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Tips on re-attaching antlers

Nrharris

PMA Member
I posted about my buddy shooting a good buck in muzzie season and that he was going to euro mount it. One antler snapped off when he shot it. The other popped off during the course of butchering. Do you guys have any tips on attaching the antlers back to the skull after it's all cleaned up? Will some sort of super glue hold or do I need to figure out the angle and put some sort of peg into it? Any tips would be appreciated
 
Pegging could be difficult to get it lined up? I'd try some type of quick setting epoxy. Put a pencil mark on two sides to line it up where it needs to be beforehand.
 
Super glue or epoxy will never keep it in place for long. The peg system is the best way to fix the shed. You say that it is going to be a euro mount so that will make it harder but it can be done. Good luck
 
I agree with Ishi, it needs to be pegged. I would take it to a taxidermist and have it done right. I have one at the taxidermist now that needs put back together too.
 
Did daughters myself. Put a double wood thread stud in each anther base. Predrilled perpendicular to the antler base as close as possible . Then threaded into antler. Then drilled slightly larger hole in pedicle/skull aligned with the orientation of the stud now in the antler. Overdrilled it so there was some play so I could tweak antler position. Once I felt I could duplicate the correct position of the antler I filled the drill hole with JB weld quick set or JB weld putty I don't recall which. Had to do some clamping and shimming to maintain position until set. Then repeated with second antler. Filled shed seam edges with some taxidermy putty I could paint then flat white paint and you can hardly see the repair/tell it was done. Don't think it will be as hard as you think to accomplish. Unlikely the taxidermist could guarantee perfect placement or be motivated to as much as you would be on your own project. And everyones eye on antler position can be abit different. Good luck.
 
I bet the antler will go right into the pedical, it should match right up. I'd bet just plain old elmers wood glue would do it just fine. It works good on bone and dries clear.
 
I feel sorry for the unlucky sap that has to hold those antlers waiting for the wood glue to dry.
Never met a hunter that didn't mind an excuse to hold their rack, lol...It really wouldn't take that much. When the bone is dry the glue gets tacky quick. Maybe a few rubber bands and some tape. Set it somewhere where it won't move. Do one antler at a time.
 
My experiance with out pinning the antlers back to the skull is they will fall back off, not if but when. I just did one with some pointers from Reinerston Taxidermy.
Drilled into the antlers and placed the pins into the antler held in place by 5 min epoxy. Let that set up and put the pin into the skull which we used automotive bondo to hold the pin in the skull. Held the antlers in place for about 5 min to let the bondo harden, seemed like 15 minutes.
Used Taxidery putty to finish around the edges of the pedicles. Turned out great and rock solid.
 
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