Shop Evacuation - Antler Cutting Clouds Air

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LeeR

LeeR

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2010
Messages
630
Location
Fort Collins, Colorado
Wow, I had a light-duty mask on while cutting up three deer antler racks, and thought I'd pass out! I mostly wanted to avoid the dust from cutting, but the smell was overpowering.

I heard they smelled when turning, but had no idea how bad it could be. A friend gave me several, and I was basically cutting into manageable sections, not even cutting them into blank-sized pieces.

I may have to get a more robust mask for when I actually turn one for a pen.

OK, I admit it, call me a wimp ... :redface:
 
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Antler can really vary in smell from one to the next. I turned several that were sheds before I ever turned one that was 'harvested'. The harvested one out-smelled the sheds 10 to 1!! But I've turned other harvested antler that smelled no worse than the sheds. You just never know....
 
When I first cut them, I felt like you. Now, it still smells, but does not bother me as much. You'll get used to it....maybe..:eek:
 
Try Musk ox horn some time, makes antler smell like a rose!

Good ventilation and outside as much as you can. Wear a good mask! you can develop quite an allergy to animal products. And rule of thumb the "Greener" or the antler that has most recently shed felt, the worse it will smell. Unfortunately they are the ones with the best color. More of the proteins have been wasted from bleached or well used antlers...........same for bone and ivory.
 
I'd sure recommend a good quality respirator for your shop. When I'm cutting antler with mine, I don't notice a thing. Then when I take it off, the horrible odor is still hanging around. I think it stinks for a reason -- it isn't good for us. Generally, a terrible odor is nature's way of warning us that we should be avoiding whatever is causing it. We really shouldn't be breathing any of the fine dust we create in our shops from anything...

From the late 'Russ Fairfield's' website: "3. Dust IS a health problem. I will invite anyone who wants to argue this point to come back in 20-years and tell me again that it isn't."

Cheers
Steve


LeeR said:
Wow, I had a light-duty mask on while cutting up three deer antler racks, and thought I'd pass out! I mostly wanted to avoid the dust from cutting, but the smell was overpowering.

I heard they smelled when turning, but had no idea how bad it could be. A friend gave me several, and I was basically cutting into manageable sections, not even cutting them into blank-sized pieces.

I may have to get a more robust mask for when I actually turn one for a pen.

OK, I admit it, call me a wimp ... :redface:
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all the feedback. These were all harvested, and a few years old, so I doubt they'll get much better with age. I'm definitely getting a better mask prior to any turning.
 
Thats how I get the shop all to myself.I just start cutting or turning antler and everybody leaves the shop(including the wife) LOL! so I have the shop all by myself
 
I think the "fresher" they are the worse they smell... I used to get most of mine from natural sheds from a fellow in Texas that ran a game farm... by the time he collected them and stored them in his "antique" shop for sale, they were pretty dried and I didn't find them to smell all that bad. I had some recently that were from a fresh kill and had not sat around very long... the blood and marrow were still really soft and fatty... they smelled to high heaven.... a good dust mask is a good idea, but most don't prevent vapors from penetrating... just put a good strong fan to blow the smell away and it's not too bad.

I turned a piece of willow wood the other day that has been sitting outside my shop for over a year... it smelled worse than any antler I've ever turned... the willow had a nasty swampy odor... and it didn't even grow in a wet area... it came from a neighbor's front yard.
 
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