Deer antler

The same ole stuff Chuck, light cuts, sharp tools. Antler some people say smells. :dunno: Makes my future Son In Law gag!!:rofl::rofl: To me it smells like a horse hoof as I am trimming or rasping it, so guess it is a smell I am used to. The hardest with any antler is drilling it straight. I have seen many jigs and do dads, I just eyeball it and hold it with slip joint pliers. Lift your drill bit often, I have a little wire brush on the drill press to clean the flutes on the bit, antler packs instead of cleans.
 
no silly he had big ears and hopped around:) and avery short stubby tail:rofl:

Nah, the hoppy ones with big ears and antlers are Jackalopes, silly. :rolleyes: Good eatin' though, if you can catch one. You guys might see some out in the deserts of Arizona around Don's place in April. They were all over my part of New Mexico back when I lived there. :D
 
Nah, the hoppy ones with big ears and antlers are Jackalopes, silly. :rolleyes: Good eatin' though, if you can catch one. You guys might see some out in the deserts of Arizona around Don's place in April. They were all over my part of New Mexico back when I lived there. :D
Yup that be a Jackalope. We have quite a few running around in the field to the north of my house. They tend to be a bit skidish though I think the cayotes, and bobcats got em scared.
 
Nah, the hoppy ones with big ears and antlers are Jackalopes, silly. :rolleyes: Good eatin' though, if you can catch one. You guys might see some out in the deserts of Arizona around Don's place in April. They were all over my part of New Mexico back when I lived there. :D

I was out that way hunting them. It's just like shooting flying coat hangers.:thumb::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Chuck, my apologies for the rest of the gang here.
Seems you and I are the only gentlemen present. [imagine a 'gag' similie here ;) ]

Antler is frequently discussed on the penturning forums if you wish to do some searches.
As mentioned, drilling a straight hole in a curved piece of antler is, for me, the trickiest part. I eyeball and clamp in a vice. Success rate is about 50%.
Like high school sex, the success rate bragged about is much higher.
Mule deer might not be the best choice since it is fairly large. This means, as you turn, the hard bone will be removed and you may be left with an all marrow pen.
The smell is frequently cussed and discussed. It is there but not real objectionable, IMHO.
Some have said antler can be boiled and straightened in a vice while hot. As much antler as I have worked over the years, mostly non-pen projects, I have never tried this. Stove is upstairs, vice is downstairs.
All that said, an antler pen can be very attractive and desirable for an outdoors man. Put antler on one end and one of Johnson's cartridges on the other and you will have a keeper.
 
Frank, do you mean “gag” like playing a gag on someone, or “gag” like in eating brussels sprouts?

I know the smell from burning a hole in the tip of powder horn. Yaacht (gag)!

I googled Johnson’s cartridge pen kits but couldn’t find anything. Could you send me in the right direction?
 
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do you mean “gag” like playing a gag on someone, or “gag” like in eating brussels sprouts?

Like brussel sprouts!!

The smaller diameter antlers are harder to drill successfully but in my opinion provide the prettiest pens as they have some of the natural edge or what I call "bark" on them. Opinions though, I have customers that prefer it not have any "bark" on it. If your antlers are large, Frank is one hundred percent correct, all marrow. Now if you turn it to the marrow, you can cover it with the thinnest CA glue, let dry and continue.
 
I have never seen a live elk so I googled elk antlers and saw some things advertised by Cabela's. If you use the main beam you will most likely end up in the marrow, but by the pictures I saw, the tips off of the main beam will provide a small enough antler to get some "bark" on the pen. Again, keep the drill bit's flutes cleaned out so the bit doesn't "grow" in diameter. At some point Chuck, you just gotta go do it! Many times it smells the worst when drilling. So you make it past that point, you will be able to turn it.
 
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