deer antler finish

[Tclements]

Hi, I'm very new to all this and just finished my 5th pen, made from deer antler. My question is about the finish. The antler turned out in 2 colors, white and brownish. The white part is smooth as glass and shiny, the brown parts are a bit rough with no shine. So is this normal or did I do something wrong? To finish it I just sanded and polished the same as acrylic. Thank you for any help. I will try to post a picture, but I'm no good on these computers, so bear with me. Thank you again.

 

[MarkD]

If the antler is very solid I will just sand and polish or buff it. If the antler is rough and soft I'll apply a CA finish as I would on a wood pen.

 

[Monty]

The rough brown area is what we call the marrow. I drench mine with thin CA and then sand it smooth. I then apply 2-3 coats of thin over the entire antler, sand with 400-600 grit if needed then buff with tripoli follower by white diamond to shine.

 

[SteveG]

When you make an antler pen that has two barrels as this one does, it is good practice to start with a single, longer piece of antler. This allows for a uniform appearance in both barrels. Some antler has very thick marrow, and thinner outer part, which is the smooth and hard portion you experienced with the upper barrel. So inspect the rough antler to determine what the finish appearance might be. Also, by offsetting the point where you drill will affect how much or little marrow will show once the turning is done. Either look is good...it is just what your desire may be for the particular pen.

It sure looks as though you are off to a great start with your pen turning. Keep having fun! Aloha

 

[Tclements]

Thank you all for your input. I disassembled the pen, put it back on the lathe and applied a CA finish. The result is like glass and much better than before. I know I have a lot to learn, so I will be back to pick your brains some more. Thank you again.

 

[Tclem76]

From one tony clements to another. Welcome. If I know it has the brown part I don't turn it down as far and coat it with ca then sand it out real good. Pretty much what Monty said

 

[TimS124]

I typically apply Boiled Linseed Oil to antler before adding the CA. It tends to bring out the character in the antler...had a pen a week or so ago that was almost pure white after sanding/polishing. Started rubbing in the oil as I spun the lathe by hand...each time around, I could clearly see more and more character showing up. Just depends on what you're looking for... Make sure you wear good dust protection please when working antler...the dust does very bad things when you breathe it.