Oh All Knowing Galoots:

Recently I was fortunate enough at a garage sale to find a whole large
plastic trash can  full of trophy antlers from deer and small elk -- about
10 or 12 pair.  After some discussion, I got 'em for $50.

Now I want to make a chandelier or two.  What is the accepted wisdom as to
the best way to fasten the antlers permanently together for this kind of use
where they will be hanging unsupported?

Joseph Sullivan

On 20/11/2015 9:04 PM, Joseph Sullivan wrote, regarding a pile of antlers he 
acquired
> > Now I want to make a chandelier or two.  What is the accepted wisdom > as to
the best way to fasten the antlers permanently together for > this kind of use 
where they will be hanging unsupported? >

Perhaps roves & rivets would work, as they have a
rustic aesthetic quality and might look good with the
antlers.

When I read your message to my wife she said something
about divorce papers.  Do those documents have any
structural or adhesive properties?

-- 
Darrell LaRue
Oakville ON
Wood Hoarder, Blade Sharpener, and Occasional Tool User

They don't have any adhesive properties, beyond getting you into a 
sticky situation.

Who was it who used antlers in all their decorating?  If I recall 
correctly, he was unlucky in love . . .

Gary Katsanis
Albion New York, USA
(where gun season for deer is just starting . . . another old tool)

Ahhhhhyup

   A guy can get away with antler knife handles, pistol grips and maybe 
even coat hooks on a polished walnut plank.
But when it comes to chandeliers or chairs or setees? The big antler pieces?
These are established decor of the female woman haters club.
  Also known as natural feminine repellants.

    1 in 10,000 women would welcome them, and I am not all that sure you 
would be happy with that one.
    yours Scott



-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html



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Actually, I am married to that one  and she is quite nice.  Furthermore, she
will be doing most of the work designing the chandelier, and I will be left
with the engineering.  It is to go in a log cabin in the north woods of
Minnesota.

Joseph Sullivan

 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: OldTools [mailto:oldtools-bounces@s...] On Behalf Of scott
grandstaff
Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2015 11:43 AM
To: porch 
Subject: Re: [OldTools] Making antler chandeliers

Ahhhhhyup

   A guy can get away with antler knife handles, pistol grips and maybe even
coat hooks on a polished walnut plank.
But when it comes to chandeliers or chairs or setees? The big antler pieces?
These are established decor of the female woman haters club.
  Also known as natural feminine repellants.

    1 in 10,000 women would welcome them, and I am not all that sure you
would be happy with that one.
    yours Scott



-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html



-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2015.0.6176 / Virus Database: 4460/11045 - Release Date: 11/22/15


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Okay then,  some alternatives to divorce precipitating antler chandeliers;
 alternative uses for antlers, continued...

Thinking back to our (early) origins, antlers were rather valuable items,
both for trading as well as basic survival...

The sharp tines of deer antlers were used for pressure flaking/
resharpening arrow heads (in flint knapping).  Moose billets (the heavier
thicker parts of the antler nearer the skull) were the traditional striking
tool for bopping larger bits of flint in the initial shaping process,  to
create 'preforms' that could be then shaped into useful tools (knives,
lance heads, drills etc).  The deer antler tines/moose billets are still
used by experimental archaeologists trying to reverse engineer the
techniques for making the various stone tools that have been found at
archaeological digs.

 If you are interested, a quick google video search will give you several
excellent flint knapping videos.  There is a very large, very active
community world wide (they are much like us, actually) who work diligently
to recreate the stone tools found by archaeologists.  I encourage you to
have a look at what they have been able to accomplish.  Some of the it is
quite remarkable.

  As far as the 'galootishness' factor is concerned, stone tool craftsmen
have it, in spades!

Claudio in Waterloo

On Sun, Nov 22, 2015 at 1:59 PM, Joseph Sullivan 
wrote:

On 11/20/2015 9:04 PM, Joseph Sullivan wrote:
> Now I want to make a chandelier or two.  What is the accepted wisdom as to
> the best way to fasten the antlers permanently together for this kind of use
> where they will be hanging unsupported?


There's a video if a couple of guys who build antler  furniture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j_q14SPII4
There's a couple places where one  can see them using bolts.
right around 2:04  there's a brief bit where an angle grinder is being 
used to cut and grind flush  what appears to be a 1/4" bolt.
I'm guessing the epoxy the in place grind 'em  flush and paint the bolt 
ends.

Practical advice for working antlers.

     Get a good box fan and mount it in an open window, pointing outward.
    Open the door or window on the far side of the room.
    Work directly in front of the exhaust fan.

  I have worked a lot of bone, horn and shell in my life. I have.
   You do not want to be able to breathe even a little of it, once its 
dust is released into the air.     Please don't allow even a little of 
it into your lungs.    It hurts.

   Not that anyone really needs to tell you that,.... much.
One good whiff sends most people scrambling from the building.

       It can be beautiful as a material, and ever so sturdy.   It lasts 
and lasts unchanging.          But it is truly offensive when dust is 
being created.
       Play safe.
              yours Scott

-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html



-----
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Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2015.0.6176 / Virus Database: 4460/11045 - Release Date: 11/22/15

Quoting Joseph Sullivan :

> Actually, I am married to that one  and she is quite nice. 
Furthermore, she
> will be doing most of the work designing the chandelier, and I will
be left
> with the engineering.  These are established decor of the female 
> woman haters club.
>   Also known as natural feminine repellants.

What, no appreciation of natural forms?

If I were doing it I would probably be looking at some nice copper wire..
Ages to a nice unobtrusive green, an plays nice when still red.

Esther