How to Drill an Elk Antler for a Lamp

Elk belong to the same family of animals as deer and moose. Male elk grow and shed antlers seasonally. The antlers are often used in art projects or as home accents. Drilling out an antler to mount a lamp housing allows you to use the antler to decorate and illuminate the home. The key to "turning" -- the taxidermy term for working with antlers -- is proper drilling and prepping of the antlers.

Things You'll Need

  • Bench vise
  • Face mask
  • Sandpaper
  • File
  • Cold water
  • Power drill
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clamp the antler into a bench vise, with the section you want to drill pointing up. Put on your face mask.

    • 2

      Sand down the area you are going to drill and flatten it out so that the drill bit has better contact points. If there are burrs or small tines next to or over where you want to drill, file them and sand them smooth.

    • 3

      Pour water onto the section of the antler you plan on drilling. Slowly apply pressure to the antler with the drill and begin drilling out the hole for the lamp fixture.

    • 4

      Stop every few seconds and add more water to keep the antler cool, dust to a minimum and the drill bit smooth and lubricated.

    • 5

      Drill until fully through. Wrap the sandpaper around the file and smooth out the inside of the drilled hole. Let the hole and the antler dry before fitting the antler with a lamp fixture.