Author Topic: Straightening Antler  (Read 2039 times)

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Offline Polar Bear

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Straightening Antler
« on: July 21, 2013, 02:03:50 pm »
I have an antler shed from a fork horn.  I have a project that I would like to use it on but I need to take the curve out.  Is it possible to straighten an antler and if so how do I do it?
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Straightening Antler
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2013, 02:59:16 pm »
I think you can get very slight amounts of bend to it with heat, but it is not like cow horn/keratin...antler is more akin to bone. 

The Vikings supposedly had a way to induce a little curve into narwhale tusks and sold them as "unicorn horns" to southern suckers.
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Offline Polar Bear

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Re: Straightening Antler
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2013, 03:25:40 pm »
Thanks J.W.
When we do right no one remembers, when we do wrong no one forgets.

Offline madcrow

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Re: Straightening Antler
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2013, 03:50:53 pm »
Try boiling the part you want bent for about four or five hours.  then lock it in the jaws of a vise just tight enough to hold it and try to slowly straighten it.  You will also need a way to tie it to something once you get it started bending so that it don't draw back to the original shape when it dries.  I have done this on skull mounts to even the antlers out when one side sets higher than the other, but I usually only move them an inch or two.  Good luck.

Offline Polar Bear

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Re: Straightening Antler
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2013, 04:04:29 pm »
I will give that a try. Thanks.
When we do right no one remembers, when we do wrong no one forgets.