I did make some bone-topped keyboards back around 1980. I did the boiling in detergent, etc but didn't scrape by hand. I just boiled it out of them.


For shaping, I got butcher saw blades made up for my bandsaw, and used a Delta Uniplane with carbide teeth to flatten one surface. This machine was discontinued shortly after I bought it.

It was a nasty job, and when I found Nelson WW in Rhode Island I never cut my own bone again. I was happy to pay him. Still, with these tools I didn't stink up the shop as a sanding machine can.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Doug Brooke <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: BONE!
> Date:         Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:36:37 +1100
> 
> 
> I am trying my hand working with this material.
> 
> Preparing bone:
> I tried a 20th centruy approach here.  Had fresh cow femur de-kneedd and hip
> jointed, then split - demarrowed by hand, nearly puked.  Mixed a brew of
> automatic dishwasher tablet, bleach and clothes washing powder heated to 70
> degrees and steeped for a half hour then boiled mercilessly for 2 hours.
> Scraped bones halfway through the process - gagging all the way, revolting.
> 
> Bones beautifully clean, odour free and pearly white at the end of this.
> 
> Bones are irregularly shaped and irregularly thicknessed.  I am having
> difficult envisioning how to tackle them.  Woodworking approaches won't work
> on this material....  Can anyone who has worked with this irregular, smelly
> but beautiful material gve a novice some insight into its mysteries?  How
> ought I approach converting a bone into flat, thin natural heads and tails?
> 
> Many thanks
> 
> Doug.
> 
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>



Rodney Myrvaagnes

Please send emails to 
rodneym (AT) alumni (DOT) tufts (DOT) edu
with obvious corrections.


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::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Note:  opinions  expressed on HPSCHD-L are those of the  individual con-
tributors and not necessarily  those of the list owners  nor of the Uni-
versity of Iowa.  For a brief  summary of list  commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask]  saying  HELP .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::