butt plate on antler handle

[DANA HOLMAN]

Hey guys, can anyone tell me the best way to install a butt pate on a antler handle, This is the first one i've tried, and i drilled all the way through the handle, the tang is sticking out about 1/4 inch, the butt plate is about 1/4 thick, I'm not ready to make a take down yet, so the plate will be solid, and is it best to leave the plate round or follow the edge of the antler?
pictures would nice if you have time
thanks
dana

[R H Clark]

I'm no expert but I've done a few.First you need a way to compress your handle parts.You can use two all threaded rods and two pieces of 2x4 to make a press.If your handle is curved it works better to use a small vice to hold the blade then use the rods and 2x4 to compress the handle.The advantage of the vice is that you can angle the blade so that you are straight when compressing the handle.Just drill holes in the piece your vice is mounted in line with the center of the vice jaws.then use the rods and one 2x4 piece to make a press in conjunction with the vice.

I like to shorten the tang and then epoxy it first.I then solder a screw to the butt blate and exoxy it down.the screw will hold well in the epoxy.The advantage of this method is that the butt plate and tang are two seperate pices so shrinkage of the horn isn't as much of a problem.

You can epoxy and peen the tang over the butt plate but use a slow epoxy and only drill a 1/8" hole through the butt plate.Grind the tang to fit the hole and only peen about 1/8" of it sticking out.

If the antler is odd shaped or only has a few valleys around the edge,filed to shape looks good.If it is nearly round or has dozens of valleys I just blend everything together.Then I dome the butt plate.