Recently I found a dead buck (from last fall) with one side underwater and stuck in the mud. The antlers have turned a darker brown on this side. Any ideas on to get them to normal if that's possible.
Thanks
ks
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Obviously you can tint or stain the white one, but the dark one is, in my experience, a lost cause. Usually minerals from the soil have infiltrated the porous bones and have permanently changed their chemisty. Much like petrification, these minerals (usually iron in the water oxidizing to make rust)becomeimpossible to reconvert and remove. This set will be prime candidates for painting as explained in a recent posting here. Click the orange SEARCH icon and type in "painting antlers" and see how that helps.
Ok, first, wipe the horns down real well with laquer thinner and remove any residue on the antlers. Next go out and get some good oil-based paint in off white. Paint the entire rack, I know its sounds crazy but trust me, let that completely dry. it will take a day or two to dry, depending on your studio temp. Next, go out and buy some water-base stain. the water base stain will allow you to color and wipe off to the desired color. I use a walnut stain to start folowed by a chesnut color around the burring. Play around with the color until you get the desired look you are after. You are not limited to those colors though. Good luck and enjoy.