markh Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 (edited) Does anyone have experience gluing deer antlers on as handles for fire tools? What glue should I use? Thanks Edited December 13, 2009 by Mod17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan W Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Try JB Weld. Its a two part epoxy type adhesive and I find it works well on almost anything. Not good for some plastics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry W. Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 The JB Weld that I have used is grey in color. I would get a clear two part epoxy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Crabtree Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 i would recommend tapering the tang on the firetool drilling out a hole in the antler slightly smaller than the largest part of the taper. Then put epoxy in the hole and on the tang and drive the handle on. This will create a traditional friction bond and have the epoxy to back it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primtechsmith Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 whatever you use make sure you rough up the piece you are inserting with chisel marks or holes....give the glue something to get around and hold onto. Peyton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironrosefarms Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 I have seen this done but without glue by taking a chisel at an angle to create barbs where the iron will be inserted into the antler. I'm sure that a little clear epoxy or perhaps gorilla glue (gorilla glue expands and would fill any voids that would happen to be around and dries to a slightly yellowish color) would work nicely to sure it up for the long haul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal-k Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 (edited) hey ironrosefarms - the expanding action of the gorilla glue is bad. it creates a sort of foam that is NONSTRUCTURAL, gorilla glue is only good if all your pieces are almost perfectly meshing. I find that 2 part epoxy works great if you have any voids. Edited November 19, 2008 by cal-k spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 If you do it right, the antler will glue itself. Making an Antler Handle Knife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchmancreek Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 I grind annular grooves on the tang to be inserted so that the glue will have something to grab. JB Weld works fine and the color shouldn't matter if you wipe off the excess before it dries. To really make it look nice, attach a plate of aluminum or brass to the end of the antler, file for a perfect fit, and put the tang through it into the antler. If the other end of the antler is sawed off put a plate or buttcap on that end too. Here's how I do it on small meat flippers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian C. Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I also have used the JB weld. I forged a tenon on the ends of a set of fireplace tools, then drilled the antlers, a big glob of JB around the tenon & then insert. Still holding so far after 2 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Thanks for a great thread MarkH, you sparked the creative juices! I have a bunch of antlers and have always wanted to use them creatively for blades or tools. I've always wondered about the best way to do it and the epoxy/friction sounds great. But also wondered can they be sawed in half length wise and epoxied or pinned like some wood handles on a knives or is that not practical. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpworks Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 i would use epoxy or 5200 marine adhesive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markh Posted November 20, 2008 Author Share Posted November 20, 2008 You're welcome Tim. I always have a lot of questions and it's nice to know that I'm not bothering everyone. Take care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchmancreek Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Thanks for a great thread MarkH, you sparked the creative juices! I have a bunch of antlers and have always wanted to use them creatively for blades or tools. I've always wondered about the best way to do it and the epoxy/friction sounds great. But also wondered can they be sawed in half length wise and epoxied or pinned like some wood handles on a knives or is that not practical. Tim If the antler is big enough diameter, yes you can saw it into flat scales. Use a slow saw speed and be aware that sawing or grinding antler can smell pretty bad. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Mulholland - Tetnum Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 jb weld will work but stablize the antler first with super gluejustt keep putting it in untill it wont take any more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Thanks for the info, Got a few new projects to get on with fancy antler handles. Thanks again Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 make sure to use a mask when working with bone. fragments are like little hooks and can screw up your lungs. read about in a scrimshaw book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horseshoes711 Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Matt87's link was very helpful. I found this thread in a search and it answered all my questions. I plan to use antler for some blades I'm forging out of coil spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWCarlson Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 i would use epoxy or 5200 marine adhesive. If I'm not mistaken 5200 marine adhesive stays pliable after curing does it not? I don't think you'd want a flexible adhesive in your knife. I think 2 part epoxy is a good choice. Otherwise the boil and poke method is interesting. And if it doesn't work like you want you could always drill and epoxy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 I made a knife when I was teaching handicrafts at a BSA summer camp, back around 1984. We didn't have a suitable drill, so I just heated the tang, and burned it into the antler. Stinks, but worked really well making a really tight fit. Used some Devcon 2 part epoxy in the dual tube, and glued it up. In all of those years it has yet to get loose, and it has been used quite a bit, and has been wet often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rcrew Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 accuglass epoxy used for glass bedding rifles works very well, cutting grooves in the tang so it has something to get a hold. You can also dye this epoxy brown or black. it is avable from brownells gunsmith supply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streeter Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 I am making an antler chandelier for someone and I’m mounting them on an old iron wagon wheel. I have drilled through the antlers and wired them in place so I can glue it all together but had no idea what to use. I did get a two part epoxy because I had eliminated pretty much everything else just from other projects. Just wanted a second opinion with some experience. Thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven NY Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 I have use a lot of deer antler/bone, knobs, knife scales, pen blanks at school for antler pens, and handles of all sorts. Devcon 2 part epoxy works very well. If I were going to use them for fire place tool handles I would also pin them or make it a through tang with a cap. The thicker the antler section the more porous the inside will be, I normally try to remove most of the porous materiel or stabilize it as mentioned above. Have a great night, W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Good advice, but this thread is almost 12 years old and the original poster hasn't been on the forum in a long, long time. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven NY Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 LOL Nice! well when I get that time machine built I will keep this thread in mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now