carving antlers

AlArchie · #21 12-05-2002, 11:07 AM

Just a thought......I would imagine buck deer mice are about as ratioed out as buck white tails. Far more does than bucks. Keep lookin'!

Another thought, have you tried the tagua nut stuff for antlers? They are quite hard and not too bad to work. They have an ivory-like appearance, and may make good mini-antlers.

Al

Bandaid · #22 12-05-2002, 11:57 AM

There was an article in Chip Chats some time ago on making antlers out of pieces of extra thin plywood which was laminated together to get the required thickness. The author cut out the profile then clamped the pieces in a curved mold made to simulate the curl in the antlers. After the glue set he used a sanding drum to further shape them. Haven't tried this myself but plywood should make a fairly durable set of horns because you wouldn't have to worry about grain direction.
Just for info.....

#23 12-05-2002, 07:06 PM

Antler collection sounds like more of a job for a 30-06 than a scroll saw.

Callynne · #24 12-06-2002, 09:13 AM

Â* Â* Okay....I'll keep looking for those little deer mice bucks, but till I find them...I checked out in one of my catalogs and found the tagua nuts and also something else I'm going to try.
Â* Â* It's a wood pulp sculpting product called Plasmolegno Wood Pulp. Â*Says you mold it with wet hands and when air dried it can be treated just like wood. Â*Anyone ever hear of it or use it? Â*I figure I will try making a very simple wire 'antler' and molding this stuff around it. Â*If it works you could just mold as many 'points' on as you'd want the buck to have. Â*Figure on trying both and see which works the best. Â*Thanks for all the advice....serious or not!

Callynne

AlArchie · #25 12-06-2002, 11:20 AM

Watta ya mean, serious? I'm always serious! Ya, right.

Al

#26 12-06-2002, 02:40 PM

Definitely let us know how that wood pulp modeling stuff works, Callynne - I can think of a million uses for it if it really acts like wood when it's dried. Hmmm...sounds cool.

Teri

Kenny_S · #27 12-06-2002, 04:45 PM

Callynne,
I have soaked them up to 2 hours. Now they were not soft but with sharpe tools, Manageable. I do not use my good Helves on antlers but I have a nice whittlin jack that works good with antlers. And some home made knives out of a bastard file(ops, I guess I can say that. That is what they are called. Sorry!

A friend says he uses a saltwater bath on his.

Hope this helps.

#28 12-06-2002, 07:22 PM

r.e. the cast antlers ... Just got a Tom Wolfe book 'Carving Canes & Walking Sticks' and in it he uses a cast antler. It was pure white but after he stained it and held it next to an actual antler you'd be hard pressed to tell which was which. Said it carves easier than the real deal. Unformtunately he doesn't say what the stuff was or where he got it.

Some help - Huh???

Callynne · #29 12-09-2002, 07:37 AM

Â* Â* Bummer, I called to order the 'big word' wood pulp stuff and they don't carry it anymore. Â*I ordered a different sculpting product. Â*They said you could do all the same stuff with it....it's white when it dries (have to bake it in the oven). Â*Wonder if it's the same as you read about, FatEddy, I'll find out eventually and I'll let you know! Â*Callynne

Callynne · #30 12-09-2002, 07:39 AM

P.S. Forgot, they also said the nuts were very hard to carve, I'd need 'power' to do it...any opinions on that subject?? Â*Callynne