Carving bone

[Thenihilist]

I tried to get some bones from the butcher for making fishhooks but ended up with a huge bone, is it possible to split it with a knife to make fishhooks and gorges from? Is there anything I need to do with it prior to carving it?

Also is it fine to just leave it outside and let nature take care of the fleshy bits? Or should I try rto clean it?

Cheers

 

[bushwacker bob]

You could boil it to get rid of the flesh and marrow. It will speed up the process.
I would saw it rather than chip the edge of you knife on it.

 

[John Fenna]

Boiling up marrow stinks
Once the bone is clean it can be sawn or gouged and then split (prehistoric style) but beware the dust!
Using power tools can be smelly work as well...
I am leaving some deer bones up in the woods for nature to clean for me having boiled out the marrow for the first one (which I made into a knife handle) - the stench was impressive...
I have turned split bone into a variety of "prehistoric" tools (knife blades, arrow heads, harpoon heads, gorges, needles, fids etc) just by grinding them on an abrasive stone ... no smell and very little dust

 

[richtheclimber]

I'll second everything John said really. Bone and antler dust is very harmful to breathe in, so dust masks and lots of ventilation are the way forward if you're using power tools to process them. An abrasive stone produces MUCH less dust, though I'd still go with a dust mask if you're working it indoors. Sandstone seems to work best (I found a useful chunk on a piece of derelict ground), though any rock will work (just not as effectively). Wetting it from time to time will also ease the process, and reduce the dust.

As for stench, it's vile. I've never cracked the bones straight from the butcher, I usually bury mine and let the worms do the work. For big bones like beef shins, I'd say you'd want a good month at least. I dug up some two-weekers last Thursday morning and it was all I could do not to yack! Once you've broken them and got rid of the soft marrow from the centre, the bones can be cleaned and then aired to get rid of any remaining smell. Leaving them outside in that state will also help to weather them and kill any smells.

You could smash them by battening a knife on them, but you will definitely wreck your knife. Get in touch with your inner cave man and smash them with a rock - it's much more satisfying! Or saw off the ball joints from each end, then you've got a nice piece of bone to be woring with.

Best of luck with the project - and don't forget to post pictures along the way!

Rich

 

[Thenihilist]

Think this bone may be too big to get fishhooks of, think I'll leave it outside till its cleaned of marrow and grisle, then figure out a way to split it.

How is it to work with without tools? Is there anyway to temporarily soften it? Is it possible to just smash it with a rock till it breaks then grind the small pieces into shape, I've got a flint tipped bow drill that looks like it'll be called into service

 

[Thenihilist]

Cheers folks I'll bury it tommorow

 

[redandshane]

I make bone needles and intend to have ago at fishooks
I smash the bones with a stone but bear in mind your intended purpose so a bit of smashing with a purpose is called for no point in having big thick shards if you are making needles

I use any old blade to scrape perhaps rather than carve the bone ;also those cheap needle files you get and finish with sandpaper and micromesh to polish
Start off with needles to get a feel for the material and how it responds to different techniques and make something useful and attractive at the same time
Yes I consider smashing with a purpose a technique

 

[aelf]

I saw a programme on tv some time ago where they put bones in a solution of biological washing liquid in an oven at aroung 60c for a couple of days - the bones came out stripped clean and ready for use, something to do with the enzymes in the washing liquid. I haven't tried it myself so no idea how well it works or if it affects the bone in any way.

 

[Gilgamesh]

If you're making fish hooks it's all about using the right bones imo, it's not impossible to do from a large bone of course but it is a pain. I managed it in a couple of hours using modern tools (saw, hunting knife and files). I boiled them up then got rid of any excess soft tissue using my hunting knife. I've tried working bone with flint neolithic style for experimental archaeology and it's definitely a long term project.

 

[Elen Sentier]

John, how long does it take for the bones to be clean. It's so long since I did it (like 40+ years) I can't remember. I know where there was a super red deer carcass last April, will various beasties have taken the bones by the time I get there again this spring?

 

[Seoras]

Personally I don't mind working bone that is fresh.

Here is a download on the Home page I put together that includes working with bone in a primitive way.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/content.php?r=444-Bone-Knife-and-Bark-Sheath-by-george-aitchinson

Always keen to see others work to get more ideas.

Cheers

George

 

[Gilgamesh]

Personally I don't mind working bone that is fresh.

Here is a download on the Home page I put together that includes working with bone in a primitive way.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/content.php?r=444-Bone-Knife-and-Bark-Sheath-by-george-aitchinson

Always keen to see others work to get more ideas.

Cheers

George

Excellent stuff, thanks for sharing. Just out of interest are the head and tubercle clearly charred when they are removed from the shaft or is more just a case of heating the bone?

 

[Seoras]

Just out of interest are the head and tubercle clearly charred when they are removed from the shaft or is more just a case of heating the bone?

Glad you liked it.

There was a slight charring of the bone where I had scored it if I remember. I focussed the hot ember on this area. The rest was unaffected.

I should of charred it for longer so that when it was tapped it would come apart easily.

It was all an experiment.

Cheers

George

 

[John Fenna]

John, how long does it take for the bones to be clean. It's so long since I did it (like 40+ years) I can't remember. I know where there was a super red deer carcass last April, will various beasties have taken the bones by the time I get there again this spring?

I hang mine up for the flies to clean - above head hight so scavengers cannot rob me - and it takes a few months realy.
Any bones on the ground will most likely disapear!
I put the carcase of a road kill buzzard in the hedge intending to return for the feathers when I had time for plucking it and hoped to secure the carcase for the bones.... 2 days later the whole thing was gone ... not a feather or scrap of flesh to be found!
As it was well out of sight it was not that a human took it but some scavenger had it away for a good feed elsewhere I reckon!
I had a similar disapointment with a fox carcase that I was hoping to get the skull from - I left it on the ground and it went who knows where, along with most of the bones and the majority of the hide....

 

[Charlz9mm]

I make arrowheads from cow bone. I let my dogs chew the leg bones for a few days. They suck most of the oils out of the bone very fast. When they are done a day or two in the sun dries them into fine ivory like material which is ready to grind a shape. Cooking and boiling seem to make the bone brittle. I second the idea to use dust masks.

 

[bartjen 2]

Just boiled up mine for an hour, then porred out the inside and let it cool a bit, then scapped off the bone.
Let it on a stove for 2 days and they're good to go.They're made from deer leg bones.
Made somme needles, arrowheads, fishhooks, toggle hooks from it. Always make use off dust mask.
Try to post some pics later;
grts bart