Deer antler question

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LR9788

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Franklin, TN
Is there a sure fire way to get a mostly white pen from whitetail antler?

I have a request for an ebony pen and a whitetail pen because they want crisp white. My last few have had a lot of brownish/yellow to them
 
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The smaller diameter tines will not have the spongy center. You can get as white as possible by cutting a section from a time that isjust a bit bigger than your finished diameter instead of cutting a section from the main trunk of the antler
 
Either sun bleached white antler or bleach it yourself with chemical chlorine bleach... though oxy-clean may also do the trick. Keep in mind that if you are turning down into the "pith" of the antler, where the marrow shows, nothing you do will make that area look a perfect white, so keep to the outer sections of the antler tines where the marrow lines in the center are thinner.

Last, but not least, in order to try to make sure you dont have marrow showing up halfway down the blank, you'll want to do the trick where you soak the antler section in a solution of hot water with vinegar in it (not sure how strong you need to make it), and then gently clamp the antler section in a vice to straighten it out and let it dry that way. Take a PVC tube about the size of your antler section and split it down the middle, and mount it on your vice jaws so that you can clamp even a compound twist.

Also keep in mind that the vinegar solution will weaken the calcium of the antler, so you WILL want to coat it with CA for your finish when you're done.



If you want to avoid all the mess and trouble, then I suggest you opt for plain white or opalescent white acrylic or other type of resin that is a guaranteed white color.
 
Edgar said:
White corian might be another possibility.
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That's a good idea, and you might be able to get small pieces of it for free or very very cheaply!

Check out hard surface countertop fabricators in you area for off cuts ... if they are reasonably small enough that they have no use for it, they'll generally give it to you for free. You can use regular woodworking tools to cut it down to size. Also, tiny little sample blocks can be had from some of the big box stores FOR FREE ... they are about 2 inches by 2 inches, half an inch thick. If you just need to make bands out of them, then drill your hole AND THEN cut the section you need around the hole you drilled to free it. (This way you have a larger bit to hold on to/clamp while drilling it...)
 
If it doesnt have to be antler I'd look at alternate materials for a crisp white. Casein is a good alternative that would provide a more consistent crisp white color. Or as Edgar stated Corian or other types of trustone/acrylics.
 
It's for an outdoor person so they really want antler. Thanks for the ideas. After boiling the antler how long do I need to let it dry out?
 
Uhh ... at least a good 5 or 6 hours. Personally, I'ld do it in the evening and clamp it up, then go to bed and let it dry overnight.

Hopefully, more details will be posted here pretty soon concerning the vinegar solution and how long to soak the antlers in it.
 
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Skie_M said:
Uhh ... at least a good 5 or 6 hours. Personally, I'ld do it in the evening and clamp it up, then go to bed and let it dry overnight.

Hopefully, more details will be posted here pretty soon concerning the vinegar solution and how long to soak the antlers in it.
Click to expand...

Oh wow! I was thinking weeks of drying beforehand turning
 
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I've done a few antler pens. The tines and the main beam closest to the skull are usually more solid therefore will finish nicer as opposed to the other areas of the antler. The areas that are porous don't finish as nice. I believe you can fill the holes with ca as you get down to the finished product.
 

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Try Axis deer antler, they are solid, and are real white and quiet heavy, but make nice white pens. I wish that I had a piece, I would send you one.
 
I agree that the Axis Antler will probably be your best bet. It's more solid with a small hole running close to the center. Check Knife Maker Supply Co. and I've even seen it at Pet Smarts. It was being sold as dog chews.It will sometimes have a light grey color streaked through it but for the most part it's a solid white.
 
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