Bone carving and bandaids.

[martelvonc]

I finished my first bone needle today! I started it yesterday and all together it took about 4 1/2 hours to make. I'm thinking it must go faster once you know what you're doing. Doesn't it? That's alot of work for one needle. But it does work! I'm thrilled!

Okay, okay, so it actually took four and a half hours and two bandaids.....

One tiny one for my left pointer finger when I caught it with the hack saw and a bigger one when I caught the end of my thumb with the exacto blade, oh yea, and a paper towel to stop the bleeding. Don't panic it's a small cut I just got a bad spot that's all. D**M it still smarts!

Word to the wise, wrap both thumbs with tape to protect them BEFORE you start carving.

Comments

carving and band aids

[hazebrouck.livejournal.com]

I bought a glove made of some sort of net to carve with. I got it from the fancy woodworking shop in town. I put it on the non-dominant hand since the cuts seem to happen from slips. So far, no blood. I have experimented a little with bone and I must admit, it is a lot of work.

[martelvonc.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm, good idea.

When I got my thumb with the exacto blade I was putting it down believe it or not! :-)

I decided to try bone carving because I wanted some of the things that I've seen in museums. Reproduction carvings can be expensive so I'm going to try to make them for myself.

[bronx-baroness.livejournal.com]

What kind of bone are you using? There's some sort of grass that you can use that is naturally like sand paper for smoothing, only I can't remember it's name (thank you oh makers of Prozac!) The chain gloves work really well though.
And breathing out with the slicing action. Yeah, they take forever to make- but out of the six deer bone ones I made about ten years ago, I still have five. And they just look so cool when you're sewing something at a demo! :)

[martelvonc.livejournal.com]

Hi!

I'm using cow femur for now. I want to order some bone from Moscow hide and fur and try some other things.

I think my problem was I cut too big a chip and then the needle was fatter than I anticipated. Then I had to work it a while longer to get it smaller. I've got another chip soaking now that is skinnier than the last one. This one should go faster.

I'm also roughing out a disc shape and I'm going to try carving a pearl medallion for myself.

I'm never going to be a master carver but I think I can get competant enoungh to make the items I want.

[bronx-baroness.livejournal.com]

You will become better at carving the more you do it. Trust yourself.

[halimadances.livejournal.com]

That would be horsetail (equisetum arvense) also known as pewter rush, scouring rush, etc. It's perennial and invasive, but quite cool in a sunken pot. It also makes nice "twiners" for basket making. Let me know if you'd like some and I'll dig a little up for you when next we meet.

[martelvonc.livejournal.com]

Since it's a rush, do I need a pond to grow it in or can I use a tub?

What is a "twiner"?

[halimadances.livejournal.com]

You don't need to do anything but plant it anywhere it can be restrained, trust me. It will send runners all over worse than peppermint. A twiner is the material you use for the sides of baskets, as opposed to the "uprights" or spine pieces (forgive ignorant terminology). It's also anti-fungal and one of the few things that will cure persistant nail bed fungus. It's very high in natural silica and minerals (which is why it sands and scours so well) and I infuse the oils in my cuticle cream with it, as the minerals and silica contribute to harder nails.

[martelvonc.livejournal.com]

Well I'll be darned. I've never heard of it. That would be worth giving a try especially as it sounds like even I could't kill it!

[bronx-baroness.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I remembered Scouring Rush, and then I remembered that it had another name. I would love some! Will it grow in a container garden or does it like to have a lot more room to itself? Will you be at KASF? The horse tail was just so cool to work with- I *felt* very medieval using it!

horsetail

[halimadances.livejournal.com]

I'll be at KASF, but the horsetail has not emerged from it's frost-nipping yet. So, while I am happy to share, it will need to be later in the growing season.

Re: horsetail

[bronx-baroness.livejournal.com]

Well! we'll just have to have some patience! Thank you!!!

[hersir.livejournal.com]

To polish bone, if you take some wood ashes and make a paste then apply it to the bone and polish with a woolen cloth you will make it so smooth that people will claim that you used a buffing wheel. :) If you want some addional tips, email me (addy on profile)

Haldan

Enquiring Minds...

[martelvonc.livejournal.com]

Any sort of wood ashes?
So, I could make some in the backyard and they would be fine?

I'm going to have to try this. Thank you!

Re: Enquiring Minds...

[hersir.livejournal.com]

Any sort of wood ashes will work. In my experience, hardwood ashes work best. I would also mention that this would be for the final polishing. If you have tool marks in the bone, it'll smooth them out some but won't remove them (with out a LOT of elbow grease!!)

You are more than welcome! I'm glad to help. :o)