Help Making a Tamper from Deer Antler

[mp31guitar]

I just got the tip part of a deer antler today and would like to make a tamper out of it. My question is what to use as a end piece (the tamp part) and how to attach it to the antler. Also, how do I get the antler to shine or should I leave it natural. I've never made one. Thanks for any help.

 

[thekiltedchaplain]

I've made several of these, and generally use a spent cartridge, something in the size of a .45 or 30-30. I attach them using epoxy, and I've always left them natural, but I'm sure any buffing wax would work well if you wanted it to have a bit of shine. Good luck!

 

[pstlpkr]

I have one that is au-natural.

No metal tip is necessary.

Works just fine.

It has a permanent place in my free standing ash tray.

 

[mukihr]

mp31guitar

Deer Antler is a tricky thing to use in pipe making/smoking....

those things are not that healthy so i would for sure use something for end piece just ot prevent that small particles of antler to go into my tobacco while smoking....(when using deer antlers in pipemaking i was thought to allways isolate that from smoke - not to get those two in contact - so, drilling a bigger draft hole to fit small inox pipe (6mm in diameter) and glue it inside using epoxy was an answer for me when used in pipemaking)...
if you would ask me what i would use i would say - briar or olive wood...

my choice is like that because i have them and they are available to me... the wooden end piece for sure... i don't like metal to touch my burning tobacco.... if you don't have briar or olive wood piece - you can use almost any hard wood you can get...

to connect two pieces together i use a piece of solid copper wire (just about any wire material will do) and connest the piece together - the wire goes on the center of the tamper in order to fix and connect everything together using epoxy glue... using wire is especially important when you have something like this tamper bellow that is very thin and has that acrylic ring to connect pieces together (on this picture the tamper was not polished yet, just shaped )...

above is only my humble opinion - this is how i made my tampers and i like them not to brake (that is why i put wire in them if several pieces need to be connected together)



regards, daniel

 

[romeowood]

+1 on the deer antler. Yeah, I know, we're already going outside the human body's operating parameters by inhaling burning plants, but deer antler is nasty stuff with immediate deleterious effects. Good HEPA-grade particulate mask & proper ventilation all the way. :!:

 

[sjpipesmoker]

Damn that's a very nice pipe!!! Love that birds eye!!! Almost 3-D like!!!!

 

[mukihr]

+1 on the deer antler. Yeah, I know, we're already going outside the human body's operating parameters by inhaling burning plants, but deer antler is nasty stuff with immediate deleterious effects. Good HEPA-grade particulate mask & proper ventilation all the way. [:!:]

yes - i agree - using a mask is also reccomended...
@sjpipesmoker - yes it is - it is no longer in my possesion (you have more pictures of her on my homepage) ... it went to a gentleman in USA ... thank you for your kind words regards

 

[admin]

I don't know how to make tampers, but I'd like to share my deer antler tamper.
Mine is made from the brow tine, which is the little ones in front.
Brow tine: first division of a deer's antlers from its head.

 

[unclearthur]

I have quite a few tines around from making knife handles. I just grab one and use it as is.