funny thing happened to me today. i was reading a topic on "custom mounts" and assumed they were talking about antler mounts. i have hunting deer and bear meat on my mind lately. so.... i wrote out instructions on how to make the decorative part of an antler mount. after doing a preview and rereading the question i realized what i had done. dexlexia is such a joy after all these decades....so lets not to waste the instructions, here it is:
i am dyslexic so if my sentences are not written in flowing manner you'll know why....a friend of mine made mounts before they divorced. they didn't cut the wood backing but made the part that covered the antler that attached to the wooden base. the decorative part.
they did this by attaching the antler to the wooden base first.
once it was secured they took a cleaned empty roundish one pound margarine tub and cut out two parts (holes) so that the tub fit over the antlers tightly. cutting and test fitting the tub until it fit snugly over the antler and lays relatively flat on the wood. tape the hole shut if you have to.
when your ready to proceed take some butter or margarine or spray on oil to the underside of the tub. this will allow you to remove the filled tub without tearing out the foam later.
tape the tub down very well onto the base.
cut a tiny hole just big enough to insert the tip from a can of expanding foam and squirt in 1/2 to 2/3rds into the tub. depending on fast or slow expanding foam. read the label to know what type your buying for future reference.
set aside to continue expanding. *please note you should cover your base and antler very well with newspaper or old material taped on it to protect it from the sticky foam or you would need a solvent to remove the errant foam. something like turpentine or ??
let dry overnight.
remove the tub and protective material and discard.
trim foam into a roundish shape using exacto knife or electric knife with one blade or hot wire.
using elmers glue and straight 1" pins to secure the materials down, cover dried foam with material of choice. they used brush velour with a matching 1" wide colour braided trim. the glue should dry clear! trim braid carefully so that ends match as neatly as possible..
your going to have to play with measurements and fine tune things since every antler size is different.
i think i got all the info down. PM me if you have questions. this is a great skill to have if you mount antlers. when i find my antlers in storage, i'll post it.
have fun.....
