Antler Turning?

[WoodWrangler]

Our good friend Phillip (ptt49er) hooked me up with this piece of antler found on his property (I think that's what he told me).

I've been wanting to turn antler ... but where to start? I hear it turns well.

Do I just turn it between centers, wobbly and all? I assume it's safe to cut with my bandsaw blade for wood?

Advice welcome.

 

[Mike Davis]

I make buttons and flint strikers with antler. Never turned any.

I saw it with a hack saw but a band saw should work if the teeth are fine enough.

Drill with regular high speed steel drill bits.

I think the pen folks turn it on a mandrel, but centers should work.

What are you going to make with it?

 

[Rob]

I've turned a couple pens, yes you can cut it on the band saw, it's hard to get the hole in the pen good due to the curve of the antler, but can be done, just have to make sure theirs enough meat around the hole. It turns great, but make sure your chisels are sharp, it might have some voids in it, fill with thin CA. Smells a bit when turning, but not too bad. Take it slow at first until you get it round.

 

[DaveO]

There are two way you can go about it. One is to turn it between centers till round and then drill it. This method will probably result in exposing mostly the "marrow" which can be interesting, but looses a lot of the "antler" feel.
Another method that I've learned from Eagle RIP is to clamp a section of the antler in a Bessey type clamp with just a little sticking out the side. Run that through the BS to get you a relatively flat face. Then rotate it 90º and cut another flat face. This will give you two reference surfaces to put into a pen vice and drill it. Advantages are you can chose to leave some "bark" on the blank by cutting to one side of center. This is particularly good with a very thick section like you are showing. I generally chose thinner antler to turn so you are closer to the final dia and can preserve some of it's outside characteristics. Of course this is a double edged sword. Thinner, younger antler don't have the "bark" characteristics of and older piece like you are showing.
Either way, be ready for a smell that is totally unique. Put a fan behind your back if you are the squeamish type, or put on that space helmet that you have.

Pen - mainly "marrow' -

With "bark" -

MTCW,
Dave

 

[Gerald]

I have turned several pens with whitetail deer antler and one with a piece of moose antler that I bought in Maine while on vacation. It turns very well with sharp tools but you are correct that the real problem is drilling through the antler to mount the pen tube. I finally made a little wooden base for my drill press and screwed a small machine screw up from the bottom so just the tip of the screw stood proud of the table base. I then secured the base to the drill press with clamps and centered the drill bit over this screw tip. I made a small indentation in one end of the antler segment and placed it on the screw tip. I hold the antler with a set of pliers and start the drilling at the top of the antler segment. Since you centered the drill bit over the screw tip, the drill has to go toward the screw tip as you pull the drill head down and eventually drills all the way through. Sounds complicated but it really works very well. The smell is a bit nauseating since it smells like a dentist is drilling out for a filling. Good luck Try to select an antler segment that is about the size of your finger so that you will have some bone around the hole.

 

[MrAudio815]

Wow,

That is awesome I never new you could do that. Dave, can I do that on the HF lathe? What tools, will I need? And I should have keep my spike antlers! Arg!

I love this site, such talent, such imagination!

 

[Sir Chiz]

I've turned some deer and elk antler, also beef bone, usually start between centers to make enough tenon to hold it with pin jaws and drill for pens and key fobs.
For other pieces, I just grab it with the pin jaws and center best I can.
Elk was a lot of marrow with a thin shell, required a lot of CA.

Deer

Elk

Deer antler is the whiter pieces, the yellowish is beef bone.

Phil.

 

[Mike Davis]

Hi Phil!

Great to see you posting!

Any chance you would show some of the tools used on those tiny pieces? I like making miniatures but have a hard time making the tools. I mostly use old dental tools and regrind them.

 

[PChristy]

Dave and Phil those are some great looking turnings:icon_thum - I really do like those:eusa_clap

 

[ptt49er]

If you want a smaller piece to try Jeremy I've got two racks. I can probably get some more if the need arises. I just need to turn a pen or two before I start barking up that tree again.

Phil, it's great to see you back on N.C.WW!!!

 

[gator]

Here are some antler/.308 pens from a year or so ago.



These were on my craft show table, the colored dots indicate price and the white slips are a description of the pen and refill information.

George

 

[DaveO]

Wow,

That is awesome I never new you could do that. Dave, can I do that on the HF lathe? What tools, will I need? And I should have keep my spike antlers! Arg!

I love this site, such talent, such imagination!

I made them on the HF lathe, I am sure you can too :icon_thum. A spindle roughing gouge and scraper or skew chisel is all you need. A buddy of mine gives me all the sheds he finds on his 100+ acre farm where they have been managing the deer population quite well.


Dave

 

[Sir Chiz]

Thanks for the welcome Folks! :embaresse

Aside from a Crown 1/4" skew and gouge, I make most of my tools from masonry nails, $3 for a box-o-tools, :wink_smil also use a 3/16" metal lathe bit ground to a sharp angle and point for part off. The long angle and point allows undercutting when parting off, and leaving almost no knub.

Here's some tools, nothing fancy,skew, hollower,hook tools and parting,

Phil.

 

[Mike Davis]

Cool! :icon_thum

Thanks and I hope you will continue to be a close part of the community here.

 

[WoodWrangler]

Thanks for the welcome Folks! :embaresse

Aside from a Crown 1/4" skew and gouge, I make most of my tools from masonry nails, $3 for a box-o-tools, :wink_smil also use a 3/16" metal lathe bit ground to a sharp angle and point for part off. The long angle and point allows undercutting when parting off, and leaving almost no knub.

Here's some tools, nothing fancy,skew, hollower,hook tools and parting,

Phil.

Now ... that is cool!:icon_thum:icon_thum

 

[TracyP]

Now ... that is cool!:icon_thum:icon_thum

I agree, very cool!!!

 

[MrAudio815]

I made them on the HF lathe, I am sure you can too :icon_thum. A spindle roughing gouge and scraper or skew chisel is all you need. A buddy of mine gives me all the sheds he finds on his 100+ acre farm where they have been managing the deer population quite well.


Dave

Sweet! I can't wait! I was sure hoping it could do that. Thanks Dave.:icon_thum
Now to find some people with antlers!:gar-Bi

 

[WoodWrangler]

Now to find some people with antlers!

People don't have antlers! Deer do! :rotflm: :swoon:

 

[ptt49er]

Sweet! I can't wait! I was sure hoping it could do that. Thanks Dave.:icon_thum
Now to find some people with antlers!:gar-Bi

I've never seen people with antlers, I wonder how they would turn :rotflm:

 

[MrAudio815]

Wow Very cool Phil (Sir Chiz)

I just mad some Oland tools with Earl (Erasmussen) and they are great, tested them out on one of the three handles I made in this Thread: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f32/redircted-way-no-light-part-2-oland-tools-20521/

Thanks for sharing, I will have to figure out how to make some!