Working with Whitetail Antlers

Chris Crawford

Chris Crawford

Joined
Apr 14, 2001
Messages
380
Do any of you guys have some tips (no pun intended) for working with whitetail antlers? I was drilling some this morning and was amazed at how hot it got. Is there any type of liquid that you can use as a coolant or cutting fluid without damaging the material? Thanks -chris

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Chris Crawford Knives

 
Dan Gray said:
Chris Crawford said:
Do any of you guys have some tips (no pun intended) for working with whitetail antlers? I was drilling some this morning and was amazed at how hot it got. Is there any type of liquid that you can use as a coolant or cutting fluid without damaging the material? Thanks -chris
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chris
use a sharp drill and clear it often.
if it's not real dry you'll know it.
I don't use anything on it to cool it..it may just bung things up more that do any good for you.
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Sounds like a dull drill bit.Sharp bits and slow drilling are all you need.The drill dust/shavings clump together like cement,so clear the drill regularly.
 
Other than making your shop smell like a dental office from shaping and drilling on the enamel, I love the stuff. I've used it and elk antler probably as much as anything else for my knife handles. I usually rough cut it to slabs or scales using my band saw. I most always wear a respirator when using it too because it can dust up everything pretty quickly.

There have been times when I've threaded the antler too. It works well so long as your threads are in the enamel and not the softer spongy area of the antler.

If you use old sanding belts or old dull tools on it you will notice that it burn marks easily. It can also burn mark on a buffer with ease if you are not careful.

I usually cleaned it with a mild bleach water solution in the sun. Then I used my foredom handpiece and stiff horse hair brush wheels (from dentistry) to clean it up good in all the little crevices and cracks.
 
What everybody says is sure on the money. Sharp drills and saw blades make all the difference. I just had an interesting problem come up with antler. A customer wants two knives using antler crowns he supplied. Problem was, he had used bleach to sanitize the skull and it had gotten on the crowns. They were badly bleached out and somewhat crumbly about an inch up. Tried dyeing with leather dye, but the bleached parts just got green looking. Last night I liberally applied regular hair conditioner to those parts and this morning they look almost new. Gonna do it again and then re-dye. Wondered if anyone else had done this to help rejuvinate older antler?
Rick
 
Rick, you might ask Chuck Burrows if you have a chance. I think he could rejuvinate Noah's Ark if asked to. If he doesn't know (not likely) he'll be able to point you in the right direction.
 
Just a thought, no I haven't tried it, but figured I'd throw it out there for ya. What about a compressed air coolant on it? Would have the added benefit of clearing the workpiece. Again, just a thought ;)

-MJ
 
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