I Still Got It !!!

I still got it !! Not sure how much I really want to use it though.  I came through, not knowin exactly what I was doin for sure and with my back against the wall.  I've been in that predicament many times in the past.  If ya read the previous post, you'll know that I said I would make a pen out of deer antler . . . something I've never done before . . . And it would be a Christmas present.  

Greg brought a set of his dad's deer antlers over to the house Friday.  I cut them up to get some pieces that would be long enough for pen.  I needed two pieces about two inches long.  Then I discovered how difficult it is to drill a hole into something that isn't round and curves in at least two directions.  I drilled through one piece successfully.  The other wasn't what I was hopin for.  I decided to make a comfort pen.  The comfort pen kit doesn't require both pieces to be the same length.  I was hopin I would have enough length before I got to the 'blowout' part.  Check the previous blog post for pics.  

So about noon today I went to the garage and started turnin.  I had no idea how deer antler would perform.  You definitely need very sharp tools.  They needed a good sharpenin anyway.  There was more vibration than I care for because the pieces were lopsided.  I took my time and very light cuts.  I had a couple more pieces if i needed them, but I would have to drill them, something I didn't want to do if I could avoid it.  Everything worked out great.  

My first deer antler pen.  

This is the opposite side of the same pen.  

Everything went my way, sort of the opposite of yesterday.  I'm glad I didn't end up cuttin up this guy's antlers with nothing to show for it . . . And I got done in plenty of time for Christmas. Like all the literature I could find on turning antlers of any animal, drillin the holes is the hardest part.  

The next hardest part of the process is gettin use to the smell.  They say deer antler smells a lot like burning hair.  I think they are pretty much on.  Not that I know exactly what burning hair smells like . . .