How to cut shin bone for scales

guys, i've had a shin bone for a while tha looks like this.. it's not nice and straight.. it's got like three sides



i've had it for a while and thought i was going to use a band saw (don't own yet) or hack saw (too slow) and finally figured out how to cut it with what i have available...

i'm trying to figure out the best way to prep it by trying to imagine where the scales would come from eventually.

i don't think bone is like horn/cuticle where you would warm it and reshape.. i'm thinking this is just removal.

any tips or hints...

So that top piece, really twisty, I should have not tried to get 2 pieces. They were just slightly too small and then I started cutting corners... I got the 2 pieces down to ~2.5mm width but at that point any discrepancy in size appears huge..

It was a good learning experience, now I kind of know what to look for and what not do..

I was hoping that someone would be able to explain how to get the best lengths out of this thing.. The twist in that piece would be better off used for something else or just 1 scale..

global_dev said:

I was hoping that someone would be able to explain how to get the best lengths out of this thing.

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[video=dailymotion;xismtd]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xismtd_herman-munster-dry-bones_shortfilms[/video]

Wear a respirator. You don't want bone dust in your lungs.

Same problems I ran into with Antlers. Naturally you have to pick the flattest areas. After that it's not so much how to untwist them as you would horn but flatten them by sanding out the twist to arrive at a flat piece . Just like you would planning a warp /twist out of a board. Same principle .

that's where my guess fell short literally. I envisioned the right length/width through the solid but one end had a huge rut that I thought would not be an issue but it was.

I'm certain you understand Jon but here is a crude sketch. Slash lines are waste to get to a flat( dotted lines) slab.

Ive come to the conclusion that with all the sawing , eating up sanding belts like crazy , the drying out /bleaching process and the iffy results it's so much easier ( and cheaper) spending 10 bucks or so and just buy flat slabs. It's an interesting process but I don't want to do it again .

Yep, getting workable slabs from that is a challenge, I have used this type of bone for wedges as you are only flattening a small section.

As Mycarver said, in the long run much easier and cheaper to buy it in slab form.

thats exactly what i was doing in 3D space. thanks gor the confirmation

i definitely think you guys are right about the convenience factor. my bones were from the pet store, im guessing treated and it wasnt too bad on the 80 & 120 belts.

but where can i source for $10 or even around that for good flat lengths?

Masecraft . At least I think the slabs were in that ballpark . Some of the pieces I got from them could almost pass for Ivory.

Here are some on the 'Bay... http://www.ebay.com/itm/262047996517

jlindy said:

Here are some on the 'Bay... http://www.ebay.com/itm/262047996517

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I saw those I think, but the kicker is that they are 1 town away from me in VA.