How do I age bone? -- myArmoury.com

Karl Knisley · Posted: Mon 01 Feb, 2010 5:30 pm Post subject: How do I age bone?

Hello
I`am thinking of buying a, bone carveing,to put in my pommel.Trouble is,it`s bright white.How would I yellow/age it?

Thanks

Luke Zechman · Posted: Mon 01 Feb, 2010 5:38 pm Post subject:

I have just recently finished a bone grip on a gladi that I rehilted, and after a couple of weeks it has yellowed on it's own. Ok maybe it was a month or two, but in reality all I did was rub the whole hilt with some bees wax. Just give it some time and it will not be as offensive. Besides why risk degrading the material with something that will age it. Hope this helps.

Ben Sweet · Posted: Tue 02 Feb, 2010 3:15 am Post subject:

It's been many years since I aged bone, I used hot tea and I think it was Earl Grey

Dan Howard · Posted: Tue 02 Feb, 2010 4:11 am Post subject:

Just find a grave and dig up some pre-aged bone Wink

Jeroen Zuiderwijk · Industry Professional

K J Seago · Posted: Tue 02 Feb, 2010 4:55 am Post subject:

there was a bone buckle at york found dyed green ,they've tested it and proven that its not just verdigree, very few people know how to do it (not me) but it might be worth considering. I have also heard of soaking bone in black coffe turns bone fron yellowy to dark (Coffee) brown. hope i've helped!

Kel Rekuta · Posted: Tue 02 Feb, 2010 5:32 am Post subject:

Tan or light brown leather dye. Wipe on light coats and buff them off immediately until you are satisfied with the result.

Shane Allee · Industry Professional

If you are just wanting to yellow it slightly then linseed oil would be a good way to go. Should help protect it as well. If you are wanting a more dirty brown look, then a tannin bath should do. Teas, bark, and those sorts of things. If you want it dark then you can get into mineral pigment dying. I did a bit of this last summer with pretty good results. I would soak the bone and antler in a tannin bath for a day or two. From there it would go into a vinegar bath of iron oxide, I used ground scale and steel wool. Although the original source I was working from didn't say to, I would soak in each one a few times. The moose antler I used went more of a dark grey, but the bone went black. This coloring is just on the very surface though. One thing that I did was take a file and then cut designs that would show the white through, and this created a very nice look.

This may be something that I'll use in the future, but I don't know. Natural material like this will always have areas that won't take the color as much. To some, this doesn't look good.

I wish that I could find the exact website that I used, but haven't had any luck. I do know that this one helped get me started though. It is a tripod site and has a pop up, sorry.

http://shoot7.tripod.com/madmonk.html

Shane

Peter Remling · Posted: Tue 02 Feb, 2010 7:21 am Post subject:

If you are planning on leaving the bone unprotected use one of the staining methods mentioned, coffee, tea, will work slowly, leather or a wood stain are a better choice. All of these methods will penetrate the bone to some depth. If you are planning on sealing the bone you can also pick up a wood stain with polyurethene in it and just apply coats until you reach your desired color/finish.

Karl Knisley · Posted: Wed 03 Feb, 2010 8:36 pm Post subject:

Hello
Thanks for the all the suggestions. I`ll give them a try.

Thanks

Michael Eging · Posted: Thu 04 Feb, 2010 9:01 am Post subject:

I do some bone carving that I picked up in New Zealand. Another way is to find a spot in the ground and bury it. The bleaching doesn't occur in the soil (making it white). In the soil, it will pick up color from the soil around it, particularly if it rains a bit. Afterword, you would need to dry it out again.