Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Craftsmanship => Hawks and Knives => Topic started by: Witch Hollow on January 20, 2009, 09:04:15 PM

Title: How to age or color bone?
Post by: Witch Hollow on January 20, 2009, 09:04:15 PM

So I figured out how to fix my coyote jaw to the knife blade, but now I want to give it that aged look.  It is now bleached and I want almost a brown color ultimatly.  I am not sure how to color the jaw bone and if anyone has done this please let me know.

Thanks
Ben

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Post by: BEAVERMAN on January 20, 2009, 09:49:16 PM

Ive used instant tea with lemon, added quite a bit to boiling water, enogh to cover the project, in your case the handle, let it sit till your liking the color, remove and rinse, then seal it, regular tea will work also but the lemon helps it penetrate faster

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Post by: Three Hawks on January 20, 2009, 10:39:36 PM

Quote from: "BEAVERMAN"

Ive used instant tea with lemon, added quite a bit to boiling water, enogh to cover the project, in your case the handle, let it sit till your liking the color, remove and rinse, then seal it, regular tea will work also but the lemon helps it penetrate faster

Extremely strong black tea, four or five teabags to enough boiling water to cover whatever you're staining. with a tablespoon or two of white vinegar.  Lemon juice, whether from a bottle or a lemon will do every bit as well.   Leave the bags in the tea, no sense losing any of your dyeing agent.   Check every hour or two to see how dark your item is getting.  

When I was a sprog in the long-ago when America ran on steam,  I carved some Grizzly claws out of basswood using the instructions in "The Complete How-To Book Of Indian Craft" by W. Ben Hunt, a wonderful book which should be on the bookshelf of every Mountain Type Man or Mountain Type Man wannabe from 9 to 99.

I stained 'em with tea and vinegar, then rubbed 'em with 4x steel wool and paste furniture wax.   You needed real ones to compare 'em to  in order to tell they were fake.    

Three Hawks

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Post by: Witch Hollow on January 21, 2009, 07:32:30 AM

Thanks for the advice.  I'll be making some tea tonite.

Ben

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Post by: Sneakon on January 21, 2009, 08:24:57 AM

I've used black walnut husks boiled in water with vinegar added to the cooled dye.  Here are some knives with antler handles dyed with this method.

(http://[albumimg:eqgg7wvj]636[/albumimg:eqgg7wvj])

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Post by: wwpete52 on January 21, 2009, 10:50:10 AM

Track of the Wolf sells a great product called "Old Bones."  I use it all of the time.  It works great.

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Post by: attheedgeoftheworld on February 09, 2009, 10:05:44 PM

sweat works good

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Post by: Witch Hollow on February 09, 2009, 11:07:36 PM

Thanks ray,  

I dont have any sweat laying around and I really dont feel like whipping up any.  LOL.  I actually used the tea method and am pretty happy with the results.  I was going to post pics, but cant seem to get it to work.

Ben

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Post by: attheedgeoftheworld on February 10, 2009, 01:02:19 AM

:)  :)  :)  :)  :)  

raymond

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Post by: attheedgeoftheworld on April 20, 2009, 01:31:59 AM

tea and coffee ground work good, make sure you use vinigar and salt it will help it set in. when they are at the color you want. take them out and rince with cold water and let dry.

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Post by: cb on April 20, 2009, 01:37:27 AM

Fiebings Leather dye - the rgular stuff not the oil dye - it is one of the easiest and most colorfast of all methods.

"The problem" I have with the water based dyes such tea, coffee, etc. is it infuses moisture back into the material which then needs to dry for a much longer time than does the spirit based leather dyes.....granted this is not as much a problem for a hobbiest who's not under the gun to produce.......

Another very traditional method for bone, antler, and horn is aquafortis aka ferric nitrate...........

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Post by: IronDawg on April 20, 2009, 11:51:50 PM

You'd be suprised at what simple oil based minwax stains will do *IF* you allow them to SIT and dry. You can;t just wipe it on and wipe it off like ya do with a piece of wood. You have to allow it to sit, penetrate and harden until it's completely dry to the touch. Then you have to seal it with a compatable sealer (like spar helmsman) Not period correct by any means. But it's a bullet proof finish once cured. These were done with Minwax Mahogony. applied in different ways (some sponged on, some brushed on, some dipped, and some wiped on.)

(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z285/lancecoleman/bonehandles.jpg)

(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z285/lancecoleman/newblades3.jpg)

(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z285/lancecoleman/hornNbone2.jpg)

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Post by: Fort Greene Ville on April 22, 2009, 01:45:50 PM

After you have soaked the items in tea solution and/or walnut dye bath. You can put the stained items in a sealable jug with a cap of ammonia. Adds a very nice patina!!

FGV

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Post by: tg on April 22, 2009, 08:17:56 PM

I have used Tea, Coffee, walnut hulls or other boiled bark solutions, I have not used the leather dye but have heard from several people that it is the cleanest easiest method.

 Nice looking knives Irondawg, those are some of the best color jobs I have seen.

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Post by: IronDawg on April 23, 2009, 10:21:29 PM

Thanks TG.

 The thing I like about it is because it takes a bit for an oil based stain like Minwax to soak in on dry rawhide and hardbone you have a lil bit to mess with it. You know, blot a little off here to fade it more, dry brush some there to add distress or saturate there to accent a smooth or end part. Almost like paintin.... Keep a dry cloth handy and some mineral spirits just incase and it's real easy to go "Aw man that don't look right!" and just wipe it down and start fromm scratch.

BUT once its hardened and cured?? forget it, because it aint comin back off. And as soon as the raw hide starts loosing the shine from the hide glue?? that means it's porous again and the stain is fixin to soak in and not come out.