Stabilizing antler

[Coldwood]

Here's a knife I made last summer out of a wood planer blade that I picked up at a yard sale (D-2 steel?) The antler slabs are made from another yard sale find, a long straight antler that I believe is Axis stag:

(please don't look at my grinds too carefully, they are amateurish

Here's the problem: I mounted the slabs last summer - coated them with super-glue on the INSIDE before epoxying them to the tang. When I looked at the knife this late spring, after a winter of heat, I noticed the slabs had retreated from the edge of the tang, so I could feel the sharp edge of the tang. I was bummed.

When I looked at it again today, after a humid summer, I see the slabs are flush again with the tang. Obviously the antler is moving back and forth with humidity changes.

My question: What can I do NOW to stabilize the outside of the slabs to keep the antler from moving?

(I hope this is the right forum for this question)

Thanks, Don

 

[Bernoulli]

This may not help, but when I bought my Randall in 1965, Mr. Randall told me that only India Stag antlers were stable enough to use for handle material. I have a couple of other antler handled knives - one that has to be replaced it's so loose and an attractive Muela I've never used.

I think I'd try to stabilize the core with a slow setting epoxy (working it in as best I could), grind it flat then use a liner. Shim stock might work well for a liner. It comes in a variety of thicknesses and materials.

 

[Coldwood]

Thanks Bernoulli. At this point, I was hoping to soak it in oil or some such as that.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Leave it alone for another year. It will settle down. When it does, if it is smaller than the tang, just grind the tang down. You won't have any luck "stabilizing" it.

 

[Coldwood]

Thanks Bill, that sounds like a plan

"Hard work and planning often pay off in the long run, but procrastination pays off immediately."

 

[StretchNM]

Bill is right. Antler can be like wood. We can "limit" its movement, but never really "stop" it from moving. When I bring hardwood lumber from storage into my shop, I do it several months (whenever possible) before using it on a project. This allows the lumber to acclimate to the humidity levels of the shop. I never start a project with lumber straight from the hardwoods store or off the truck.

As Bill said, after it settles down and gets tired of moving, then work with it or the tang.

 

[Coldwood]

Bill is right. Antler can be like wood. We can "limit" its movement, but never really "stop" it from moving. When I bring hardwood lumber from storage into my shop, I do it several months (whenever possible) before using it on a project. This allows the lumber to acclimate to the humidity levels of the shop. I never start a project with lumber straight from the hardwoods store or off the truck.

As Bill said, after it settles down and gets tired of moving, then work with it or the tang.

Right, I understand how wood works with humidity, I've done a lot of woodworking. This piece of antler had been sitting around my shop for years, but of course I have no humidity control in my shop. Somehow, I expected antler to be more stable. Thanks for all of your input