How do you treat bone?

[d.weglarz13]

I know from experience, do not use brake cleaner on any parts or pivots that are not metal. i.e. plastic/teflon washers maybe? And definitely not any rubber o rings like on an Umnumzaan or something like that. Brake cleaner will eat right through those things, from what I've seen...... just my $.02


this is a great thread, never knew some of this stuff about wd40, and use it all the time(and brake cleaner) on cars, especially the brake cleaner on almost everything metal.
dave


edit: and yes, i will NOT be putting anything on the bone since it doesn't need it. thanks

 

[jon_slider]

as mentioned above, Bernards opinion may be intended specifically for antique knives meant to be preserved in original condition, but here you go,

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/436189-Renaissance-Wax
Renaissance Wax

Has anyone tried it, used it, etc? I have seen it recommended as a good protectant, rust preventer, etc., for steel, ivory, pearl, stag, bone, and leather.

Does it impact leather, darken it, or anything?

Throw it away.

Throw it far far away.

It is based on a series of false premises, and mistaken analogies.

The seller of Ren Wax has tried from its inception to pay me for an endorsement, but I refused.

...
do not add anything that cannot be removed without damaging the object, or that does not remove itself.

Food grade mineral oil (aka Japanese sword oil) when used in moderation eventually evaporates away, leaving no residue. This is not true of products such as WD40 and RenWax, which is why they should never be used.

Mineral oil should not be used on antique leather or wood. Use it on metal parts only.

BRL...

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

^^On that note, light mineral oil is the base of almost all liquid cleaners/finish-restorers for wood furniture ('lemon oil' furniture products, for example, which are almost entirely mineral oil, with a tiny bit of lemon oil added).

We all know BRL has his opinions (for some justifiable, but highly specialized reasons; even he specifies 'antique' in his warning). But the world-at-large has been doing fine working with these products for decades at least; maybe a century or more, with some products. For the vast majority of uses, the fears regarding light use of mineral oil is much ado about nothing. One has to view these things in context; BRL's context is very specific in scope, applicable to keeping the 'old' things looking/feeling as 'old' as possible, thereby preserving their 'antique' character; therefore maintaining 'collectible' value. Anything adding a little 'shine' to, or otherwise altering the appearance of the 'old' items he deals with are viewed negatively in that context, even if the 'shine' works or acts to actually preserve or protect the raw materials in the functional sense (which mineral oils and waxes can do by preventing absorption of water, which rots/warps/stains most woods).

If the current generation of preservative oil/wax products currently deemed 'bad' for antiques were applied when the 'antique' was first 'new', and then regularly used during the decades or centuries of it's history, those same 'antiques' would likely be in better shape today, if you think about it.


David

 

[knarfeng]

I know from experience, do not use brake cleaner on any parts or pivots that are not metal. i.e. plastic/teflon washers

Side note. Teflon is impervious to brake cleaner and all other common solvents, oils, alcohols, ketones, esters, aromatics, mineral spirits. Other plastics vary in resistance to solvents. If you used brake cleaner on a plastic and the plastic was degraded by the solvent, the plastic was not Teflon.

 

[d.weglarz13]

okay, good to know. just for reference, i believe most of those times were more like plastics and rubbers, not teflon. thanks again.

dave