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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pigsticker" data-source="post: 452275" data-attributes="member: 209">I have built a couple. They are very time consuming if you want to do them correctly. One of the bigger hurdles is arrangement. Using elk on the bottom is most likely going to create a very large diameter base, so arranging your top tier of deer sheds will take time to figure out the layout and support from the trunk line. Then, screwing the layout together then drilling out the antlers and running wire is a whole other huge task. I've found that if you usually want a nice symetrical appearance for whitetail, its best to use antlers from the same side of the skull on one tier and all the antlers from the other side in the next tier. Muleys are tricky, matched sets work well, but you almost need four sets that are similar in size in order to complete a tier. I have never used elk just because of the sheer size the chandelier most likely would need to be. Aesthetically speaking, you might want three tiers, each tier scaling down in size from base to top, for it to look correct if you are transitioning from elk to deer...but that is the beauty, it is a form of art and unique in whatever design you come up with. I use a natural modeling putty to cover my screw heads. They look like little natural bumps when finished but literally are not observable from any distance greater than 3' away. Use a long 5/16"-3/8" drill bit to drill from the center of the base of the antler through the core and it'll come out at the turn of the beam...then you have to start a new hole from the exit hole of the first drill channel and run it towards the tip of the main beam, through the core as best you can. Once you pass the guard where you want to put your candelabra then you stop drilling and then drill down from where your candelabra will sit to intersect your second channel that you just previously drilled. This will allow you to hide your wire through the antler and feed it up for the candelabra fixture. Drill a large enough hole in order to epoxy a threaded base ferrule for the candelabra light fixture to attach to. I bought a very specialized candelabra cover as well instead of making my own out of antler. They are resin cast and made to look like antler and are very easy to work with a dremel to form fit their base to the contour of the antler. They are available on ebay, search words: resin antler candelabra. After feeding my wires and getting the chandelier near completion I putty all the holes shut with molding clay that were made at the turn of the antler along the main beam and any screw heads or open holes. Depending on color, you might have to apply a little stain to the molding clay to match the antler. Also, your typical round electrical ceiling box might not cut it for the support that these chandeliers require. They are heavy when they are done. Which also brings up the point of the hang chain. Menards sells your typical light duty hanging light chain, I have used this but I opened the links and doubled them, meaning I beefed up the chain and strength by adding a link to the chain system. That was a real pain. Also, I use construction screws but its important to predrill with the right size bit, or you'll snap heads off your screws since the antler is so hard. That being said, I orient mine like a wagon wheel, each antler acting like a spoke. I make sure the bases are screwed together, and then I screw the tip of one antler to the next one at the G2 (areas circled in red). In the end, the tier is bound together but it is still fragile, as there is only really three screws that bind one antler to the next. On one that I built, I added a down lamp with glass shade and this one in the pics I just screwed in an old elk base that was painted and used as a belt buckle to fill in the space where all of the antlers are joined in the center. The biggest part is the design and making sure you have the right sized antlers to make it work and look symetrical, then executing a plan to hide your wires, holes and screws. That makes all the difference in creating a professional looking chandelier IMO. [ATTACH=full]75816[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]75817[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]75818[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]75819[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]75820[/ATTACH]</blockquote>

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