Questions about buck horn

runingman

runingman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi everybody. I have some questions about using buck horn for ferrules and other things. First what is the hit like? Does it compare to ivory? What does a finished buck horn ferrule look like? Is it close to the color of ivory? Lastly, How well does it machine? Is it soft and very easy to work with or will it be best to forget about using it? If anyone has some pics of a finished cue with buck horn I'd like to see them. Thanks for your time and any info you have. Jon
 
runingman said:
Hi everybody. I have some questions about using buck horn for ferrules and other things. First what is the hit like? Does it compare to ivory? What does a finished buck horn ferrule look like? Is it close to the color of ivory? Lastly, How well does it machine? Is it soft and very easy to work with or will it be best to forget about using it? If anyone has some pics of a finished cue with buck horn I'd like to see them. Thanks for your time and any info you have. Jon
Click to expand...

They are hard...very hard. Best to turn it down with a router. The play harder than ivory. A fair amount of work to select the right sized diameter so when you turn it down and then bore it, the bark is all removed at final OD, and the marrow/pith is gone when drilled out.

Sometimes they are white, sometimes they are mottled or splotchy with color, sometimes they are a bit marbled looking.

Kelly
 
Kelly, would a 1 inch diameter piece be big emough to get a 13 mm ferrule out of after the "bark" is removed??
 
Ferrules made from antlers take from White Tail deer, are close to Ivory in the hit, but stronger. They turn on the lathe easily, with regular tools. Only the middle parts of the tines are usable for ferrules. The tips are too small & the center of the bigger sections are pithy & filled with spongy marrow. I shape the pieces on a sander 1st & then turn them round, in the lathe. Antlers from deer that are killed, are full of blood & when polished they take on a pinkish gray color. Those that have been shed, will be whiter in color...JER
 
Thanks for the info JER. I am a deer hunter and didnt know that a shed would be better than one taken by kill. Interesting what you learn by talkin to people with more experience. So this scrub 6 point white tail rack i have should be used for rattling antlers and NOT be used for ferrules. Good thing i have a connection that has sheds at a reasonable price.
 
Almost forgot to ask. If a piece big enough is found, could it also be used for joints or buttcaps??
 
runingman said:
Hi everybody. I have some questions about using buck horn for ferrules and other things. First what is the hit like? Does it compare to ivory? What does a finished buck horn ferrule look like? Is it close to the color of ivory? Lastly, How well does it machine? Is it soft and very easy to work with or will it be best to forget about using it? If anyone has some pics of a finished cue with buck horn I'd like to see them. Thanks for your time and any info you have. Jon
Click to expand...

here's a few from recently completed cues
these came from some pretty small racks,
which leads to the grayish color and as jer said, these came from a kill
rather than the whiter look of the inner core of antler
jiml6.jpg


floydsset2.jpg


mbnow5.jpg
 
runingman said:
Kelly, would a 1 inch diameter piece be big emough to get a 13 mm ferrule out of after the "bark" is removed??
Click to expand...

It depends on the individual piece, how much pith is in the center. The pith diameter is probably too large for a ferrule in a 1" piece. I would say the diameter should be closer to about .7. For the ferrule blanks I have roughed in, I have turned them to about 9/16", and that was usually pretty quick after all of the bark was removed.

The smaller the OD of the piece, typically, the smaller the pith, so you want to start with a small piece so that when turned round and all the bark is removed, it is not very far from final size.

Kelly <by no means a buckhorn expert, just some experience making ferrule and joint blanks>
 
color

runingman said:
Thanks for the info JER. I am a deer hunter and didnt know that a shed would be better than one taken by kill. Interesting what you learn by talkin to people with more experience. So this scrub 6 point white tail rack i have should be used for rattling antlers and NOT be used for ferrules. Good thing i have a connection that has sheds at a reasonable price.
Click to expand...


What you have to think about though is what you want it to look like....even though a shed is whiter, it isn't necessarily stronger or better to use....it's just a matter of what you believe looks better. I personally like buckhorn with some gray in it....
 
BHQs pics are a perfect example, of a ferrule from a killed deer. It is easy to see the pinkish color. AS was pointed out, the color is the only big difference, between the dropped antler & the ones from killed a deer. Good luck...JER
 
Thanks to everyone who replied to my questions. Im going to give this small 6point rack a try then. If it doesnt work out its not a big deal. Not like its costing me a fortune to try. Jon
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top