Drilling Antlers

[dntrost]

OK I just picked up a great set of antlers from oregon (well half a set) but I need help how the heck are you suppose to drill them? Since they are curved it seems anywhere I cut them I will have a hell of a time getting a hole through them.


Please help the needy!

 

[sbell111]

A while back, I found a link to a cool little homemade tool that makes drilling antlers a breeze. It was two tools, actually.

The first was a small piece of plexy as long as a tube with twi lines drawn onto it showing the width of a tube. This allows you to visualize where the hole must be drilled to escape the curve and mark the drilling location.

The second little tool was simply a small flat board with a screw set into it with about 1/4" sticking up.

Once the 'centers' of the antler are located and marked using the plexi piece, you drill just a 1/3" or so into the antler. The board is then clamped to the drill press table with the screw centered below the bit. Set the stop to allow the bit to just barely miss coming into contact with the screw.

Finally, flip over the antler and stick the hole that you drilled onto the screw. Drill the antler.

 

[MobilMan]

You are about to drill into the most stinking thing there is to make a pen out of. It will linger in your nose 3-4 days afterward. There is a thread here somewhere about how to straighten out the antlers. I just checked the library but must be somewhere else. Might go on Google & find it. If you have a section that you can drill & have enough 'meat' to turn, you don't have to stay centered all the way thru.

 

[sbell111]

Here's the antler straightening thread:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27804

 

[workinforwood]

I like to add to the nasty smell by sanding two edges flat, then trimming the other two edges on the table saw. This straightens them somewhat to fit in the drill vise. I find you get used to the nasty smell.

 

[sbell111]

.... at the moment that you stop being able to smell. []

 

[dntrost]

Thank I guess I will try the boiling trick not sure I even want to mess with them since they stink!!!!

 

[sparhawk]

kinda reminds me of the smell when you get your teeth drilled at the dentist.[}]But 100 times worse.

 

[dntrost]

That makes me want them more! Anyone want some antler????

 

[jdarragh]

Yes it really stinks, but it is certainly not unbearable. When you make a pen out of it, it really turns out nice. I like the CA finish on it. People are generally amazed when you tell them it is antler.

 

[great12b4ever]

The antler straightening really works. Have done seven that way so far and no problems, except my poor turning ability! I fyou turn into the marrow or center part, be prepared to drench ever so often with CA. You will have some interesting patterns. Also, once you have the blank relatively straight, you can slightly offset the hole drilling to allow some of the outside edge of the antler or bark show and that makes some pleasing looks.

 

[jskeen]

Any Piece that is large enough can be drilled quite simply, by just putting it between centers in your lathe, turning it round and then drill like any other round blank. If you have a scroll chuck and a jacobs chuck for your tailstock, it's even simpler, just turn enough of one end round between centers to mount in the chuck, then drill from the other end.

A neat trick is to mount the piece in question between centers, and spin it at med speed and look down at it, you will be able to see a "shadow" of the solid parts as it spins, the narrowest part of that shadow is the maximum size cylinder you can turn from that piece USING THOSE CENTERS. Move the centers around to maximize the size of the shadow.

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by sparhawk

kinda reminds me of the smell when you get your teeth drilled at the dentist.[}]But 100 times worse.

Hey, what is with this vicous attack on dentists!!!!!!! [}]

Drilling antler smells like $$$$$ to me!! []

 

[JohnU]

While drilling, cutting and sanding stinks a bit, its worth every effort. Everybody wants the pen when your finished. Ive used that to help me obtain more antler, by telling others I would give them a price cut for their own antler. Then you get enough to make others. Just a word of advise... dont make the thin pen kits with it. It cracks easy. I use micro mesh and spray lacquer to finish, then polish to a shine.

Ive always used a pencil and straight edged to draw my own lines on the antler then hold with pliers while starting with small bits and working up, but I like the turn round then drill idea. Thanks, John

 

[bitshird]

C'mon guiys, it doesn't smell that bad, it does stink, but it's worth the little bit of unpleasantness, you can also bleach it to nearly an Ivory like color, just use 3% hydrogen peroxide, leave it in over night and I swear it looks like real Ivory,I have to admit I HAVE SCREWED UP A LOT OF ANTLER DRILLING IT, and the smell travels quite a distance, but it dissipates quickly enough. in fact, I have to drill some pieces for a Churchill, and a Baron but I have two complete sides,

 

[arjudy]

Antler does smell but not as bad as snapping turtle shell. A guy I work with gave me a shell to see what I could do with it and all I could stand was to put a single 45 degree band on the top barrel of a Euro. The smell seemed to linger in the shop for about a month. Some pretty stinky stuff. Try turning a piece between centers to get a cylinder and then drill for the tubes.

 

[eazis1]

Does any one have antler pens pictures to post?

 

[jskeen]

A few antler pens I had pics of handy.


last is Axis antler over Desert ironwood, above that is whitetail antler

Axis antler, cocobolo and water buffalo horn

Axis antler and gemsbok horn

Whitetail antler and Blackbuck horn

Whitetail and 30-06 brass

 

[scroller99]

I have made a couple of closed end antler pens, turn down the bottom. drill out the top and leave the fork tip on the end, I usually turn the end down to meet the band, I've only done this on slimlines, after I turn the top I usually just buff it on a wheel and they come out great, I have sold several and they never stay around at a table very long Good Luck Howard

 

[eazis1]

Nice work

 

[PaulDoug]

I have gotten use to the smell of antler, but I cut into a chunk of wood the other day that was given to me. Talk about stink! I think it is Ironwood. Does that STINK!

 

[dntrost]

OK I just cut it and drilled it for a wallstreet II Click pen so far so good not too bad on the smell! If this doesn't work I am will to send it to someone who know what the hell they are doing! Also can I finish with friction polish? SInce I am not a CA expert!

 

[Chasper]

I'm sure I've made over 100 antler pens. I just hold a tube up to the pen and try to visualize where I'll need to drill. Once in a while I drill out of a side when I'm trying to get really close so that the bark shows. I don't find it all that difficult to drill except that the pithy center is softer than the outer part of an antler, the drill bit will want to bend away from the outer bark and follow the pith.

It smells a little, but I usually drill 20-30 tube sections when I start working on antler. I've probably got enough drilled pieces in my antler box for a dozen or so pens. I keep a fan behind me and the door open. It stinks up the garage for a while but don't last long.

If you have a lot of pith you need to fill it with CA. If you have all bark, you can polish it up with micro-mesh and it won't need anything more.

 

[dntrost]

First try at picture

 

[JohnU]

Originally posted by dntrost

OK I just cut it and drilled it for a wallstreet II Click pen so far so good not too bad on the smell! If this doesn't work I am will to send it to someone who know what the hell they are doing! Also can I finish with friction polish? SInce I am not a CA expert!

I found out in my beginning that if you put too many coats of a friction polish on antler, it will give the antler a yellowish tint. What works for me is micromesh and a few coats of a clear spray lacquer that is polished with EEE after a 5 to 7 days. Like said above, if you expose the marrow, you will want to seal it with ca to get a smooth surface.