Cutting antler for handle scales

[Henry Parrott]

How would you recommend cutting an antler roll for scales as obviously its round so would be difficult to use any kind of machine to cut without altering it.
Thanks

 

[91bravo]

I use a bandsaw. Bone stinks when you’re cutting it too.

 

[Henry Parrott]

I use a bandsaw. Bone stinks when you’re cutting it too.

Okay, but how do you secure it ? do you just free cut it or do you make a jig to hold it and ensure a straight cut ?

 

[91bravo]

Okay, but how do you secure it ? do you just free cut it or do you make a jig to hold it and ensure a straight cut ?

Hold both sides and push the bone into the saw blade. You should be able to get uniform cuts by free hand cutting it.

 

[Lesknife]

What I’ve done to cut round odd shaped pieces of antler or bone is to fasten them with glue or epoxy to a piece of wood or other material that can be sawn. After you secure them to the material in the desired orientation, either a table saw or band saw you can make a precise cut with better control. After you’ve cut the pieces you can sand, file or grind to the exact thickness or shape.

 

[Horsewright]

I cover how I do it pretty well here:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/processing-elk-sheds-a-wip.1467821/

Worth reading all three pages for sure. I mention on the last page that since writing that I've gotten rid of my 14 inch bandsaw and do all shed processing on a portaband on a Swag table.

 

[neo71665]

Bone stinks when you’re cutting it too.

Yes it does

 

[RayseM]

I use a bandsaw too - mostly free hand but sometime I jig up a brace for crazy shapes. Resting the antler piece on a board with supports - old corks or other chunks of wood glued to the board supporting the antler as needed. A multi oscillating tool is a good option too but you need to clamp the antler. Would never ever use a table saw but that's just me - THOUGH - if securely epoxied to a solid piece of wood, comfortably big enough to control, that could be safe enough. I have a bandsaw so the greatly minimized element of risk using that over the TS makes the TS option moot.

 

[Hale Storm]

I use the bandsaw as well. Always free hand but i take it nice and slow.