Restore skull

[johnplav]

This skull spent 15 years in the window of the barn.  Cleaned up the skull with hydrogen peroxide.  Anyone have any tips on staining sun-bleached antlers?

Edited September 22, 2018 by johnplav

[G-Man]

walnut husks press in at burr and wipe off well with lemon juice at tips

[Cory]

I’ve used peroxide before and the skull became brittle. Hope I doesn’t happen to you.

[johnplav]

I boiled the skull and cleaned it out good when the buck was killed.  Peroxide was watered down to ~2%.  I soaked it for a few hours to clean off the grime that was built up, and to get back to “bone” color.  I’d like to stain the antlers back to original color. 

Edited September 23, 2018 by johnplav

[G-Man]

wear gloves if using walnut hull or you hand will stain brown as well

[Chiloway Boy]

To get the natural color back in the antlers... rub used damp coffee grinds on the antler. I used this trick a couple years back... great results


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[johnplav]

Finally got around to finishing this project. I made stain from black walnut husks and got the antlers tinted.  My dad got this buck 15+ years ago on his farm, and I mounted it on a piece of black walnut from the same property.  It’s now the official bottle opener of my basement.  
 

[Daveboone]

I have several caribou antler sheds I picked up moose hunting. they were a pretty gross mold/fungi green that wouldnt bleach out. I picked out a bone colored spray paint to give them a redo. They turned out great, and havent discolored after. I am pretty sure i primed them first.