Advice Please to Finish Dyed Antler

B

Bowman73

Joined
Nov 5, 2012
Messages
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Hi Everyone

I have an antler crown that was bleached out naturally so I have dyed it. My question is 'which method should I use to seal the antler handle?' I am not sanding the natural texturing off so I don't know if I can use a superglue finish. I would need to sand between coats of CA, correct? I don't know if I can sand the CA well enough to leave the finish clear. I have experimented a little on test pieces using a spray on clear coat but I am not sure it is sealing the cracks and pith.

Any advice or methods would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Brett
 
What did you stain it with? The trick might be to seal it without removing the stain.

One way would be Renaissance Wax. I love that stuff. Seems to work very well, but probably needs several coats and then be reapplied once or twice a year.

Another way to go might be with a shellac/boiled linseed oil finish. If the dye is water soluble, you may have to wipe the dye off with naptha, and tint the shellac.

50% shellac with 50% boiled linseed oil can leave an awfully nice finish.

It dries hard and fast. You can put several thin coats on in a day.

I use pieces of used fine conditioning belt to smooth between coats on irregular surfaces, but fine steel wool works well too, for oil finishes.
 
I use Krylon clear acrylic, and I buff the high spots of the antler.
Antler doesn't need to be truly "sealed." The clear acrylic fixes the coloration in the low spots. I sure wouldn't try using super glue!
 
Thank you Gentlemen. This is my third knife and first use of antler. I have used an aniline dye mixed with water to dye the antler. I really like the effect of the dye but I need to seal it. I will try a bit more experimentation and stay away from the superglue.
 
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