About a month ago I started messing with this project I just wanted to see how it would work out.. I took a section of the straightest Elk Antler I had, and locked it in the chuck and started turning it down S L O W L Y after I had the shape I wanted I drilled out the hole for the knot.. So now I had a very lightweight brush handle, as you know the center of Elk Antler is full of holes, so I decided to try the Vacuum Chamber on it, I have never had so many bubbles rise up, It took 72 hours of gradually increasing the vacuum to finally get the bubbles to stop, when I took the handle out it had drastically increased in weight.. After 2 weeks the handle finally was fully dried.. I added the Turquoise to the bottom and proceeded to polish the brush out, the turned antler came out just beautiful almost like ivory so I was really happy with that .. Just set the 22mm Overstuffed Silvertip knot at 52mm loft... Thanks for looking
My dad always says "it always helps when you have the right tools for the job". But I think what you do my friend takes a lot more than just tools. That takes some kind of vision and a lot of artistry. I don't know if you keep these for yourself or if you pass them on, whatever the case may be, whoever ends up with that is going to have a nice work of art that looks like it will provide a lifetime of great shaves. Great job!
Glen Pictures are worth a million words. Great job, beautiful. Repeat after me Boy's and Girl's Glen is a perfectionist!!!
Wow, turned out amazing. The antler brush you made for me is definitely my best looking brush. The turned antler looks very different, I hope you will be offering these in the future.
Glen, nice brush. Do you feel it's necessary to stabilize antler? I haven't messed with any horn but have been playing around stabilizing wood.
This was only the second time I have @oscar11 Normally for a full antler brush No I haven't I just make sure the ends are sealed and go from there the knot seals one end and I either do a Base cap or an epoxy seal on the bottom and all is good.. This one I decided to to use the chamber on because I had exposed so much of the inner parts of the antler, it just felt safer to me to treat it and move on.. A trick I learned with the wood brushes that I bet you have found already when treating, after you drill the knot hole, then drill a 1/4 inch hole down through the brush to create a hollow chamber to almost the base.. this allows the treatment to infuse from the inside and outside
It also allows for easier boring of the hole rather than waiting until it is stabilized and then start drilling.
Bob, I found this stuff called Daly's Seafin locally and I have really grown to like the results, it is really made for tight grain woods, and of course as the name implies for boats, I have tried the Minwax Poly and got a good result, but unless you really care for the open container (Nitrogen gas) you will lose the majority of it.. I have an idea for a new Chamber and I want to try some of the finishes at Woodcraft when I need new stuff again.. I saw a really cool chamber set up made made from a Heavy Glass baking pan and a Plexi top w/ simple Grease and Rubber seal system.. I think I am going to maybe adapt it for scales and handles by using a Glass Loaf Pan... Like this sorta Will post pics if I do
