Cleaning deer antlers before mounting

[alec73065]

I have 10 sets of antlers I am going to mount on boards to hang on the wall. What do I clean or coat the antlers with to make them shine and last ? They have been boiled and are cleaned and ready for mounting but they are very dull .I have searched and watched a few videos . They said just soap and water but that did not help . Any suggestions are appreciated !

[AntlerCollector]

Why did you boil them?

[alec73065]

Why did you boil them?

I didn’t boil the antlers only the skull to get the flesh off and bare .

[AntlerCollector]

Ok. I’m not sure if you’re saying the antlers are dull or the skull is dull. Sorry I’m having trouble understanding this.

If the antlers are dull you can stain them and then coat with a polyurethane.
If it’s the skull then whitening bleach/cream from a beauty parlor works well.

[Smart]

I read it as boiling the antlers as well..

[texasdeerhunter]

Old English furniture polish should help on the antlers. Apply lightly

[alec73065]

I read it as boiling the antlers as well..

Sorry should have been more clear . I boiled the skulls and cleaned the skulls to remove the skin and bits of meat . The skulls will be covered with a leather skull cap and will not be seen . The antlers are natural and 2-6 yrs old , they were NOT boiled and have only been cleaned with soap and water . They are dull and do not shine like ones I have had professionally done in the past and are currently hanging on my wall.
What kind of stain would I use ? Something you would use on wood like min wax or equivalent ?

[alec73065]

Old English furniture polish should help on the antlers. Apply lightly

Thank you !

[AntlerCollector]

Old English works well. So does min wax. It will make the antlers look new again.

[alec73065]

Thanks everyone , I have some old shed antlers I will Practice on with stain and old English .

[HotRod Hunter]

I have heard of people wiping antlers with oil from time to time to make them look not so dry. I personally don’t because a deers antlers are naturally dull.

[Pineywoods]

Linseed oil works well.

[buckfan50]

Linseed oil works well.

If you use Linseed oil, be careful how you dispose of the waste rags. Raw linseed oil creates heat as it dries and can catch fire.

[Chance Love]

About the only cleaning antlers need would be to get mud or blood off. I don’t understand why you want them shiny? Or why the other “professionally done “ ones are shiny. Please don’t tell me they put lacquer or something like that on them?? Don’t do that. And for an antler mount, no boiling is needed. You probably discolored the bases a little? All you need is a small knife.

[Drycreek3189]

About the only cleaning antlers need would be to get mud or blood off. I don’t understand why you want them shiny? Or why the other “professionally done “ ones are shiny. Please don’t tell me they put lacquer or something like that on them?? Don’t do that. And for an antler mount, no boiling is needed. You probably discolored the bases a little? All you need is a small knife.

I don’t either, they don’t “shine” in their natural element. But, to each his own.