rebfan04
Member
Anyone know a good tutorial on this site or other on turning deer antler? Did a search on this site and not what i was looking for. Or someone with experience give me some tips
Thanks Roger
Thanks Roger
Antler Turning
- Thread starter rebfan04
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snyiper
Member
Well it isnt too bad to turn other than some find the smell objectionable. Find a section you can get your tube in straight drill a hole and glue it in.....Sometimes you need to work a bend so drill inside the bend to inside. You can also try boiling and clamping to straighten a bit. Lots of infor in pur library and the Search should reveal some as well.....Anything specific just holler.
GColeman
Member
I am sure there are better turners than me that will chime in but here is what I do.
I cut the antler a longer than the tube. 1/4" or so. This will allow squaring the blank once you get it drilled and the tube inserted. The extra length is because the ends won't even be close to square off the saw.
Next I use a marker to place a dot on each end of the blank. I just eyeball the dot. I do try to place the dot to end up with some bark on the finished pen. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
I place my Jacobs chuck in the headstock with the correct bit and anchor it with a drawbar. I place a live center in the tailstock.
I place the center point of the live center on one dot. I place the drill bit point on the opposite dot. I start the lathe slowly and slowly advance the tailstock while holding the blank with channel locks. I drill a little more than half way through.
Once half way through I reverse the blank. I place the live center in the drill hole, and the drill point in the indention left by the tail center. I advance the tail stock until the drill breaks through and connects the two holes. Be careful as you near the center of the blank. When the drill breaks through the blank tends to run up the bit.
Install the tube like normal and square the ends. You may have to sand or pen mill a little more because of the extra length and the un-squareness of the blank.
I turn round with a sharp gouge. I finish with a sharp skew. I sand to 600 then to 12,000 micromesh. I have treated some blanks with thin CA. Normally I try to leave some bark on the antler. If I do I don't need CA.
I hope this helps. BTW drilling antler really STINKS.
I cut the antler a longer than the tube. 1/4" or so. This will allow squaring the blank once you get it drilled and the tube inserted. The extra length is because the ends won't even be close to square off the saw.
Next I use a marker to place a dot on each end of the blank. I just eyeball the dot. I do try to place the dot to end up with some bark on the finished pen. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
I place my Jacobs chuck in the headstock with the correct bit and anchor it with a drawbar. I place a live center in the tailstock.
I place the center point of the live center on one dot. I place the drill bit point on the opposite dot. I start the lathe slowly and slowly advance the tailstock while holding the blank with channel locks. I drill a little more than half way through.
Once half way through I reverse the blank. I place the live center in the drill hole, and the drill point in the indention left by the tail center. I advance the tail stock until the drill breaks through and connects the two holes. Be careful as you near the center of the blank. When the drill breaks through the blank tends to run up the bit.
Install the tube like normal and square the ends. You may have to sand or pen mill a little more because of the extra length and the un-squareness of the blank.
I turn round with a sharp gouge. I finish with a sharp skew. I sand to 600 then to 12,000 micromesh. I have treated some blanks with thin CA. Normally I try to leave some bark on the antler. If I do I don't need CA.
I hope this helps. BTW drilling antler really STINKS.
seamus7227
Member
Cut antler to length, turn between centers until antler is round and to desired size for pen, drill tube holes, remount on pen mandrel and turn down to bushings.
Antler is about the easiest material there is to turn. You can be very aggressive with a scraper without any danger of chipping or blow outs. Along the way you will probably come across areas that are porus. Before you get down to final size, dump some thin CA on the porus areas and spray it with accelerator, you may need to repeat the process a time or two.
seamus7227
Member
everyone talks about softening the antler and other weird means to get that perfect drill hole. Its really simple, if you have questions and its easier to talk on the phone, feel free to call me. I'm just sitting at the computer today and playing in the shop. Cell number is on my contact page of my website
airrat
Member
Another way is do one closed end using the tip. You will have to turn at a little slower speed and if it is not straight sanding is interesting. But it will sure look nice. I have done a few that way. A slight bend if possible I think looked nicer then straight.
You will have to measure how far to drill into the antler for the transmission. Then you need a way to turn the closed end.
You will have to measure how far to drill into the antler for the transmission. Then you need a way to turn the closed end.
its_virgil
Member
For what are you looking? Just ask and someone will answer.
Antler is no more difficult to turn than some of the harder acrylics.Some antler is better than others. Elk has very little hard dense bone and a lot of bone marrow which may require some thin CA. White tail and mule deer have more bone and less marrow and axis is mostly nice bone with a little vein of marrow.
I turn each piece round between centers. Even a slightly curved piece can be straightened by turning between centers. Drilling is then easy with no miss drilling as often happens when drilling a slightly curved piece.
I know there is one you tube video by an IAP member showing another method for drilling antler.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Antler is no more difficult to turn than some of the harder acrylics.Some antler is better than others. Elk has very little hard dense bone and a lot of bone marrow which may require some thin CA. White tail and mule deer have more bone and less marrow and axis is mostly nice bone with a little vein of marrow.
I turn each piece round between centers. Even a slightly curved piece can be straightened by turning between centers. Drilling is then easy with no miss drilling as often happens when drilling a slightly curved piece.
I know there is one you tube video by an IAP member showing another method for drilling antler.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAEEaF8z2jM
This is the method I use to drill antler, works nearly every time.
This is the method I use to drill antler, works nearly every time.
Jgrden
Member
I use Chasper's method. I wore out two tail stock screws because I use the screw instead of the hand pressure. I have two boxes of antler to drill. AS soon as my third tail stock screw arrives, I will start drilling again.
Rob73
Member
Get some nose plugs.
Jgrden
Member
LOL. you betcha.
MurphysPenWorks
Member
didnt see where anybody said this but I would recommend investing in a good filtered dust mask, that stuff is bad to breath for more reasons than just the smell, you can pick up a good one from lowes or depot for $20 to $30.
jskeen
Member
I agree that turning round between centers before you drill is the best way to start out with antler. Eventually you will get to where you can eyeball it. Another tip is that antler is not the same density on all sides after you turn it. The inside of the curve will be harder and the bit will want to curve away as you drill. To combat this, start the drill in the dimple from the center on one end and drill halfway through. Then back out and do the same from the other end and meet in the middle. You may still need to use a file to straighten the hole out in the middle to get the tube through, but if you go all the way through from one end, the hole will come out it's own diameter off center on the other about half the time. Not a good thing.
Jgrden
Member
I have never heard why you should not breath the antler vapors, but with that smell and the obvious fine dust in the air, you just know it cannot be good for the lungs. Thanks for bringing this up.
John
Jim15
Member
John, I don't know if it's true or not but I've heard the the antler dust is not like other dust, it has little barbs on it that I suppose cause it to adhere to your lungs worse.
islandturner
Member
When drilling, turning, sanding any king of organic material (including most kinds of wood), a respirator should be used as religiously as eye protection. None of the stuff we work with is good for your lungs. I guess a really good dust suction system is okay -- I don't have one so I wear my respirator for almost everything.
From the late Russ Fairfield's 'Universal Truths' of woodturning:
38 - Do not sand without covering your nose and mouth with a respirator or air filter that is approved for fine wood dust. A cheap paper mask is neither. If you think that this isn't important, come back in 20 years and tell me again that it isn't.
From the late Russ Fairfield's 'Universal Truths' of woodturning:
38 - Do not sand without covering your nose and mouth with a respirator or air filter that is approved for fine wood dust. A cheap paper mask is neither. If you think that this isn't important, come back in 20 years and tell me again that it isn't.
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Jgrden
Member
Yikes, now I am really convinced.