Plaque out of moose antler.

[asrjb25]

My parents came across this moose shed, 37" from point to point! (Would have loved to see the magnificent beast that shed this antler!)

Anyways, they gave it to me and I want to make a house plaque with my last name with it, the idea's I've been toying with:

Simply painting letters on it, simple and reversible, but seems a bit cheap.

Routing out the letters and filling it in with casting resin or something similar, I am concerned that by doing this I might compromise the integrity of the antler and cause it to rot out.

Burning or etching out the letters, seems like it would work well, but am unsure of how to do this neatly and effectively.

Anyone else have any other idea's/suggestions?

Thanks!

[George Riddle]

Anlter can be very easy to work with. What about 3D carving the name all the way through the antler? You can have all the letters just rest on the bottom or both top and bottom. Post the finished product, please.

George

[hunt_ak]

Use a dremel with one of the carbide bits and it'll look great. You could even fill the lettering with epoxy or something to make it stand out more. I'd suggest printing out the font/style of lettering you want and then tape it to the antler and trace with a pencil. Follow the lines and it'll come out great.

Keep us posted...

[ADfields]

I saw one that was cut out with a router then filled with that reason they make bolo-tie claps (you know the embedded coins and bug things) with and a light behind it. It was address numbers and made a cool mix of old school but with a modern touch.

[komocazie74]

there is a book that gives step by step antler carving how-to, seen it at title wave books. There was at least 5 or 6 in the pile, so should still be there. would like to see the finished product also in whatever method you choose

[asrjb25]

Thanks for the replies! I think I'm going to router the letters out about 1cm deep or so, inlay some gold leaf paper into the letters, then fill it with clear casting resin. That should protect the inner antler material from rot and will illuminate the lettering nicely. I might also seal the entire antler with a light gloss, depending on how it looks. It will be a slow work in progress, but I will be sure to post the finished product when it's done.