ANTLER Turning Help FAST!!! Luaghing and crying!

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Karin Voorhis

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Nov 6, 2009
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Ok I almost never sound like a girl (unless there is a spider!)

I just got some dear antler in a trade last night from a hunter friend of mine. I knew I read how bad the smell is and all well I thought my love of turning could over come it! (Im the one that gags taking out the garbage.)

Well I hit the band saw to cut it up and WOW! This really is NASTY:eek:!!!!! I owe the guy a pen think it looks beautiful so I got figure out what to do here. Still need to hit the drill press and than the lathe.
Respirator I have HomeDepot or Lowes near by? Something to make my shop smell good in the shop? I said I would give him Pen on Sunday!!!!
 
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tim self

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With every beautiful pen we make, there are downsides to it. As you now know, it really STINKS! It's tough to cut, drill and turn but sands like almost anything else. What other problems are you experiencing?

You could always spray some smelly stuff on your mask....8)
 

jbostian

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How long did he have the antler, is it fresh? I thought I had read on here that it is better to let is sit for a while before cutting or turning. I have only turned one antler pen so far but it wasn't that bad. I got if from another member on here, I don't know how old it was but I do know it wasn't fresh. When I turned mine there was an unpleasant smell but it wasn't overpowering. I am sure others with more experience will chime in. Good luck.

Jamie
 

hunter-27

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Nothing will make it NOT SMELL. Have a piece of camphor ready to toss on the lathe and turn, the smell of it will help cover the stink.(kinda):wink:
 

keithlong

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Hey Karin,
If I was nearby I would turn it for you. I just use a face mask. I turn a lot of deer antler and i dont pay any attention to the smell now. Are you going to make one with the rifle cartridge on bottom? If you can put him off a few days I have one already made up, i will mail it to you. It is made with a 3006 rifle casing and deer antler on top. They are real nice. If I can help just let me know. I will need your address to send it to you. I have had a lot of members on here to take me under their wing and help me out, do i will be glad to return the favor.
 

barkisini

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Manistee, Michigan USA
Karin:

Try smearing a bit of Vick's on your upper lip, right under your nose...that should take the edge of the antler...unless, of course, you can't stand the smell of the Vick's....
 

Karin Voorhis

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Super thanks Keith I am not the beat by the smell YET! hahaha!

OK well now I was hopping for some really nice flower like magic answer here!!!! You all are great IAP is amazing!!!! However I get it. Ok well I also got a couple of carbon fiber arrows in this trade there for I guess its all worth it right!!!! I will go get lunch out of the shop chill and come back to the antler world of flower smells. I can watch IAP from my phone so if there is a Magic answer while I am out I will be able to grab what ever I need I will keep watching the forum!
 

keithlong

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One more tip, I drill my antler on the lathe, that way i can control the drill a little bit, especially while drilling a curved piece. I like to drill offcenter to leave a little bark on them. I just hold the antler with a small pair of pliers and make an indention in the antler where i want the drill bit to start and where it will come out on the other end. Hope this helps.
 

Papa Bear

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I don't know if you get used to it or not,but it doesn't bother me as much anymore!I do wear a dust mask and also agree with Landon,old or new they still smell!
 

tseger

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I use a resporator from home depot and place a small fan beside my lathe, blowingthe stink away from me. you still get a whiff every now and then, but this makes it tolerable.FWIW
 

Karin Voorhis

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Respirator cool! I guess a respirator would be good in general too! Little car christmas trees not good. You guys are so great!!! Thanks!!
 
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I guess I've been turning long enough that I have enough sawdust and crap in my nose so that I don't smell the antler all that much... if it is fresh, you may still have some blood in the marrow... if it is fresh, be careful when you drill .. it will clog your drill bit and you can get it stuck, so back out frequently and watch the chaff or whatever the stuff on the drill bit is called.... if your shop is warm enough, put a fan to your back that blows away from you and it will take much of the smell with it... unless it a vapor barrier type respirator,you'll still get the smell through the filters,so may not be all that helpful.... do use some kind of mask or respirator though.. antler can be hazardous to your respiratory system if you're not careful or your are sensitive to it.
 

TXPhi67

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Fresh white tail is probably one of the foulest smelling of the antler to work (IMO). The Vicks works and its because of the menthol - so anything that has a strong menthol smell work. I actually use Carmex or Burt's Bees just because I like them better and they don't tend to "burn" or over power me. A mask is a must if for no other reason because of the dust. The better the seal - the better for you.

The thing is that the smell tends to linger - so airing out the shop really is your only option there.

In the future - letting your antler sit in the open away from anything that might want to munch on it (mice love the stuff) will help - but not eliminate the smell.

If you want to keep turning antler - check into some of the other types as they don't typically smell as bad. I've had good success with Moose, Elk, and Axis.

Hope that helps some.
 

burgerman

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I use a cartridge respirator from Home Depot. The kind that has the two cartridges.

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that some engineer-type looked at the antler shavings under a microscope, or high magnification of some kind, and they are actually like tiny barbs. That scared me enough to always use the cartridge respirator. And, with the cartridge respirator, if it's sealed properly on your face, you will smell nothing. As you probably know, all that tiny stuff we breathe in goes into our lungs and never gets out. Yikes! Good luck with it. Antler does make some beautiful pens.
 

RAdams

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I also have a VERY quick reacting stomach. The smell to me, is ALMOST unbearable. I just try my best to ignore it and after a few minutes you actually kinda get used to it and it isnt as bad. I try the mental picture trick. Occupy your mind with a mental picture of something that smells good. My mental picture is a big juicy cheeseburger with all the trimmings. I don't know why, but it works for me.
 

PTownSubbie

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This is funny Karin!! I just cut my first Antler. I have 4 Antlers sitting here but have not gotten to them until today.

That stuff is horrible. I started at first with not using my dust collector on my bandsaw but when I smelled it, I quickly changed that and turned it on. It got a bit better after that.....

Reminds me of something worse than burning flesh......
 

ed4copies

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With a fan blowing over your shoulder, and a vacuum on the other side of the lathe, you hardly notice the smell. If you have a shop vac, it will do, in a pinch. Just get a little fan to blow over your shoulder.

(I hated the first one I did, too. That was several dozen ago!!)
 

Karin Voorhis

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OK Thanks! I'm "Manning Up" with some help and here I go! Picture and more to come soon.

BTW: Antler is White Tail deer 6 point I think. and is not fresh so wow I guess I just sooo lucky here its not fresh at least.
 

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JohnU

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I dont mind it anymore. The first couple were noticable but Id rather turn antler than bocote or some of that african wood (zangara i think it was called). Nasty smell and taste from the dust in the air.
 

CaptG

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Hi Karin, just got back and saw the post. Go to a paint supply house and they should have different types of filters for your mask. Get the "fume" filters. They will help the most, and with a fan blowing fumes into a dust collector or shop vac., you will be fine. I have turned many antler pens this way.
 

Karin Voorhis

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not finished yet but progress update

Ok WOW that respirator is a life savor and I used the Vicks too but as long as I did not take a Deep breath life was just fine! Here is an update pic I made a key chain since I blew out the other part twice drilling it out. I also blew out another piece drilling out. It was not tough to drill out at all just hard to keep center and not blow out the sides.

When I got it right I now have Blank here all glued up I'll let it dry over night I think. The shop was very stinky so leaving my respirator on I whipped up a batch of PR blanks and have them inn the Pressure pot since they are embedded and made a Corian Pendent and than it was safe to take the mask off.

If it goes this well with the respirator during turning stage.
 

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gketell

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Filter first. But if you can't get a "fume based" filter then a BIG fan behind you blowing all the smell out into the street so your neighbors run and cringe wondering just what in the world you are doing!!
DAMHIKT

GK



Ok I almost never sound like a girl (unless there is a spider!)

I just got some dear antler in a trade last night from a hunter friend of mine. I knew I read how bad the smell is and all well I thought my love of turning could over come it! (Im the one that gags taking out the garbage.)

Well I hit the band saw to cut it up and WOW! This really is NASTY:eek:!!!!! I owe the guy a pen think it looks beautiful so I got figure out what to do here. Still need to hit the drill press and than the lathe.
Respirator I have HomeDepot or Lowes near by? Something to make my shop smell good in the shop? I said I would give him Pen on Sunday!!!!
 

khogan16

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Come to the dark side karin, Watch Foot ball on Sunday, Your eyes are getting heavy, you're feeling very sleepy...... you want to watch football...........
 

jskeen

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Crosby, Texas, USA.
as far as the blowouts while drilling, remember, the antler is NOT uniform in density or hardness throughout. IE... if you are drilling into the center of the marrow in a curved section of antler and aiming for the center of the far end, the bit will at some point exit the marrow and hit the solid HARD outer shell of the antler. at this point almost any drill bit, no matter what equipment it is in, will deflect toward the outside of the curve. yes, it will cut through the shell too, but it will deflect away from it to some degree. Sometimes this deflection away from the straight line between the two end points may cause it to blow out on the far end. That being said if you are blowing through the center of the inside curve, then your antler is either too bent, too small , or you didn't offset your centerpoints far enough to to the outside.

Clear as mud probably, but feel free to ask questions if you like.
 

nava1uni

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If you put a few drops of peppermint oil on a cotton ball and put it inside of a mask you will not smell a thing. It is a technique I use when doing wound care on horrible wounds or burn victims. It is an old nursing trick to deal with really bad odors. You can get the oil at a pharmacy, not expensive.
 
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