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Preparing bone for scrimming and carving.
powdersmoke
Member Posts: 3,241
I do a lot of work in bone these days. I prefer naturally aged bone.
Naturally aged bone has lain in its environment long enough to `cure'. The bone may lay out in the fields or wood for many years. Most of this type of bone comes from cattle that have died naturally or have been struck by lightening, a frequent occurrence for animals out in the field. The animal then lays there and nature takes it's course, overtime revealing the bone. After sometime, 1 Year to however long, the bone is harvested. Sometime after 5 years tho' it becomes crumbly, and turns to dust out in the environment.
The advantage of aged bone, in my opinion, are it's unique properties. Often bone from such sources has a rose pastel color or a smoky blue-gray color sometimes it is brownish in tone. Often it is streaked/marbled with color. Most of the oils have been naturally rendered from the media. It has fractures and cracks in it that add to its beauty and uniqueness. For my purposes it is often easier to work with.
I work in `fresh' bone also. It requires more treating than the aged bone but always gives satisfactory results. Fresh bone often has more steps to render oils from it, sterilize it and whiten. This in itself if not a reason to avoid using the bone, it just involves more time and work. One advantage to fresh bone is its resemblance to Ivory, a desirable trait.
Treatment requires rendering any flesh from the bone. This can be accomplished by boiling. Though boiling drives the oil/fats into the bone and it must then be coaxed out by other means. A better way is letting beatles or ants clean the flesh from the bone, it takes longer but the results are more desirable.
The bone is then soaked several days in a solvent to remove any remaining fats. After that I immerse it in peroxide, the same solution some women use to bleach there hair, for about a week, sometimes less, sometimes more. This serve two purposes. It whitens the bone and acts as a disinfectant at the same time. The bone can be cut prior to this step or after, it make little difference except to the artist. After this the bone can still be boiled if so desired
As an added note; never bleach bone or shells in chlorine bleach as it attacks the structure of the bone. Even a few minutes in bleach will cause damage. Since bone is porous in composition it absorbs the bleach. In two or three years the bone will deteriorate and crumble and dust.
Now is when it is ready to scrimshaw, carve or paint.
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas
Naturally aged bone has lain in its environment long enough to `cure'. The bone may lay out in the fields or wood for many years. Most of this type of bone comes from cattle that have died naturally or have been struck by lightening, a frequent occurrence for animals out in the field. The animal then lays there and nature takes it's course, overtime revealing the bone. After sometime, 1 Year to however long, the bone is harvested. Sometime after 5 years tho' it becomes crumbly, and turns to dust out in the environment.
The advantage of aged bone, in my opinion, are it's unique properties. Often bone from such sources has a rose pastel color or a smoky blue-gray color sometimes it is brownish in tone. Often it is streaked/marbled with color. Most of the oils have been naturally rendered from the media. It has fractures and cracks in it that add to its beauty and uniqueness. For my purposes it is often easier to work with.
I work in `fresh' bone also. It requires more treating than the aged bone but always gives satisfactory results. Fresh bone often has more steps to render oils from it, sterilize it and whiten. This in itself if not a reason to avoid using the bone, it just involves more time and work. One advantage to fresh bone is its resemblance to Ivory, a desirable trait.
Treatment requires rendering any flesh from the bone. This can be accomplished by boiling. Though boiling drives the oil/fats into the bone and it must then be coaxed out by other means. A better way is letting beatles or ants clean the flesh from the bone, it takes longer but the results are more desirable.
The bone is then soaked several days in a solvent to remove any remaining fats. After that I immerse it in peroxide, the same solution some women use to bleach there hair, for about a week, sometimes less, sometimes more. This serve two purposes. It whitens the bone and acts as a disinfectant at the same time. The bone can be cut prior to this step or after, it make little difference except to the artist. After this the bone can still be boiled if so desired
As an added note; never bleach bone or shells in chlorine bleach as it attacks the structure of the bone. Even a few minutes in bleach will cause damage. Since bone is porous in composition it absorbs the bleach. In two or three years the bone will deteriorate and crumble and dust.
Now is when it is ready to scrimshaw, carve or paint.
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas
Comments
Love them Pre-64's!!!!-Bob
Do you sell any of these? I'm looking to get something for my father for fathers day.
Yes, I do work on commission or sell from items/pieces I've done as I go along filling my spare time. I don't carve I do scrimshaw. It would depend also on what you wanted and how detailed a design. Time could be a factor too.
Cost would be affected by the above factors.
E-mail 358winchester and ask him if he liked his item
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas
There are no bad guns, only bad people.
Guess I gotta "bone" up on my scrimshaw. Never knew it was so complicated. Good post Powder. Might have something to interest you..Are shed antlers useful? The April 2004 Field and Stream has a two page picture of a man who has 13,750 sets of shed antlers and skulls he has collected over the years. He had to erect a 30x64 building to store them. Name is Jim Phillips of Three Forks MT. The pic is almost overwhelming, filled with antlers of every shape and size.
There are no bad guns, only bad people.
Yes, shed antlers are useful, but different. I use them in a limited way. They can be and have been scrimshawed before, making some excellent pieces.
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas
Thanks
You never know what you are going to learn on this forum.
Is the "solvent" anything special? (secret) [;)]
The gene pool needs chlorine.
Interesting information you have here.
Thanks
You never know what you are going to learn on this forum.
Is the "solvent" anything special? (secret) [;)]
The gene pool needs chlorine.
Nothing special. You can use what is available for the most part. I have used Naptha and/or xylene. A good paint thinner will work. Most solvents will not harm the bone.
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you.
Rita Mae Brown
"Right is Right, even is everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it"
Feel free to come up and go thru the "dead pit" anytime. Don[xx(]
"Right is Right, even is everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it"
Thanks, I may do that someday.[:)] Just got a 'tub' full of bone from the ranch where my brother works (works there when he's not recovering from a heartattack that is) [:D]. The dead pit sounds interesting. I've been in some pretty nasty places to get bone and horn. Do I need waders?[:D][;)]
When you wrestle a 'gator, there ain't no good end!!
"Molon Labe!" Spartan General-King Leonidas
Thanks again
The gene pool needs chlorine.
I remember when I was in college I hung around the archaeology lab a lot and there was always fun things to do (missed a whole day of classes once because I stopped by when a fellow was reassembling skulls -- another story later) but I know they were working on a comparative anatomny collection so bones from known critters could be compared to bones that they found on a dig. They soaked the bones in Biz laundry detergent to strip the flesh.
"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I
advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives
boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the
ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no
character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of
your walks." Thomas Jefferson