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08-11-2014, 08:13 AM #10
Thank you for all the positive comments everyone, really appreciate the feedback
I do dry the bone - once it's completely clean I leave it to bleach in the sun for about a month. I don't like to use any chemicals like bleach because they tend to make the bone more brittle. I then leave it to dry indoors for a bit longer. I then draw and cut the very rough shape using an angle grinder (I don't have that many tools). I then tape or clamp both pieces of bone together and do most of my shaping on my trusty belt sander. Following that, I use a hand file and sandpaper starting at 180 and going up to 1000 grit.
For the intricate carving I used the dremmel to start with, working the grooves into the bone. Once it started to take shape I switched to hand file and sanding. The biggest tip I have is to go slowly, drill the holes last, and be very careful with the pinning! The break was completely my fault, caused by a careless pin.
As for the stain - I did some experimenting with various tannins and dyes, including acorn, walnut, coffee, tea, rust/iron based stains, etc. I've also tried fluorides and bleaches to get a whiter white, but far prefer sun bleaching. Nothing took the bone nearly as dark as I first wanted it, even after repeated dyeing, but over time I've come to really like the natural look I've achieved. This is done using a natural walnut stain that comes in crystal form to dissolve in water. I leave the bone to soak for around 24hrs and then repeat if necessary.
Lastly, after a final sand at 1200 grit I use a polishing compound (the same autosol or mothers I use on the blades) and polish the bone up to a glossy finish. Repeat that a couple of times and what's left is a wonderful smooth sheen that also protects the bone.
Hope that helps!
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Suavio For This Useful Post:
Euclid440 (10-15-2014), nodakjohns (08-11-2014)