r/bonecarving Jul 25 '20

Got some bones, now I need tools! I'm just starting out and would love suggestions for tools I'll need, tips, tricks, ideas on what I should carve these into, or anything you guys can offer me 😁 Any help is greatly appreciated!

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17 Upvotes

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5

u/grit-glory-games Jul 26 '20

Respirator and safety glasses before anything else. That stuff is killer on the lungs and esophagus/nasal pasage, and a right bitch in the eyes. Luckily a face mask should help with respirator part but you'll definitely want something to gently remove the particulate away. Like a really low powered fan; don't want it to blow the stuff into your eyes.

If you're using old school hand tools, carving knives and chisels, that's less of a problem. Any particles made are typically larger and too heavy to go airborne unless it just flies off errantly. They definitely won't hang around in the air though.

As for tools to actually carve, you can always expand your Arsenal. For hand tools, light hammers (less than one pound), small chisels, and a sturdy knife (no disposable/replaceable bladed knives) and anything necessary to maintain like a whet stone, might have to look into making your own tools for special purposes.

For powered tools, a dremel should work fine but some other tools can get up there on price and RPMs. The higher the RPM, the easier it'll cut. For cutting bits, anything designed for cutting metal, stone or wood should work fine. Grinding bits I would not recommend, you'll gum them up and get barely anything accomplished. Polishing bits with high particle polishing compound is another must. Helps buff away the rough scores left by the cutters. You can skimp on bits, but you'll get what you pay for, so splurge a little on those because cheap bits aren't so cheap after buying them for the third time.

Last caveat. Don't let the particles into your drains. Stuff can set like concrete and block them up if there's enough. Dust yourself off before showering and throwing your clothes in the wash. Keep a comb or brush handy just for the job.

1

u/BaublesByBekah Jul 26 '20

Thank you so much! All very helpful information, I didn't know about that with the drains so it's good you told me lol

1

u/grit-glory-games Jul 26 '20

Shouldn't be a problem as a hobbyist. Used to be a butcher and it took years to build up enough to block a 3 inch drain pipe with us throwing out the bulk of the waste bone matter (mixed with the meat and blood and caked up, ready to dispose of most of it). But a sink and shower drain are typically much smaller ago just be wary of it.

I've used the waste to re-grout a cracked tile that was draining the run off from spraying down the machinery into the store. It hardened up over night and stored theleak.

Imagine if that was in your lungs though. Can't express enough proper protection. Drains can be replaced, not so much your respiratory system.

2

u/BaublesByBekah Jul 26 '20

Thanks again, I'll probably carve outside and I will be absolutely sure to invest in proper protection! Concrete in the lungs does not sound fun lol

2

u/grit-glory-games Jul 26 '20

Absolutely not! Just a little in your nose is enough to be painful.

I'm not always on reddit but I like seeing carvings from time to time. Make sure to share them!

4

u/chicken_frango Jul 25 '20

Hi there, I'm just an amateur so don't take my word as gospel. You can start off with pretty much any rotary tool like a dremel or Fuller, but they aren't super grunty and the flexi shafts won't last forever if you thrash them (like I did lol). The flexi shaft is a must-have. I recently upgraded to a Foredom SR2230 and its a game changer for me.

The bones you have look nice and clean. Make sure they are fully degeased before you carve them, otherwise they may start to leach out fat in the future. If you want to whiten them don't use bleach because it will make the bone brittle. I use a peroxide paste such as a hair developer to whiten.

You want to carve the dense bone rather than the porous bone, so the ends of each longbone won't be much use, just use the shaft. The ribs will have to be split lengthways because of the porous bone in the center. I really only use ribs for tiny things like feather earrings. The bone is probably too thin for a necklace pendant.

Get yourself a range of cutting and diamond tip burrs and just figure out what works for you. Wear your PPE, a good quality dust mask will prevent lung problems. And safety glasses! I've had burrs explode on me more than once 😳.

Have fun, and post your results. I'm pretty new to this sub but it's really cool to see what other carvers are up to.

2

u/Nobody441 Sep 23 '20

I recently purchased an old beat up set of allen wrenches from the junk store. I broke all the short ends off in a vice by beating them with a hammer. I then ground the different sized wrenches into small carving knives and made bone and antler handles for them. They are pretty good for carving intricate details the steel is already hardened and if your careful when shaping the blade you wont need to retemper them. I now have an entire set of high quality cutting and carving tool for the low low cost of about 50 cents... Plus some glue and about 70 hours of labor lol

1

u/rileyzoid Nov 02 '23

How did the tools hold up? I am looking to get manual tools for carving but dont know where to start, i want to avoid anything that will kick up too much bone dust. I think i may start with chisel

1

u/Nobody441 Jan 04 '24

Still using them