Crack is whack. Especially on your trophy antlers.

Occasionally I get repair jobs from folks who have damaged mounts, broken antlers or busted skulls.  This case isn't much different ezcept for the size factor involved.  I think these moose antlers make up the largest rack I've ever dealt with.
The owner had mounted them to a stone wall outside her house but not in any particular fashion that would anchor them in properly, and over time the sheer weight of these bad boys just pulled them out and they fell off.  I'm not sure if the fall caused any of the cracking or of all the blemishes/cracks are just general wear and tear.

 

Regardless, there were several points at which the cracks compromised the integrity of the the antler itself, plus a handful of cosmetic issues.  I set about using an epoxy compound to fill in the more significant negative space:

 Next I used a type of paint specifically designed for antler restoration  to blend all the filling with the rest of the antler, as well as mixing up the right shades to correct some of the markings that took away from the natural beauty of the actual antler:

Terrible picture for size reference:

 Finished product.  I also drilled more stable holes at the base and left her with instructions on how exactly to have it mounted this time around.

Crack is Whack, especially when it comes to antlers.

 



I was recently contacted by a friend of a friend of a friend with a Caribou mount that had suffered a cruel demonstration of gravitational force, resulting in a chipped and cracked antler.  When I stopped by to inspect it, it became quite clear this part had been broken before and undergone a sub-par repair job with mis-matching paint to boot.







 



What I did first was use an industrial strength epoxy bond to get the actual pieces back together.  After it had set, I recreated the original surface with a sculptural epoxy.  I finessed it with water and my fingers, then allowed it to dry.







The view from the back:







After completely drying, I did a little sanding (like my tween girl nail polish?) to eliminate any hidden bumps or uneven surfaces that didn't belong on the antler.







 



Next came the painting.  A few coats, some blending, some magic, and voila!  Repaired antlers.







And that, my friends, is just another one of the things this taxidermist does.