Dyeing Deer-Antler Powder Measures with McCormick Food Coloring

[Dale Allen Raby]

Pm me your address and I’ll make sure you get one

Thanks, but I got one around here someplace, just never thought to put it in the possibles bag before TDM mentioned it.

Yes, I know they aren't bone. Hopefully most folks do.

I was asking of horn, not antler, is more calcium or collagen, based on the o.p.'s theory that the food coloring would work on antler due to the calcium content being similar to eggshells,,, and his further supposition that it might also work on horn for the same reason.
Horn, not antler, being more like finger nails than bone or antler, I think is more collagen based.
Could be wrong.

Done a bit more thinking about that. Don't know much about the composition of horn vs. antler. Pretty sure both have quite a bit of calcium, but horn seems somehow less porous than antler for some reason.... which would be one reason it makes such good containers for powder. Seems to me that I have managed to stain my fingernails a few times over the years.

I still think that a horn could be dyed/stained, but not sure how practical it would be. You couldn't do it with a raw horn because after the shaping and/or polishing is done, you'd have ground off most of the dye. If you tried to dye a finished horn, you'd also almost have to dye the wooden base... AND you'd have to somehow either keep the water out of the interior or find some very good way to dry it out after it was dyed. Finally, you'd have to start with a white horn, or at least one with some white on it, and if you went to that much trouble, maybe you want a white horn anyway. Also while it is practical to dye small items like powder measures, dyeing a horn would take a pretty big container of dye and I'm not sure I would want a blue, green or especially a red horn.

Some day MAYBE I will order a raw horn from somewhere, shape it and more or less finish it, fit the end, then dye it, dry it out and finish it. Maybe I would finish it in hot pink. Gotta be someone here who might like that color....

 

[Mrg5]

Is horn more calcium or collagen?

I think antler is like finger nail material, not bone. There was a mention of it in one of the horn-making books, I think, but they're not bone. Maybe someone will post to clear up my memory.

Antlers are bone. They are about 44% organic matter (protein) and about 48% calcium phosphate, 5% calcium carbonate and the rest is made up of other minerals. They will absorb dyes. Taxidermists have been known to dye antlers by painting them with potassium permanganate. Although the solution is blue when applied, it dries a natural looking brown.

I have never tried food coloring on antler or bone but it works well on egg shells which is almost entirely calcium carbonate so it should work well on antler.

 

[Mrg5]

Antlers are bone. They are about 44% organic matter (protein) and about 48% calcium phosphate, 5% calcium carbonate and the rest is made up of other minerals. Antlers are found on Cervids (deer family) and are exclusively on males except for reindeer where females also grow them.

Horns have a full core of bone but instead of skin, horns are covered in a tough coating of keratin, the same substance that makes up human fingernails which is mostly protein. Horns are found in the Bovidae (cow, sheep, goats, antelope) and are unisex appendages with both males and females possessing them

 

[oldwood]

Hot pink.......Hmmmm , If it would improve accuracy ,might try it.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Hot pink.......Hmmmm , If it would improve accuracy ,might try it.

Years ago a man brought me a target rifle for some kind of repair I no longer remember, but the stock was indeed hot pink. I opened the hard case, looked at the gun and said, "A man who shoots a gun like that is very secure in his masculinity."

He told me that when he first got it, he didn't like it all that much, but that was all that was available at the time. As time went by, he got used to it, and it had some advantages; nobody was ever gonna try to steal it and when it was up on the range in a row of shooting benches with rifles on them, he never had any trouble finding it.

No... I do not own anything that is hot pink, just in case anyone was wondering...

 

[Mwelli9646]

You could try potassium permanganate to dye lines or grain markings. The more coats the darker it gets. Have used it for years on deer antlers that got bleached by the sun. Its permanent and doesn't rub off. Research Mannikins sells it.

 

[Mrg5]

Antlers are bone. They are about 44% organic matter (protein) and about 48% calcium phosphate, 5% calcium carbonate and the rest is made up of other minerals. Antlers are found on Cervids (deer family) and are exclusively on males except for reindeer and caribou where females also grow them.

Horns have a full core of bone but instead of skin, horns are covered in a tough coating of keratin, the same substance that makes up human fingernails which is mostly protein. Horns are found in the Bovidae (cow, sheep, goats, antelope) and are unisex appendages with both males and females possessing them

 

[Art Caputo]

I cheat a bit…..Attach my antler measures to my ball blocks. Fast for me, and helps avoid dry balling in the heat if the hunt. I have had good luck staining my antler measures ith oil based stains. My 58, 50, and 45 cal.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Something bad happened overnight... I have one measure that had a pretty thin wall in one spot. While it dried overnight, a sliver of antler popped up creating a hole. It isn't really a big deal to me and is now sitting on the kitchen table waiting for the J.B. Weld to cure, BUT if anyone wants to try my food coloring idea, keep this in mind.

 

[oldwood]

Art.......I like the measure attached to the ball block. I have to do that , just to see if I can prevent the dreaded , Dry ball.

 

[longwalk]

What about permanet magic marker ,they come in alot of different colors.

 

[pacanis]

I've seen guys take a fine point Sharpie and write the size on the inside of the antler.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

What about permanet magic marker ,they come in alot of different colors.

That would probably work, though I wonder if it could be done evenly without "streaks". The dye in those also fades and rubs off though.

 

[longwalk]

Or on the bottom of the measure

 

[beardedhorse]

Brokennock, You're right about horn being more collagen. It can be shaved and boiled to make hide glue. Also horn makes a better sinew backed bow or a composite bow than antler. The photo of the horn with three filed grooves gave me an idea for labelling the measure for grains. 50 grains could be one stripe, two could be 60 grains, three could be 70 and so on. You could make your own system and tell by feel instead of trying to read carved numbers obscured by the dye or memorize a color code or feeling dots drilled in the antler. A friend makes nice turned powder measures from exotic and common woods but won't write down the grains on them and wonders why I can't sell them for him. He now adds colored string or thongs but then you have to memorize what color means what measure. Won't work for the color blind. RIT dyes are used by some horn smiths to change the color of white horns. Many shooters will carry their horn or antler measure on their shooting bag. The measure going with the rifle it loads best with so there should be little confusion on capacity unless you switch loads. The adjustable brass tube measures can give you quite a surprise if the screw stop come loose and you wind up loading and shooting a fill 120 grain charge. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[pacanis]

The adjustable brass tube measures can give you quite a surprise if the screw stop come loose and you wind up loading and shooting a fill 120 grain charge. Don't ask me how I know.

All I can say is I'm glad the stem was still in place to use up volume.
Fortunately I don't think all the powder settled in the brass measure anyway. My shots were all over is the reason I even looked closely and saw the disc missing.
And I found it in the grass by my bench!

 

[Art Caputo]

Art.......I like the measure attached to the ball block. I have to do that , just to see if I can prevent the dreaded , Dry ball.

Easy to access/carry. I drape the loop connecting the measure to the ball block over my short starter, attached to my possibles bag strap.

 

[flashpoint]

That's something that Native folks in the Americas might have done. It wouldn't be permanent either and would probably be subject to rubbing off when wet, but it would work.

Dale, what about an exterior satin finish polyurethane over the color for protection. You could also rub it back a bit with some steel wool if it is too shiny?

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Dale, what about an exterior satin finish polyurethane over the color for protection. You could also rub it back a bit with some steel wool if it is too shiny

I suppose it could work. I'm not certain that I would want what amounts to a coating of plastic though. Varnish looks great when new, but after it picks up a few nicks and scratches, not so much... and a powder measure rattling around in a possibles bag or 'round my neck with the rest of the shooting stuff would pick up plenty of character marks.

One of my measures ended up needing an epoxy patch over a hole that developed overnight. That would maybe be a good candidate for some kind of protective coating. Next time I am out and about perhaps I'll pick some up.

 

[FishDFly]

I had to Google it.


I made this about five years ago. It was bone white and dried out before the coffee rub.

View attachment 195344

That is traditional, pink ain't.