How Do You Clean Your Bone?

[Boriqua]

I use a bone folder for slicking edges and a host of other things. One of the most used tools in my arsenal. Recently I went to fold over a piece of natural leather and BAM ... brown black line from the folder. I dont know what to clean it with. It is a store bought piece and has some kind of sheen to it. I am afraid to put anything on it to clean it. Alcohol was only marginally effective.

Alex

[Not Awl Together]

I inadvertently did that also one time, I completely soaked it in lacquer thinner for a couple of hrs and wiped it down well with no ill results. It took the majority of it out but, not completely. Still a slight staining deep in the bone but nothing that has transferred out to leather thus far.

Regards,

N.A.T.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Not Awl Together

[benlilly1]

LOL, well....

[camano ridge]

Ok, benlilly get your mind back on leather

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Buy another and keep that one solely for natural leather.

[Chef niloc]

3 TB bleach :1 cup warm water. Let it soak overnight should be pure white again. Bone is bleached white to begin with, natural bone is yellow.

[JAM]

Fine sandpaper, followed by paste wax.

[rawcustom]

I advise against using household bleach on bone. The bleach will break the bone down. Maybe you won't notice much to start, but you will be limiting the life of the bone. A 50/50 mix of alcohol with acetone does a good job of cleaning. Rub with an scotch pad or fine sandpaper as mentioned above. Doubt you will return it to stark white, but you should remove enough residue to keep it from staining.

Here's a good read on prep and cleaning bone:

http://www.bearmeadow.com/build/materials/bone/html/bone-clean.html

[electrathon]

LOL, well....

I advise against using household bleach on bone. The bleach will break the bone down. Maybe you won't notice much to start, but you will be limiting the life of the bone. A 50/50 mix of alcohol with acetone does a good job of cleaning. Rub with an scotch pad or fine sandpaper as mentioned above. Doubt you will return it to stark white, but you should remove enough residue to keep it from staining.

I am currently horrified.

[benlilly1]

Apparently I've been doing it all wrong... Sorry Camano Ridge

[rawcustom]

I am currently horrified.

???

[Troy Burch]

Always clean your bone after use. I wash my hands beore I touch my bone.

[benlilly1]

I am currently horrified.

Lol, Ouch!

[electrathon]

???

How Do You Clean Your Bone?

[billybopp]

Y'all keep this up and they're gonna have to move this to the adult forum.

[Chef niloc]

I advise against using household bleach on bone. The bleach will break the bone down. Maybe you won't notice much to start, but you will be limiting the life of the bone. A 50/50 mix of alcohol with acetone does a good job of cleaning. Rub with an scotch pad or fine sandpaper as mentioned above. Doubt you will return it to stark white, but you should remove enough residue to keep it from staining.

Here's a good read on prep and cleaning bone:

http://www.bearmeadow.com/build/materials/bone/html/bone-clean.html

Good article, thanks

But:

makes the bone friable,[/u] but usually not for several [/u]. Museum people generally avoid bleach,

Soak bone in pure bleach and you get the "magical rubber bone trick". A relatively weak solution will whiten bone, will repeated bleaching shorten the life of the bone yes. Hydrogen peroxide would definitely be my first choice but I find a 3% solution (the kind most ratably available) to be too weak to be effective and the stronger solutions (reagin grade 30%) are harder fine (get it online) but much more expensive than bleach which most people have around the house anyway.

So I guess it depends on how far you're willing to go, if it's a tool with sentimental value or not replaceable then yes bleach would not be the best choice.

[rawcustom]

For other cleaning I recommend:

http://www.amazon.com/Ron-Jeremy-Hardest-Working-Showbiz/dp/0060840838