Antler stain

[Bear_b23]

I'm hoping this hasn't been asked yet (performed a search and didnt find results).

I have a set of weathered (white) elk antlers and am planning on staining them. I've read on the taxidermy a number of techniques like potassium, old English, or miniwax, coffee ground, dirt.... What is your preferred approach for any old weathered antler to get them back to color?

 

[BS7]

I have done the coffee grounds deal with a quite a few whitetail anters and it works ok but I wouldn't say great. If there are cracks in the antlers it doesn't turn out that great if you look real close, from a ways away its not bad.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

I've done coffee grounds and tea. both worked well.

 

[Austink47]

I am trying this, but your going to have to wait a week for me to have an opinion on how it worked.

 

[jolemons]

Sand, fill cracks with wood putty if it's chalky, sand again, wood stain of your choice and color, wipe off, buff tips to ivory color.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[MuleyFever]

Darkening Antlers

So, I just boiled a skull which had velvet on the antlers. After stripping the velvet the antlers are so white. Any process recommendations for getting them to that normal brownish color?

www.rokslide.com

 

[ilikeshootin]

Sanding sealer/ sand if any cracks. Dirt works really well.

 

[Bear_b23]

Darkening Antlers

So, I just boiled a skull which had velvet on the antlers. After stripping the velvet the antlers are so white. Any process recommendations for getting them to that normal brownish color?

www.rokslide.com

Thanks @MuleyFever

 

[Bear_b23]

I am trying this, but your going to have to wait a week for me to have an opinion on how it worked.

This is by far the best video

 

[MTPipeliner]

I've used potassium permanganate to color them and then boiled linseed oil and turpentine mixed 50/50 with excellent results. The PP doesn't stain it completely uniform like wood stain tends to do, you king of get a more varied color that looks more natural to my eye. The linseed oil i just apply with a rag several times as long as it keeps soaking it up and it takes away some of the chalkiness. I restored a moose she's this way for a sign and unless you knew it has been restored you would swear it was a fresh shed.