Arch
I have used beef bone for guitar parts, especially nuts and bridges. It
works well as in cutting and sanding and will dye with leather dyes. I will
take engraving very well although I would recommend an engravers bench and a
set of gravers for it. Skrimshaw is often done on bone with the point of a
knife in the manner of old sailors who used whatever was handy to pass some
long nights at sea. A lot of the time the bone in the pet store is already
boiled and cleaned so as to be ready for shipping and storing as well as for
a turner to use. Otherwise it can be boiled for ages and then cleaned of all
tissure residue and dried for use. It cuts with standard tools and files and
sandpaper work for fine tuning an inlay fit.

Antler is bone except for some varieties of antelope, I believe. On the
other hand I am ready to stand corrected. Sta Francis would approve of the
use of most antler because it is a renewable resource. Deer drop them every
year. If you happen to be near to a dear farm it is easy to pick up a rack
or two for little money. A pair of antler pens bought my last.

I will see about getting the time to do some bone. I have not done any for a
while and there are a few things on the plate at the moment. A friend
brought in a $3,000.00 Larrivee guitar with a cracked side and I am getting
up the nerve to fix it. Maybe the one with the broken neck first? i have to
make some special clamps for each job so one of these days I need the time
to do them.

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God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com