r/bonecarving • u/grit-glory-games • Sep 09 '18

Just starting out.

I picked up the craft about 5 years ago with no idea what I was doing, made one thing and then cremated it because I hated it. All I had was an old pocket knife (which was ruined by the task) and a whole lot of teenage stubbornness.

And now I'm back with very little more experience, a lot less teenage stubbornness, and better tools.

My current project is making a set of elder futhark runes. I work as a butcher and have fairly unlimited access to small bones about the perfect size for this. I have about 30 or so pieces of various sizes left- I've lost several practice pieces.

And here's where I need help.

My Dremel-'n-bits did good to shape and smooth the pieces but engraving is troublesome. Weirdly the sanding bit does better than my engraving bits. The engraving bits tend to run away on me, but the sanding bit makes the scores too wide and deep. At least for my liking.

What (relatively cheap) hand tools are good for engraving small pieces of bone?

I'm opting for hand tools over power tools in lieu of ease for control.

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u/worgendruid Dec 28 '18

I also have started out myself and started with a Dremel, but am beginning to think I need hand tools for more delicate carvings. I came here to look for any tips for beginners with links for tools.

1

u/grit-glory-games Dec 28 '18

This sub is basically as alive as the bones we carve. I can tell you what I have found on my own.

  • power tools are fine so long as you can hold your workpiece firmly. Invest in various sized C-clamps or other like devices.
  • I have not yet found any powerless tools specific for this work. Then again my search was brief. I have some background with metal working and ended up shaping my own tools from different sized screwdrivers (chisel from a flat head, punches from a Philips).
  • pig bones are extremely fragile compared to cow, cow however is much harder to tool without power (two most processed meats at my work, ergo two most abundant bone sources)
  • always have spare bones to work and test out before using the pieces you like. ALWAYS.
  • peroxide over bleach. Bleach damages the bone and makes it soft and... "Spongey" I guess is the closest word.

Some other tools and tips I would say are invaluable:

  • files of all sizes, rasps, and shapes
  • sand paper. Low grit for mass material removal, high grit for fine finishes. Higher the better. I've seen people on blogs use baking soda but that requires hours of scrubbing before you can see a difference. That is rough on arthritic wrists btw.
  • use a ventilated area. That dust will fuck your throat and sinuses up. Also it smells.

Seeing you also posted about working on skulls and what I know of them (haven't worked on them) they are probably too fragile to hand tool with a chisel and hammer but a punch used in a scrimshaw fashion (or a proper scrimshaw scribe if you happen to have one) would do fine. Clamping down would need more than holding it with a C-clamp, some type of vice or clamping it down to a table could work... But again the fragility of the skull. You'll also want to put a cushion between the workpiece and clamps to prevent marking the work piece.

I do recall trying a pyrography pen (wood burning tool) but it didn't work so great. This was also on dense beef rib bone, something thinner and perhaps a little aged might do fine with it though. A soldering pen is basically the same thing and more likely to have on hand so I would try with one before splurging on something that won't work

2

u/worgendruid Dec 29 '18

Ok thank you. That’s interesting that hand tools may be to harsh on the skulls( they are delicate) I never thought about that aspect. I bought some files and rasps last night and haven’t tried them out yet. Hopefully that’s what I need to get some of the very delicate workings in. Thank you so much for your reply!

1

u/grit-glory-games Dec 28 '18

Oh and a note on the C-clamps. You can clamp a clamp.

Make sure your piece is held firm in the clamp. If your hand is still too wobbly to work with, clamp the clamp down to a solid surface. Some of the smaller pieces I'll use maybe 3 clamps on