Grinding gunk in my Giraffe bone

Erin Burke

Erin Burke

Well-Known Member
{cross-posted w/ BF}

Rookie mistake. While grinding the stabilized giraffe bone scales on my latest knife, I ended up filling up the marrow pores (only visible near the guard) with grinding gunk. Here's a photo.
4586781564_7f2c42bf18_o.jpg

Anyone have any good ideas for removing this material?

Here's what I already tried:
  • Vacuuming it out
  • Using a magnet to pull the metal grinding gunk out
  • Flushing with a syringe of alcohol (maybe not enough pressure)

Once I remove as much of the black as I can, I plan on mixing up some white epoxy with using the bone dust and filling in these pores before final sanding/polishing.

Thanks in advance.

Erin
 
The tip of a needle or something like it, maybe a sharp knifepoint. That's what I'd try next. If you've got a dentist friend and can borrow some of the scary pointy tools, that'd be even better. I hope it works out for you.
 
If you can get hold of a dental water pik, they still sell em at Walmart, that should be enough pressure to pinpoint blast it out. They are also very handy for cleaning and remodding old folders with fake stag handles, although you must be able to thouroughly dry the part out afterwards.
A good hurricane from a needle tip on your compressor will blow the excess moisture out before you fills the holes.
If its really stubborn gunk, put a little rubbing alcohol or laquer thinner on the scales before the water pik. Don't put solvents in the water pik because they eat up the tools. ALSO!!!!! wear safety glasses before you blasts solvents out with the water pik.

I learned this in Africa where I saw ivory and ostrich eggshell carvers and workers at a taxidermy study who were cleaning the teeth in little monkey skulls for sounenirs run a tiny hose (1/8") off a water bladder that someone squeezed through a hypo needle and it would shoot a fine jet of high pressure water about 30 yards.

Regrds and good luck,
Steve

PS. most fine gun and antique restorers will sing the praises of the lowly waterpik, they just won't tell anyone.
 
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Since the scales are stabilized you can use a little Colgate toothpaste and a soft tooth brush,scrub lightly and rinse.
Stan
 
Try Simple Green mixed 4 to 1 and a tooth brush. I've used this to get the grinding gunk out of G-10 after polishing it.
 
Erin,
You could also try some compressed air if you have an air compressor, or if not, the cans of compressed air come with a straw so you can focus the air into a small spot. Just thinkin aloud.............good luck. :D

Larry
 
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