Tang through curved antler?

[webradbury]

I have tried twice now to bore a hole for a full length tang in a moderately curved antler handle, both times, breaking through the handle and ruining the antler. Is there a trick. I am going in at both ends and meeting in the middle, or trying to. I like the knives I see with the handle secured by preening over the tang at the butt of the handle with a washer. How is it done? Will

[David R. Pennington]

Here is how I have done it. I drill as far as I feel comfotable drilling from both ends without getting too far off center. I then bend the tang as near as I can to conform to the antlers curve. Next I clamp the knife in the copper padded vice jaws. This acts as heat sink to protect knifes temper. I also keep a damp rag on top of vice for insurance. Then I heat the tang with a propane torch and tap the antler on as far as it will go with light taps from a wooden mallet. Then tap it off and repeat the process till it goes on as far as needed. Sometimes little chisels or needle files help open up the hole as you go.
PS: I have ruined a few also. On really curved pieces I usually just get as much tang in as I can and pin through handle.

[jcmcclure]

I use a method similar to David R., but instead I do handle fitting prior to my heat treatment process. If I'm doing a through tang I just try and find the most straight piece I can for the project. When I see a really straight piece I put it aside specifically for through tang knives.

[smylee grouch]

On one that I did I used a piece of rod saw that had one end broken off, I could bend it slightly and it would conform to the curved hole enough to worry the saw blade back and forth to cut horn out of the middle.