Deer Antlers

[Luke Hatley]

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A .....CAUTION..... DO NOT BREATHE THE DUST FROM SANDING THE ANTLERS

USE A MASK AND A FAN TO BLOW THE DUST AWAY FROM YOU....

[Windy]

One thing I thought about doing with elks horns is to make one of those lamps that you put on bookshelfs or paintings to illuminate the objects. Those small LED lamp kits would be perfect for this. All you need is a antler with a good bend so the lamp can illuminate the picture or whatever properly.

Tom

Now that is a slick idea or should I say that is a cool idea or should I say

that is sic or just how do the young folks say neat idea Tom.Anywho I

think you get what I am saying really nice idea.

WINDY

[TomSwede]

One thing I thought about doing with elks horns is to make one of those lamps that you put on bookshelfs or paintings to illuminate the objects. Those small LED lamp kits would be perfect for this. All you need is a antler with a good bend so the lamp can illuminate the picture or whatever properly.

Tom

Now that is a slick idea or should I say that is a cool idea or should I say

that is sic or just how do the young folks say neat idea Tom.Anywho I

think you get what I am saying really nice idea.

WINDY

Thanks Windy!

Thought of making a leather picture someday from one of my elkphotos and when I got my elkhorns the idea just lent itself. They have that perfect shape to function like that.

Tom

[yaklady]

Some of you guys have experience with antlers, how about horns? I have two yaks horns that need to be polished. They're right off the skull at this point. What's the best way to go about making them pretty?

Kathy

[GampasShop]

Kathy, I will try and find out what you need to do to clean them up from some guys that make Predator calls out of them. Some of these guys get them so polished up you can see reflections from them.

[esantoro]

Is it true that deer antlers make good burnishers? If so, you can sell some pieces for burnishing. I'd take a couple, as I haven't seen many deer around New York City.

Ed

[Windy]

Some of you guys have experience with antlers, how about horns? I have two yaks horns that need to be polished. They're right off the skull at this point. What's the best way to go about making them pretty?

Kathy

Kathy,

I have never had the pleasure of polishing Yak anything.However I have

polished a cow horn tip or two. I start by sanding with 600 grit sandpaper.

If it is real rough to where you have to get out dips you may want to start

with 150 or there abouts, depending on whether you want the dip out.

Once you progress through the finer grits up to 800 I switch to my cotton

wheels with the metal polishing compounds. You can buy these at most

auto parts places and Sears in the tool department. You can mount them

in a hand held drill and polish away. I usually cheat and mount mine in the

drill press or I use the ones on my lathe. It is much easier on the drill press

opposed to the hand held drill.I believe the kit you can buy from Sears has

four grades starting with the black then brown then red then white. I may

have the black and brown backwards. Alas it tells you on the package which

is which. I get a super shine on the horns using this method. Albeit time

consuming as hecky pooh pooh. I have only polished cow tips and would

not look forward to polishing a whole big horn. Let us not mention that

when sanding cow horns at high speed the horn smells like flesh burning.

Not a very pleasant smell mind you.The following link is to the kit at

Sears.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00928650000P

WINDY

[hiloboy]

now that you have them polished up .. why don't you get your self a sewing needle and ink and try your hand at scrimshaw.. antlers,horn, ivory..all work great..

[yaklady]

Is it true that deer antlers make good burnishers? If so, you can sell some pieces for burnishing. I'd take a couple, as I haven't seen many deer around New York City.

Ed

Antlers make great burnishers. I've even seen them all polished up with wooden handles, as is you'd need all that! I use a small antler with a fork in it.

[yaklady]

Windy, thank you for your help, and Grampa, thank you for your potential help! When I smell the flesh burning, I'll think of how the rotten yak treated me before the contract went out on his life. That will bring a smile to my face. Take that, you foul yak!

As for the scrimshaw, hiloboy, mind if I send the horns to you????

Kathy