Favorite finish for antler. What's yours?

[firewhatfire]

I am doing some antler for bolt action pens and looking for advice on everyone's favorite finish and why.

Thanks in advance for your responses

Phil

 

[fitzman163]

I use CA finish on all my antler. The only time it gets hard is when I have some of the rough outside texture of the antler left after turning. However that makes the best pen when you can leave some of that on.

 

[keithlong]

I too use CA on all antler.

 

[flyitfast]

CA because it brings out the antler surface and it looks good.
gordon

 

[Mike Powell]

Ca for me too

 

[bjbear76]

I've never tried CA on antler; just MM and Novus 2

 

[gimpy]

I try to leave natural, other times I us minwax WOP and buff

 

[Falcon1220]

CA for me

 

[BSea]

CA for me too, but I don't polish to a high shine. You can knock the shine off with some 0000 steel wool.

 

[TellicoTurning]

If I have marrow in the pen, I use CA to harden and seal it... if it's pure antler with no marrow and a little bark left on, I sand to 12,000 and if it still needs polishing, I use the Hut plastic polish on it... on solid bone/antler, you don't need CA.

 

[firewhatfire]

Preciate all the good info.

 

[Fatdawg]

+1 all natural.

 

[plano_harry]

CA and I drill between centers so I can leave some bark.

Harry

 

[BayouPenturner]

that never came to my mind to drill slightly off center to enable me to leave some bark

 

[WildThings]

If I have marrow in the pen, I use CA to harden and seal it... if it's pure antler with no marrow and a little bark left on, I sand to 12,000 and if it still needs polishing, I use the Hut plastic polish on it... on solid bone/antler, you don't need CA.

What he said!! ^^

 

[JH Customs]

I use ca, but I also have used a pencil torch to burn it and give it a patina look to it.

 

[wouldentu2?]

Before I finish it with CA I use black wet or dry paper and make sure I sand the bushings so I leave some dark matter in the pores of the antler.

Not the universe "Dark Matter" the dark matter you usually don't want on the pen.

 

[preacherman]

Add another vote for CA. But my reason has not yet been mentioned, deer antler stinks. I use CA to seal it where there is absolutely no hint of the order from the antler. Of the ones I have turned without CA I buffed and they always had an odor. That order seemed to transfer to hand after using the pen.

 

[firewhatfire]

now see I never thought of this idea. I do that with oak whiskey barrel blanks all the time. Now I am gonna have to do a few that way just to see.

Thanks again folks for all of the info

I use ca, but I also have used a pencil torch to burn it and give it a patina look to it.

 

[joefrog]

What'd you end up using, Phil?

 

[firewhatfire]

I just finished up 15 of em and used CA finish as there was a lot of open pores