Beginners Bone Carving

[Quixoticgeek]

Would like to have a go at bone carving, with a hope to making a few small artefacts (needles, buckles, hooks, etc...).

Can anyone recommend a guide on how to process the bone into a state where I can carve it?

I get on well with my butcher and she's generally ok giving me which ever bones I ask for, but I am not sure which bones, from which animals are most suitable to make what from. Can anyone offer any guidance?

Thanks

Julia

 

[VaughnT]

Leg of cow and horse are rather stout-walled, which gives you plenty of material to work with. Shoulder blades are very thin-walled, which is good for certain types of things.

Rear lower leg bones of deer in the US have a very rectilinear cross-section that makes them dandy for bow-drill fire spindle adapters. Don't know if you have access to similar in Kent, though it is something to keep in mind. Usually, the flat sections are a great size for needles, arrowheads, etc.

Processing the bone? I like to work them when they are as fresh as possible. This has a bit of a stink factor since you're dealing with marrow and the like, but the bone is at its softest while still green. I cheat and use modern tools as much as possible. Usually the shank of the bone is where all your good bits are (who really uses the knuckles?) so I cut them loose and pitch the rest to the dogs.

If the bone has already dried naturally, you can soak it in water for a bit to add some softness back to it and keep the dust down.

Working the bone is very easy with even rudimentary hand tools. I use pitch glue to hold the bone pieces to a larger piece of wood that serves as a handle. You can get the bone very very thin doing this, so be careful.