First Elk antler mount

[jspeakman]

I've completed several different whitetail antler mounts for clients, but I just got my first Elk antler mount on a 305 class 6x6. I'm having a little trouble figuring out how to cut and fit the deer suede to the antler form. I don't have a problem doing that with the deer because I can lay the suede over the front of the form and antlers and trace with a pen. The elk antlers are a little more difficult due to the G2s sticking staight out. Does anyone have any tips?
Thanks, Jarred

[RichWolfe]

I cut out a back board about 4 x 5 to screw antler to and cover with mache.  Rasp smooth to desired shape.  Then  wrap 'skull' with several 'wiindings' of saran wrap (in the kitchen drawer).  Then cut wrap off starting behind each antler,  (oh, I tape the wrap with wide blue painters tape) then cut off.  This is your pattern to then cut you bucksin from.  Many,many trials, of self taught 'how to do this' ,is now from me to you.

[jspeakman]

Thank you very much for the advice! I'll give that a try.

[George Roof]

I must be missing something here.  Regardless, I use buckskin (actually deer leather) as it stretches so easily and glues down so well.  When I mount elk antlers, the biggest problem is not the G2 but the elevated pedicel.  Deer leather eliminates that.

Once sanded and ready, I paint the skull cap in front of the antlers with hide paste.  I lay a big piece of buckskin down over it, stretch it tight and staple it underneath to the front and up the sides to the base of the pedicels.  Then I work the outside of ONE anter, pasting pulling and stapling. Then I work the inside of that antler until I get the leather smoothed out.  I paste the pedicel and affix leather. Then i trim under the burr and go on the back side and make a verticle cut on both pieces of leather so they fit together.  I usually have a slot in the back side of the cap and I'll tuck and staple after I finish.  Then I do the other side taking care of not pulling leather from the finished side.  When complete, I drill a quarter inch hole on the back side of the pedicel under the burr.  With hot glue, I insert my decorative rope and wrap under the burr until it covers the hole. Then I hot glue the rope down the verticle incision and the tucking slot and staple underneath.  If I get a customer that doesn't like or want the decorative rope, I just make my incisions more precise but the glue does the rest of the work after that.