

Another reason why I hate buying pen supplies sight unseen.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Seer]

I just finished a pen in antler and used a cigar top for a 300 mag bullet pen. With the larger pieces like that I feel you need a larger pen so you can have the bark and such show. If you used a small pen you will most likely turn away all the bone and be left with the pith so imho large piece large pen or drill off center to retain the outside.

 

[Dave_M]

I use Flat Top American finals & clips for my 30-06 pens. One of the elk pieces turned out nice but the others had about a 1/16" of bone under the bark and then pith.

 

[Dave_M]

Oh... and you guys weren't kidding about that smell. I wore my respirator but I still got a whiff of it when I took the respirator off 30 minutes later. Wow that's nasty.

 

[jskeen]

Yes, that is very common with elk antler. They are so large and grow so fast that they have very little solid material. I use just the tips and then the rest goes to my dad for knife scales and such. If you want solid white antler material look for either Sambar stag antler or axis deer antler. American whitetail is about in the middle, red deer a little more to the elk side of the spectrum. Haven't had any experience with moose, as we are a little shy on meese down here in Texas.

Of course there is a great deal of variation from animal to animal, and also from year to year, as well as where in the antler your particular section is from. So, bottom line, yes, you really either want to see antler blanks in person, or at least buy them rough turned to the general vicinity of the final diameter.

 

[el_d]

With the larger sheds you can try drilling off center to get one side with the harder "bark" and the "pith" on the other side.

As far as the color I have read that soaking in H2O2 will "bleach" the Antler white. Havent tried it though....

 

[Bellsy]

Dave......Welcome to the world of antler turning. After a while you will get accustomed to the smell and the textures within. I have turned Deer, Moose, Elk and Caribou antler. They all have a different characteristic about them and no two pieces will ever be the same after turning. I usually only apply a CA coat to the antler pith if it starts to pose a problem while turning. If the pith starts to become difficult to turn (porus) add the CA and keep turning. When you reach the desired size and shape, blow the loose material out of the pores of the pith. Sand lightly and blow it out again. Then you can start the final applications of CA until it reaches the desired finish size. Sand and polish as required.

If your looking to have a piece of antler that is non-porous and white, then you will have to find pieces of antler that are closest to the tip of the antlers, but even then it's not a 100% guarantee that your going to get that. They antler colours vary quite a bit and I have seen purple, reddish brown, grey, black, yellow and even green while turning antler.

I have also applied dyes to the antler marrow before adding the CA finish to them. Not exactly a popular approach, but it does work and can be quite attractive if done properly. I have also considered the possibility of rough turning antler and casting it with PR or Alumilite to fill the voids in the marrow. There are lots of possibilities out there, some just require time and thought.

Worthless Antler Blanks maybe....that's another story!

Dave

 

[JohnU]

This is very common with elk antler. Especially the larger main beams. I like to turn the tines but even some of those are like that at the lower ends. It's a coin toss.