how do you clean bones?

[canamscott]

I was looking at what is left of my deer and I think the femurs are wide enough to use for making a set of grips. What is the recommended way to clean the bones before I start shaping?

 

[ATOMonkey]

Boiling would be my sugestion.

 

[1911Shooter]

You can either boil them for immediate results or you can leave them hanging in a tree and the bugs will clean them for you. Either way works but boiling works faster and you dont have to worry about losing them to dogs or other animals nawing on them.

 

[Hoosierbuck]

Boil with a little Arm & Hammer washing soda (not baking soda, chemically different, IIRC) in the water, that'll clean and degrease them.

HB

 

[patience0830]

Boil with a little Arm & Hammer washing soda (not baking soda, chemically different, IIRC) in the water, that'll clean and degrease them.

HB

Saw 'em in 1/2 lengthwise and lay 'em in the bird feeder. After the meat and marrow are gone use the washing soda.

 

[spencer rifle]

Dermestids!

 

[canamscott]

Dermestids!

I knew you would say that.

 

[wrigleycub]

Boil, power wash, bleach, dry in that order!

 

[Yeah]

Boiling softens bone quite a bit, so unless you are going to vacuum stabilize them before turning them into handle slabs you might want to avoid it. Bleach does worse. Application of just a surface finish will leave the bone under it soft.

To keep them at full hardness you can sink them into a pail full of water, and change it out when it starts to look greasy. When the slick no longer appears it is clean. A hosing down with hydrogen peroxide will kill any bacteria remaining, and you can repeat that treatment until it is as white as you want.

 

[woodsie57]

Made a knife handle 15 yrs ago from a deer bone;IIRC, I soaked it in denatured alcohol to degrease after removing as much marrow as possible with a couple of big drill bits. Knife has held up well.

 

[colt45er]

Get the Dermestid beeltes. You will have to spend a little more up front, but from the limited bone cleaning I have done was messy and difficult at best with boiling.

I have since researched this more and my next shot will be with the beetles. Let them do the work for you. This way you do not damage the bones you are working with.

 

[Lonnie]

bury them until late spring , they will be clean

 

[Bounty Hunter]

Get the Dermestid beeltes. You will have to spend a little more up front, but from the limited bone cleaning I have done was messy and difficult at best with boiling.

I have since researched this more and my next shot will be with the beetles. Let them do the work for you. This way you do not damage the bones you are working with.

+1 On the beatles. Will be clean in a matter of days. I boiled a deer head once, turned out great, but was pretty messy, and stunk up the garage. Bones may not bee as labor intensive as the skull though.

 

[canamscott]

Thanks Friends. Lots of great info. When I have the grips done should I be finishing them with anything or leaving them raw?

 

[dashby115]

I had someone tell me to bury them in soil for a couple of months and let the bacteria clean them..sounds kinda weird to me. has anyone else heard of this?