Repairing Guides

how to repair antlers

by Dakota Hintz Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  1. Prepare the Antlers Near the broken area you will want to wash off any dirt or dried blood. I like to gently wash the...
  2. Mix the Epoxy The epoxy material was a little stiff so I warmed the tightly sealed containers in a cup of hot water...
  3. Form New Tines I wrapped the mixed epoxy material around the wire coat hanger a little at a time until I had a...

Part of a video titled Broken Antler Repair Using Apoxie Sculpt - YouTube
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8:23
But not too stiff that you can't bend it a coat hanger works great what we're going to do is justMoreBut not too stiff that you can't bend it a coat hanger works great what we're going to do is just drill a hole into where it's broken off so that that piece of wire can go down in. There.

Full Answer

How do you glue antlers back together?

For gluing combinations of bone/antler material and metal (e. g. for knife handles) Epoxy glue (No. 450382) should be used. It is transparent and gap-filling, and is therefore also ideal for gluing spongy surfaces.

How do you restore chewed antlers?

0:2615:20Fixing Sun-Bleached, Chewed & Broken Tined Antlers - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's all chewed big-time over here all the elders points are just completely shredded. So what I'mMoreIt's all chewed big-time over here all the elders points are just completely shredded. So what I'm going to use today.

Can you oil antlers?

Yes true of most oils...but after much research food grade mineral oil has no ill effects... antlers may not crack indoors but they certainly get very dry...the mineral oil puts the life back in em... I just experimented with a couple a year ago...they look much more vibrant than those I didn't apply it on...

How do you touch up antlers?

0:007:58How To Touch Up Antlers When Doing A European Skull MountYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt doesn't matter what method you use I've used beetles. And degreasing or bowling. You're alwaysMoreIt doesn't matter what method you use I've used beetles. And degreasing or bowling. You're always gonna have on some deer you grab discoloration at the bases the antlers.

How do you refresh deer antlers?

2:018:51How To Restore Color To Deer Antlers CHEAP! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo to do this all we got to do is dump the coffee grounds in a bowl. And start rubbing the groundsMoreSo to do this all we got to do is dump the coffee grounds in a bowl. And start rubbing the grounds on the horn. And. Like I said all we got to do just grab the grounds. And just start rubbing it.

What do you put on deer antlers?

Spray a clear coat of polyurethane onto all parts of the antlers to protect them from water and insect damage. This spray also helps preserve the natural colors of the antlers.

What to put on deer antlers to preserve them?

Soak the antlers in a solution of one part linseed oil and one part turpentine to help preserve them. You can also spray antlers with furniture polish, but this will have to be done on a regular basis.

How do you clean and preserve antlers?

Take some warm water and a mild detergent, like Dawn® dishwashing soap. Using some good old elbow grease, soak the antlers for a few minutes or just start scrubbing them with a wet washcloth and the soap. They should clean up nicely very quickly. Rinse them clean, and let them dry.

How do I make my antlers shiny?

Spray the antlers with a coat of semi-gloss polyurethane to maintain the shine. Allow the polyurethane to dry for at least 72 hours before handling.

How do you fill antler cracks?

0:104:33Antler Restoration Tips - Broken Tines & Staining - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo i'll just do a quick video as you can see this is an old chalk first things first we got to fillMoreSo i'll just do a quick video as you can see this is an old chalk first things first we got to fill those cracks. So what i use is just some spackle put it in there and fill them up.

What kind of paint do you use on deer antlers?

Acrylic Paint (for dark antlers try burnt umber or raw umber, and for lighter racks try yellow ochre with white)

How do you glue a broken antler?

0:218:23Broken Antler Repair Using Apoxie Sculpt - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOkay so what we're going to use to fix a broken time is called epoxy sculpt this is a two-part epoxyMoreOkay so what we're going to use to fix a broken time is called epoxy sculpt this is a two-part epoxy. You mix the two together leave it to harden overnight and it becomes rock solid just like antler.

How do you make antlers Brown again?

5:507:28DIY: Restore Sun-Bleached Antlers with Wood Stain - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut door cracks are also found in nature this deer right here this is exactly how it was harvestedMoreBut door cracks are also found in nature this deer right here this is exactly how it was harvested this had a very dark rack. This by no means is professional taxidermy it's just if you're out shed

How can I get my antlers back to color?

Registered. Formula #10: antler stain Use to restore a natural color to bleached, or faded antlers. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of potassium permanganate crystals in 1/2 cup of warm water. Apply this to the antlers with a brush or wad of cloth until the desired color is attained.

How do you fill antler cracks?

0:104:33Antler Restoration Tips - Broken Tines & Staining - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo i'll just do a quick video as you can see this is an old chalk first things first we got to fillMoreSo i'll just do a quick video as you can see this is an old chalk first things first we got to fill those cracks. So what i use is just some spackle put it in there and fill them up.

How do you fix chalky antlers?

3:0212:25ANTLER BODY SHOP " CHALK TO BROWN " - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI just take some sandpaper scotch brite whatever you're smoothing with and just go over that thingMoreI just take some sandpaper scotch brite whatever you're smoothing with and just go over that thing and get that horn nice and slick.

Fixing Broken Tines

If you are a deer hunter and harvest a buck with antlers you would like to display, oftentimes it will have a broken tine or two. A qualified taxidermist can do the repair if you decide to have a shoulder mount or European skull mount done. If you are doing the Euro mount yourself, then you can repair the broken antler tines too.

Materials

The first thing to do is order some epoxy for the repair. I ordered a two part epoxy kit called All Game Epoxy sculpting material. It came with vinyl gloves, stirring sticks and enough epoxy for several repairs.

Repair Broken Antlers Step-by-Step

Near the broken area you will want to wash off any dirt or dried blood. I like to gently wash the whole set of antlers. Next, I roughed up the surface of the tine stump where the new imitation time will go using a Dremel tool with a small abrasive bit. I drilled a small hole partially into the stump where I pressed in a piece of steel coat hanger.

Repaired section separating from original beam

The first thing that I did was assess why the repair job failed so that I made sure I wouldn’t make the same mistake. After looking over the point I figured two factors played a roll in the damage.

New Wire Set

After the epoxy I used to set the wire cured, I began the process of building up the tine with two-part apoxie clay. Several layers were needed to achieve the circumference needed and also the detail to match the existing antler then the apoxie was left to cure.

Blending and sculpting new tine

Once I achieve the size, shape and texture I was after I could finally move onto the painting part of the job. First I mixed paint to match the lightest color of the antlers to be applied as the base color. When painting it’s important to start light and work your way to the darker paints. The base color was applied and then left to dry.

Base Paint Applied

After the base color dried it was time to move onto the multitude of browns, greys, yellows and red shades that make up all the colors you see when you look at the antlers of any cervid species. With some time, patience and of course the right paints, the brown hues were slowly matched and laid down according to the original beam.

The Finished Product

While you might have to get creative and apply new tools or materials, the basics of this technique can be applied to any of the horned and antlered species of trophy animals us hunters never grow old of pursuing.

bruce New Member

I was wondering how you go about repairing broken deer antler.I have allways wanted to shoot a deer with a drop tine and when i did it was broken of and would like to replace. Can I take a tine off another rack or do they make some kind of material to make a new one with? I think the broken of part would be about 4 to 5 inches.

rcaples New Member

try epoxie sculpt (mckenzies supply) im sure others carry it also, just mckenzies is 10 miles down the road, it works good for rebuilding antlers and is easy to work with

Dean New Member

Drill a hole 1/4" in size at the break. Drill as deep as possible without going through. Form a 1/4" rod to the length and shape needed. Grind end to a taper if needed. Use a good epoxy like JB weld. Not 5 minute epoxy. Slow setting epoxy I believe is stronger. Put the mixed epoxy into hole and around break, also smear it onto the rod.

PJK1944 RENAISSANCE MAN OF HABITATS

I like the idea of using the real antler as a drop tine, what I do is drill a hole into the antler as far as you can go, be careful you don't go all the way through. On the drop drill a hole about 2 inches. the size of the hole is the size of a coat hanger,both holes.

Dean New Member

PJK - I've done that method many times years back, it works but like you said it isn't nearly as strong. I've fixed them like that before and warned the customer not to bump or grab the tine. No sooner do I say it and they grab hold of the head and crack the tine. I've also cast them but it's more time consuming.

HTG New Member

Is there anything extra you would when adding a extra point off of the repair tine?

Dean New Member

I make the entire antler tine with the bondo and chopped fiberglass mix. Build it up a little larger than what you want. Then as soon as it sets up enough carve it down to the shape you want. The longer it sets the harder it gets so don't wait to long to carve it, other wise you will need to grind and sand a lot.

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