salt container from antler?!

[forrestdweller]

today i was planning to make a needle case from antler- best to make use of some of it before i have to leave japan - BUT as the antler is slightly curved (and a powerdrill with stone bit not the best tool for this job but it*s all i had available...) i messed it up and did not drill straight... .ssoo now i*m left with a section of hollowed-out antler about 1 1/2" long... before just throwing it into the "scraps-to-be-used-later" pile i wanna do something useful with it and make a small container from it.

would it be safe to use as a salt container (for a tiny amount of salt in my edc bag) or are there health issues possible?! or could the salt draw moisture and attack the antler?!


thanks!

 

[John Fenna]

I do not know of any issues - but to avoid any possible hazards you could coat the inside with melted beeswax
Melt the wax in a container, pour it into the antler and swill it around then pour out the excess before freeing up the pouring hole (if you use one) with a hot needle and fitting a cork stopper = no contact between antler and salt = easy mind all around
All natural and very stylish!

 

[forrestdweller]

I do not know of any issues - but to avoid any possible hazards you could coat the inside with melted beeswax
Melt the wax in a container, pour it into the antler and swill it around then pour out the excess before freeing up the pouring hole (if you use one) with a hot needle and fitting a cork stopper = no contact between antler and salt = easy mind all around
All natural and very stylish!

o.k. - i*ll give that a try later, providing i can find out where i hid my beeswax(=my room looks currently somewhat messy as i sort through my stuff deciding what to take and what to leave behind...); i carved a bottom plug and matching top "ring" from blue berry wood today and epoxied it in place. as soon as the stopper has dried i can sand it to fit and see how the container performs...

 

[forrestdweller]

o.k., today I finally finished the container (actually a second (larger) as #1 plays hide-and-seek with me.....) but pouring molten wax doesn't work: 1st I have problems getting the wax through the hole, 2nd the hot wax makes the epoxy I used getting soft again (fortunately only the "rod" of the two-piece lid and I managed to fix it)-- guess I have to find another solution:maxbe a cooking oil/wax mixture for cold pouring...?!

 

[Dogoak]

would it be safe to use as a salt container (for a tiny amount of salt in my edc bag) or are there health issues possible?! or could the salt draw moisture and attack the antler?!
thanks!

Always health issues with salt

Basically it's bone, as long as you have removed the pithy core and made sure it's clean I can't see an issue. Keeping the moisture out is probably the biggest problem.

 

[tombear]

Not had any problems with mine. I keep it in a dry drawer between its very rare uses.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61428&highlight=Salt+horn

atb

tom