Making Antler powder measures

Tonight, I decided to try making some Antler powder measures, the pictures down below are my first two attempts at trying to make a 45 gr. and 70 gr. measures . I was okay till I got up to 3/8th drill bit and they split out.

 

[jtmattison]

Do you have a Dremel tool?
They are handy for such jobs.

Huntin

 

I just finished both measures just before lunch, when I reached the point that I needed a 3/8 drill bit I change over to a Dermal with a reamer bit , it worked out pretty good. The 45 gr. was pretty easy but that 70 gr. was a pain in the ASS.

 

[jrdavis]

If you take a piece of brass tubing about the same size as the tip with the crack in it you can cut a trench with a three square file at the top of the measure and at the bottom of where the split is then heat the brass to rad heat and drop in water to cool this will soften the brass; then slip the collar ovre the end an use a small light hammer to tap the edge into the channel you cut with the file you should be able to round over the brass at the end or top of the measure...should hide the crack and still look good...
they also look neat carved like a Rattlesnake rattle!

 

[DanWalker]

Looks great! I too have recently been messing around with making powder measures from antler tips (see my previous post entitled Scrimshaw). Anyway, I used a Dremel tool to make a 50 grn and a couple of 60 grn measures and I also made a pan primer that came out pretty well. If I can figure out this Photobucket thing, I'll try to post a pic of the finished products. By the way, I used an adjustable brass powder measure and ordinary table salt to figure when I had removed enough of the antler to get the right volume. How did you do it?

 

[DanWalker]

Well, here guys my first try at a picture (by the way, Photobucket was real easy!). Bear in mind that this is my first attempt at this, so the "scrimshaw" (if you can call it that!) is very crude. Also, I'm almost embarrassed to show this after seeing the antler tip measures that Deadeye posted on the 'Adjustable or Non-Adjustable Powder Measures' thread over on the Accoutrements forum - those are really works of art! Anyway, the powder measure works great and really looks good on radio (ha!). I actually feel pretty good about the pan primer. It came out exactly as I had hoped and works great.

 

[DanWalker]

SORRY for the size of the pic. I'll have to work on that one.

 

[DanWalker]

figured it out - now it is ok. I had originally posted at 1600 x 1200 pixel picture to Photobucket. Re-sized it to 800 x 600 and re-uploaded and it came out ok now.

 

[Huntinfool]

Hey I tried something I think a little different. I made a bunch of powder measures from river cane. Bamboo will work as good. Worked out great they are super strong and light weight.

If you leave about 3/8 inch below where the section divider is it'll give ya a good place to attach a thong. They are ready made for powder measures! Musketman probably has a pic of one I don't have a pic of em yet.

Keep Yer Powder Dry Fellers,
"The Chuckster" ::

 

[Deadeye]

They can be made from lots of stuff. Here's one I made yesterday from a little bone I picked up last weekend. Holds
55 grs. 3F.