Antiquing bone

[jeffdrown]

I have worked with Osage for 40 plus years on selfbows. Yes.. it does turn too a wonderful dark brown. I have one of my first selfbows thats almost black. But if you peel back the leather grip wrap...you see its lighter. So I do think light does affect the wood (a so called tan) .I'd be afraid to say using it as a stain..if light would make a difference. As time would age it in so many ways. It would be hard to say the stain did it. Wish there was a way to find it out though???

 

[omarick1948]

Dixie Gun Works used to/sells a chemical called "Old Bones" It is for antiquing bones and horn. Never tried it on bone, but used it with great success on horns. Works very quickly, you can watch it work, when it hits the color you like rinse it to stop it.

Dixies Gun Works did sell "OLD BONES", and still might, but it is no more than Pottassium Perganganate and you can buy the chemical at any yard ornamental fish pond store or supplier or at some larger garden centers who handle FISH POND supplies!

You can make several gallons of PP for about the same price as Dixie's 4 oz. bottle of the stuff!

The only way that you can keep the yellow color of Hedge Apple AKA, Osage Orange, is to coat it with a water based UV protective finish. That is what many wood workers use!


Rick

 

[greggholmes]

Instant ice tea will give it that 5-15 year old look.

 

[greggholmes]

Instant ice tea will give it that 5-15 year old look.

 

[Rifleman1776]

The only way that you can keep the yellow color of Hedge Apple AKA, Osage Orange, is to coat it with a water based UV protective finish. That is what many wood workers use!

I'm on a couple woodturning/working forums and no one yet has found a satisfactory uv retardant for OO. Some (expensive) marine finishes seem to have a little retardant effect but not worth the bother. I work with a lot of OO and live with the darkening. Time and light exposure are the factors.

 

[George Hoskins]

AHEM!!!!!

 

[omarick1948]

Huh? ___ That has been a common knowledge thing in the industry for a lot of years! Members in our woodworkers guild use it all the time with good results!

Rick

 

[dyemaker]

I have a jar that I filled with osage orange root bark and distilled water. It has been sitting on my fridge for months and the water has turned yellow. I think this would work fine on bone and horn. One day soon I will dye some bits of material and show it.

Interesting. I work with OO quite a bit. As pretty as that bright orange/yellow color is, we know that with time and exposure to light it will become walnut dark brown.
Is your solution and dye immune to those effects of time and light?

i have since thrown the root bark out and kept the strained lemon yellow water. The bark has turned dark brown.

 

[user 922]

Potassium Permanganate is an easy dye to use but is not permanent. It fades quickly. I finished the top part of my first horn with PP and loved the dark brown color - while it lasted. I refinished it recently with RIT.

 

[omarick1948]

Potassium Permanganate is an easy dye to use but is not permanent. It fades quickly. I finished the top part of my first horn with PP and loved the dark brown color - while it lasted. I refinished it recently with RIT.

The whole secret of using PP, is putting a UV protective final finish on it after using the PP stain! __ Same with Osage Orange, as I mentioned.

This horn was done with PP and given several hand rubbed coats of UV protective paste wax and it looks like it was made yesterday and not 10 plus years ago!
Rick