I have been making some plaques for a friend that wants to mount a variety of different type antlers. Where do you get the horn caps? If you use something else how do you go about doing it and what material do you use? Thanks...

I use plaster of paris, cotton stuffing and leather and make my own horn caps. I also use plaques that are in the shape of Texas. They turn out pretty cool looking.

[This message has been edited by ghollow (edited 1/8/2009 9:03a).]

Ghollow,

Can you post a pic of the Texas plaque that you use? That seems like a pretty cool idea. Do you buy them or make them yourself?

If you shot one in Colorado would you mount it on a plaque in the shape of that state?

I got this off of e-bay to put a whitetail skull mount on. It turned out pretty nice. I'm trying to find a mesquite log big enough that I can use to make some plain wooden ones out of.

WH08P, I will try and get a picture of it up tomorrow. I did not bring my camera to work. Give me an email address and I will try to get you one up this evening. The shape of it is similiar to the one FSGuide put up but mine have an oak finish. I have a friend that cuts them out and routes the edges then I finish them myself.

I do not know about the Colorado thing Streetfighter. Colorado does not have a very interesting shape. If spend the bucks to go to Colorado, My kill better be something I would want to shoulder mount.

quote:

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If you shot one in Colorado would you mount it on a plaque in the shape of that state?

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Depends. Can you get Bud Light in Colorado with the state shape on the label?

ghollow....thanks but don't give the guy any more ideas. When you do the horn cap out of leather......do you stuff it...tack it down and then trim it?

I've wrapped the bone in leather and tied / stitched in the back with string using a leather punch.

I wrapped the base of the antlers with leather cord.

I then drilled holes throught the mounting board and tied the whole thing in the back. This was solid enough for hanging on a wall.

All materials were found at hobby lobby

I covered the base of the antlers to protect them from overspray. Then I sprayed some of that expanding foam insulation around the sawed off skull. I made sure there was adequate foam to provide excess to be trimmed later.

Once the foam dried, I went to work with a small sharp knife and some sandpaper to shape the foam to the desired form. I covered the foam with a piece of new chamois cloth and stretched the chamois to remove all wrinkles. I tacked the cloth in the back of the horn cap to hold the chamois in place. A 1/4" strip of chamois wrapped around the base of the antler gave it a nice finish.

The plaque was cut from some cabinet grade birch plywood and the edges were routed with a 3/8" quarter round bit with a small shoulder. A coat of stain and some clear coat finished it all off.

I attached the finished horn cap to the plaque with dry wall screws from the back of the plaque.

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to ya'll.
The first pic is a picture of the plaques unfinished and finished.



The next is the piece the horns mount to and one mounted



the next one is a set of horns that have been plastered



And the last ones are horns that are finished





I use the cotton to smooth out the leatherover the plaster. Use a staple gun and staple the fabric to the back of the piece the horns are mounted to. Staple around the bottom first and then stuff with cotton to smooth it out, Then finish stapling around the top. Mount the horns to the plaque from behind the plaque using wood screws.

I like the spray foam idea HuntingGman. I am going to try it on my next one. The plaster is a pain in the as*

[This message has been edited by ghollow (edited 1/9/2009 1:42p).]

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[This message has been edited by ghollow (edited 1/9/2009 5:00p).]

easy, take it to the taxidermist and pick it up in a couple weeks. Nothing to it.