Mark Arnold
Well-known member
I'm toying with the idea of doing some inlay with bone, but want to make sure I'm not wasting my time. Thanks to my teenage dog, I've got a huge pile of nice clean bones (mostly cow leg) to work with. My questions are as follows-
1. Are cattle bones the best material to work with? They do seem a little porous, especially near the center opening. I remember a clock repairman once told me he prefers pig bone because it is more dense than beef (he used it to fashion replacement parts). Is one better than the other?
2. Once I have selected the livestock, what is the best sawtooth configuration for cutting bone? I'm looking for something with as little kerf as possible to yield pieces about 1/16" thick.
3. Do I need to be concerned with bone dust? I'd hate to contract mad cow disease or something worse.
4. Does bone need to be sanded flush or can it be scraped?
5. I've seen inlaid bone that is etched for details (faces, shading, etc). What is the best tool for doing this and what is rubbed into the etching to highlight it? Can bone be sand-shaded?
Anybody have experience with bone?
Thanks
1. Are cattle bones the best material to work with? They do seem a little porous, especially near the center opening. I remember a clock repairman once told me he prefers pig bone because it is more dense than beef (he used it to fashion replacement parts). Is one better than the other?
2. Once I have selected the livestock, what is the best sawtooth configuration for cutting bone? I'm looking for something with as little kerf as possible to yield pieces about 1/16" thick.
3. Do I need to be concerned with bone dust? I'd hate to contract mad cow disease or something worse.
4. Does bone need to be sanded flush or can it be scraped?
5. I've seen inlaid bone that is etched for details (faces, shading, etc). What is the best tool for doing this and what is rubbed into the etching to highlight it? Can bone be sand-shaded?
Anybody have experience with bone?
Thanks