Tung Oil & Deer Antlers

[quinn]

A while back I bough a very beached and powdery elk dropped antler to attempt to make some revolver prop rods. As the antler was only a buck at the local fle market... how much did I have to lose?

I had some leftover tung oil from a stock refinishing project and wondered it it would help the white antler. Did a Google search and discovered that taxidermists use tung oil to freshen antlers on mounts.

The ntler section below has 4 coats, T-shirt applied. The tung oil was cut about half and half with mineral spirits (or paint thinner can be used, I understand). The reduced tung oild dries pretty quickly. Aside from the color change the "powdery" surface is now very solid.

 

[SAFireman]

Don't go teasing us with pre-war magnums.....ya gots to tell

 

[Rudi]

That looks nice.

 

[quinn]

Quote: "Don't go teasing us with pre-war magnums.....ya gots to tell"

Sorry about that ...just reusing the only photo I had of the fished antler. The photo was teken from an earlier Reg Mag thread:

Thread 'Capt. Van Zandt's Registered Magnum #1158'

Jun 27, 2025

The well used RM and it's infamous ower were the subject of my 2025 SWCA Symposium display in Corcord, NC, in June. This revolver may deserve two distinctions: possibly the only one D B Wesson ever agreed to sell on post dated check, and secondly, possibly the only one to participated in the sinking of a Jap spy sub in WWII.

Prior to purchasing #1158, Rufus Clark Van Zandt had served with Gen. Pershing's Expedition to rid the southwest of Pancho Villa. When this group was disbanded, Van Zandt (along with Frank Baughman) was sent to France. At the end of the war Van Zandt served with the...

• quinn
• Replies: 4
• Forum: S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961

• 

 

[Kinman]

For the preservation and overall benefit to any and or all of your antler, bone, ivory, and I will include jade, pearl and opal use anhydrous lanolin, or just plain old lanolin. Once a year usually around my birthday I take everything that I have including a mess of knives and few handguns into my shop where I give them all a lovingly applied slathering of lanolin. For some of you about the only exposure you've ever had to lanolin would be watching your wife treat her sore nipples while breastfeeding any or all of your children. It is one of natures best salves for adding moisture and relieving dryness, while being completely natural. I remove the stocks from revolvers and pistols and rub it in, using the warmth from my hands to help it absorb as much as possible, I don't go to much trouble wiping it off when I assemble them back on the piece. I have brought old dry cracked antler and ivory back with this method. Believe it or not another substance that I have found that has near mythic properties is Ballistol, particularly with old black powder firearms it soaks into the pores and although may darken the wood does no seeming harm, in fact makes it look as near new as possible. I'm a nut for the stuff and use it on leather all the time, it is also natural coming from the coal oil industry, not petroleum based. Works terrific with black powder firearms anywhere a lubricant or rust preventative is needed, I use a very limited amount of Sperm oil on all of my lock mechanisms. I received a can from an old friend via his wife after he died, she handed me the can and said "Whats this for" I told her that it used to be the supreme lubricant of the industrial age but is now very rare as the animals that produce it "Sperm Whales" are now protected for good reason. I also use bear grease for lubricant on muzzle loader patches, mixed with bee wax for summer time use and straight the rest of the year. With muzzle loaders the closer to natural you can get the better. The only modern lubricant and cleaning product I use is Hoppes #9 and Barricade.

 

[cracker57]

Old English scratch cover for dark wood gives the right color to antlers that are sun bleached and also oils them. Also for dusting the deer or elk mounts I use Old English lemon oil