Staining antler

[devon deer]

I have tried this today, the antler had no colour left in it really, almost completely white.
I mixed up some potassium permanganate, about a teaspoon for a cup of water.


Don't be alarmed if you try it, the stuff goes on purple but after a few minutes goes brown. Do not get this stuff on the skull, you won't get it off, so i used some masking tape.


I tried on 2 skulls, i prefer the set on the left as i only gave them 2 coats, having said that i did shoot a buck earlier this year that had a dark brown set of antlers like those on the right.


Cheers

Richard

 

[duckhunt]

That turned out really nice.

 

[mrmedora]

Wow, that's great! Thanks for the tip Richard.

 

[MT.PERCHMAN]

That looks great ! Just might have to try that . We use minwax in walnut or oak color .

MT.PERCHMAN

 

[sneakypete]

Great post! Thanks I've never tried it, but it sounds like a fun winter project!

 

[treedagain]

that's pretty cool. I will use that on some of my racks

 

[big28hunter]

Very nice! I'd love to hunt those critters.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

I used that stuff to darken a buck my son killed a year earlier and left hanging in a tree to "clean up". It looked terrible but the PP brought it back to really natural looking.

 

[MT_elk]

Very nice! Devon Deer, where do you get your potassium permanganate? Locally or online somewhere?

 

[Southwind]

Those look great! I am going to have to look that up. What is the traditional use of potassium permanganate?

Went to Wikipedia and found this:

Analytical use

Potassium permanganate can be used to quantitatively determine the total oxidisable organic material in an aqueous sample. The value determined is known as the permanganate value. In analytical chemistry, a standardized aqueous solution of KMnO4 is sometimes used as an oxidizing titrant for redox titrations (permanganometry). In a related way, it is used as a reagent to determine the Kappa number of wood pulp. For the standardization of KMnO4 solutions, reduction by oxalic acid is often used.[25]

Aqueous, acidic solutions of KMnO4 are used to collect gaseous mercury in flue gas during stationary source emissions testing.[26]

In histology, potassium permanganate was used as a bleaching agent.[27][28]

Fruit preservation

Ethylene absorbents extend storage time of bananas even at high temperatures. This effect can be exploited by packing bananas in polyethylene together with potassium permanganate. By removing ethylene by oxidation, the permanganate delays the ripening., increasing the fruit's shelf life up to 4 weeks without the need for refrigeration.[29][30][31]

Survival kits

Potassium permanganate is typically included in survival kits: as a fire starter (mixed with antifreeze from a car radiator or glycerin),[12] water sterilizer, and for creating distress signals on snow.[32]

Fire service

Potassium permanganate is used in the "plastic sphere dispensers" used to set backfires, burnouts, and prescribed fires. Polymer spheres resembling ping-pong balls containing small amounts of permanganate are injected with ethylene glycol and projected towards the area where ignition is desired, where they spontaneously ignite seconds later.[33][34] Both handheld[34] and helicopter-[33] or boat-mounted[34] plastic sphere dispensers are used.

Other uses

Potassium permanganate is one of the principal chemicals used in the film and television industries to "age" props and set dressings. Its ready conversion to brown MnO2 create "hundred-year-old" or "ancient" looks on Hessian cloth, ropes, timber, and glass.[35]

Potassium permanganate has been used in attempts to induce abortions at home. These incidents only result in damage to the vagina from the corrosive action of the chemical, since potassium permanganate was proven to be ineffective in producing abortions. The FDA increased legal restrictions on the chemical in response to its use as an abortifacient.[36]

 

[devon deer]

Very nice! Devon Deer, where do you get your potassium permanganate? Locally or online somewhere?

Bear in mind i live in the UK, but ebay is where i buy mine.
Cheers
Richard

 

[skeet20]

Staining antlers

I have had good luck just using a walnut wood stain. Apply with a rag, let it set a bit and then wipe off the excess. Keep doing it until you get the color shade you want.