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Author Topic: Restoring Antler?  (Read 5713 times)

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Offline Slackbunny

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Restoring Antler?
« on: September 05, 2013, 08:50:14 pm »
I've got a set of antlers that are bleached from the sun, and I would like to bring them back to a more natural yellowish colour. I was thinking tung oil might work, or some other oil finish, but I figured somebody here probably has some experience with this. What have you guys used in the past and what kind of results did you get?
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Offline mullet

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2013, 10:07:18 pm »
The best I've done with them is to bring them back to an iridescent, white color. I sand off all of the oxidation and then hit them real hard with a buffer and Carbola wax. I think the bleached ones make a nicer knife or pistol handle.
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Offline bowtarist

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2013, 02:09:45 pm »
I was given several nice elk sheds at the Classic this year and Joe York told me to use tru-oil on them to bring the color back in.  Said to use it up to the smooth part or the tip, but leave the tips untouched.  ?? haven't done it yet, but plan to, may stop and buy some after work tonight. I have to take back the heat gun I bought a couple weeks ago anyway, fan stopped working. >:( dp
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Offline Polar Bear

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2013, 04:46:50 pm »
I have used potassium permangy "spelling".  You can get it at a drug store.  It is a powder and turns purple when you mix it with water.  Use gloves.  I used it on a bleached out caribou rack I found.  It made it look like I had just killed the critter the week before.  It didn't take very long and the only thing I did afterwards was to wash it down and let it dry. 
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Offline bubby

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2013, 06:28:40 pm »
I've used shoe polish it bring back the color
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Offline Thesquirrelslinger

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2013, 06:54:23 pm »
coffee?
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Offline Josh B

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2013, 08:03:52 pm »
Quote from: bubby on September 06, 2013, 06:28:40 pm
I've used shoe polish it bring back the color


Same here Bub.  Just plain ol natural boot polish does the trick.  Josh
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Offline NimRand

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2013, 05:37:04 am »
Artist paints. Use burnt umber or umber. I had to fix a set of antlers for a guy that was from a deer he shot and didn't find for 9 months and it work. I got this info from U-Tube video on how to repair a broken antler. I also played with mixing colors to recreate a polished tip.
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Offline Slackbunny

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2013, 05:26:57 pm »
Thanks for the info guys. Would any of you by chance have pictures of the results?
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Online Pappy

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2013, 07:33:57 am »
Tru oul works pretty good, Also Linseed oil,just takes a while for that to dry.
   Pappy
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Offline NimRand

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Re: Restoring Antler?
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2013, 05:43:11 am »
No. My phone got soaked by me in a kiddie pool. Don't ask. I will see if my son still has a copy of it.
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