bone handle material??

ryan9977

ryan9977

Joined
Feb 16, 2006
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hey guys.....i have seen people use beef bones for handle material before.....if you get fresh bones....what would be the process to use them....could i eventually use them for scales on full tang knives.....i would assume u boil them...scrape off all the gunk....and dry them.....any advice....is it too much trouble?.....ryan
 
Save yourself the trouble.....
Go to a place like Petco and get big bones already processed. You only have to cut and dye them into whatever you want.
 
i was wondering if most would suggest that.....i have free access to as many bones as i need so i thought it could be beneficial to do up a big batch at once and leave em to dry.....what do u use to dye it?.....could i use like a leather dye?....is it even possible to use them as scales for a full tang knife.....is the hollow in the middle a problem....or can i just fill it with epoxy?....thanks for the help....ryan
 
What Rudy said.
The bone needs to be cleaned and degreased, not just dried. In a nutshell, first you need to boil it and then degrease it with something like white gas. It needs to soak in the white gas for a few weeks. The stuff you get at the pet store is already cleaned, degreased and bleached. I've done it a couple times and it is a pain. I would only do it again if I needed to use natural unbleached bone.

Lon
 
As far as dye, use alchohol base leather dye. It penetrates and evaporates.

Preparing the bones appears to be a smelly and messy operation. A friends wife has a thing for resurecting road kill. :eek: She skins and demeats possums and other mangled up rodents and such. Theres big pots full of this and that brewing most times I visit. IT STINKS. She tells me that it's pretty lenghthy operation to get the bones ready and usable. There's probably chemicals involved too.
Anyway, to her credit, when it's all said and done she makes some nifty bone mounts of the original animal. She reassembles the bones with wire and doodads. Very odd.

The last project I saw was a skunk...... I try not to have dinner there.:D
 
wow i'm glad there ain't too much roadkill here!....so i can use a dye....d u think there would be a problem using the bones for a full tang knife...when i cut it in half there's gonna be a hollow right....can i just fill it with epoxy?.....thanks fo rthe advice guys...i apreciate it...ryan
 
I use deer shin bones for small hidden tang knives. I boil them in TSP all day long or till the meat just falls off. Most of the marrow come out also. I let dry until completely white before using them.
 
Those bones I saw were pretty big. I could get my thumb in one end of one. You'll use alot of epoxy and have to hold the knife with both hands like a firehose.:p:D

Seriously...they're better suited for cutting into slabs. 12"-14" long and the walls are about 3/8" to 1/2" thick on some. There may be smaller ones but I only saw the large ones in a big tub on the floor. Go check them out....bring your dog, he will pick one for you.:D
 
my dog would tear the place up!....i'll check em out.....so i assume you just rub some dye at it and let it dry?.....anything on there to seal it or anything?....ryan
 
Depending on what suits you and the color, it may take more than 1 coat. Test a piece for penetration and shade then do the same when you get the scales about 90% done. texture bone if needed. Wax and buff. (lightly)
 
I boil them in TSP all day long or till the meat just falls off. Most of the marrow come out also. I let dry until completely white before using them.
Click to expand...
:thumbup:

I have also soaked them in a covered pail of water for about a week, changing water every day or two. The warmer the faster.
(in an out-building)

It stinks, but it really softens up the tissue. The marrow just floats out of the pores instead of getting thick and plugging up inside.

If I'm impatient, i will scrape and pull but..It's work and I ain't in that much of a rush.

Boiling with TSP really degreases them well. As said, they come out perfectly white and need some dying after that.
 
after soaking all the meat off two weeks probably boil them with laundry detergentfor ten to twenty minute and the spray them with peroxide as soon as the come out while they are still hot
 
man traeting the fresh bones sounds kinda nasty...i might check out the local pet shop:D.....ryan
 
Ryan, I think the best way is to get them fresh and let ants pick them clean, then just let them dry for a year or so. You can build a container with a rack that has spaces where ants can get in at the bottom, and keep them out of direct sunlight.

There is also a type of forensic beetle that they use, but you would probably have to buy them, although they are supposed to work even better than ants.

Ants can be a bit finicky with what they eat. The meat has to be fresh, and you may need to train them a little to do the work.

forensic beetle:
http://www.lab.fws.gov/beetles.php
 
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man tai....i've seen shows on that about eating away flsh and stuff with bugs in labs....like in museums where they reconstruct the bodies for exhibits.....i do actually have a place out of direct sunlight i could put a pile of bones but doesn't it get nasty....i mean it would be in my backyard still....what about when i'm tanning by the pool:D.....i'd have to smell rotting flesh.....i might get some fresh bones just to try it and check out the pet store too.....what is tsp...is it like an acid....what does it stand for?....i feel like i've seen those letters on a can in home depot....in the paint aisle maybe?......thanks fo rall the info guys....ryan
 
Ryan, I edited that last post a few times. I think we crossed posts. You might want to re-read it.

Boiling and chemicals are not the best things for cleaning and preserving bones.

Ants prefer fresh meat and will not work on dried or rotting meat, so you have to train them to go to your container by baiting them in first, never had any problems with odors etc... Once you have the ants trained, which may take some time, they will do a pretty quick and thorough job.
 
thanks tai.....i might have to keep trying to convince the gfriend about training ants to do my bidding.....i'm gonna work on it and will definately try cleaning my own bones in the near future.....i am gonna check out the pet store too.....what about roasting bones in the oven?......i appreciate all the advice....i'm not trying to negate it ....just thinking outloud....tai u must have a great time in the desert finding cool bones....have u seen a decrease in them over the years?.....just curious and thanks for the tips.....ryan

p.s. tai-tim contacted me and gave me some good info....thanks fo rforwrding my ?'s....ryan
 
Ryan, "heat" isn't the best thing for preserving bones.

We have lots of ants out here, and it takes a lot to do a large bone. Build your container with holes at the bottom, and use a hardware cloth rack or screen a couple inches off the bottom, so the ants can get to the bones. Also, put a top on to keep the bones out of direct sunlight. If you can, put it close to an existing ant colony. Start by putting in fresh meat and checking it daily. If it dries or starts to rot, take it out and put another fresh meat bait in. Once the ants catch on to it and there are plenty of them, then put your bones in on the following day while the ants are still trained to it.
 
TSP is TriSodiumPhosphate. It is very stong degreaser/cleaning agent, typically in powder form. I have seen a liquid TSP substitute at HD in the paint aisle. Don't recall seeing TSP in a powder form there lately. Regardless, you might check Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware, or any paint store. I think I saw TSP in powder form either at Ace or a paint store.
 
Some dies and stains, like cochineal, are actually attracted to the natural oils and fats in plant and animal products like bones and fibers, etc. The natural oils and fats also help seal and stabilize the bones.
 
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