Injury forces a change of mediums

[Paul Cleaver]

1 hour ago, stuckinthemud said:

Looks like its a lot more dense than the fallow I use. Whats the longest inch wide strip do you think you could get from one?

Am I right in saying, this would make it better for intricate carving?

[Fieldarcher]

Looks like its a lot more dense than the fallow I use. Whats the longest inch wide strip do you think you could get from one?

This type of carving is new to me but to answer you’re question then I would say 4 inches from this set . The softer core is quite random and leaves variable wall thicknesses . I have been working toward matching what I carve to what the section will allow. The small dragon was carved around the core . The core was exposed at his belly and worked well with the colour change in highlighting this ringed feature. Another example was the dragon with the wing . This was carved from an upside down section just at the place where a point branches off . The slight natural webbing was what I carved the wing from . I’ve had the help of my wife in trying to whiten the darker section but without much success. Still learning and I’m going up north next month to get more antler and hopefully bigger ones that I can use in creating some very one off sheath knives .

[Fieldarcher]

Am I right in saying, this would make it better for intricate carving?

Hi Paul .
The density is pretty much the same all the way down to the core which is soft , porous and discoloured. The points seem to be denser and whiter . The level of detail is really down to how small and sharp the tools are .
Derek

[stuckinthemud]

On fallow deer antler, the pith runs to within 1 or 1.5mm of the surface of the palms, the pith is not only porous it goes so soft in water you can cut it out with a spoon. Biggest advantage of working the palmate section is it becomes plastic with steam. This allowed me to inlay it in long strips into the compound curves of a crossbow stock.

  The workable thickness of the rolls is slightly thicker but the stems are not plastic with steam. Unfortunately even the tips of the tines have a workable thickness of only maybe 3mm

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by stuckinthemud

[Fieldarcher]

On fallow deer antler, the pith runs to within 1 or 1.5mm of the surface of the palms, the pith is not only porous it goes so soft in water you can cut it out with a spoon. Biggest advantage of working the palmate section is it becomes plastic with steam. This allowed me to inlay it in long strips into the compound curves of a crossbow stock.
  The workable thickness of the rolls is slightly thicker but the stems are not plastic with steam. Unfortunately even the tips of the tines have a workable thickness of only maybe 3mm
 

A friend used to heat it to shape but I’ve not needed to do that yet . I’m an archer myself so appreciate what you are doing . My next project with antler is some carved handles for sheath knives .

[Khriss]

I read title n thought you had hurt yrself at a se'ance  ? but fab crafting! K