More Bones

[gerryr]

This is the pen I made for the PITH. I made it for Rochester(Dale Pace). This is a Platinum Streamline El Grande rollerball made from Whitetail deer leg bone. It took me just about three weeks to make because I let it "rest" for at least a couple of days after every operation plus the bone spent three days in the bleaching jar. This is the fourth pen I've made from bone. One of them has cracked and I suspect that another has also. I'm still trying to find a process that will minimize the problem of cracking. It's all starting to sound like Snakewood and Ebony.

Comments good or bad are welcome and thanks to those who take the time to comment.

 

[Penmonkey]

Very nice pen! Maybe a kit that keeps more bone on the tubes, like a cigar?

 

[johncrane]

G'Day Gerry very nice pen mate!my brother turns bones l havent seen him for some time nezt time l see him l will ask him how he does it.and let you no.

 

[wags54]

very nice pen!

 

[Skye]

What are you gluing them with?

 

[gerryr]

Bone has some problems, one of them being the size of the marrow cavity, way to big for a cigar, in fact I haven't found one yet that was small enough for a Baron. It took quite a few bones to find enough for a Jr. Statesman. I have some Pronghorn leg bones in the freezer that I just haven't gotten to yet that are smaller than deer. The first couple I glued I used epoxy. After three of them cracked during assembly, I started drilling the holes 1/64" bigger and using Sumo glue which dries white and still has a certain amount of give to it. The one I have that cracked, cracked while it was in my shirt pocket, I even heard it. It cracked about a month after it was finished. So far the El Toro I made from bone hasn't cracked.

 

[Dario]

Very nice Gerry.

Maybe the bleaching process weakens the bone? No?
Another thing I can think of is maybe it needs more time to dry?

 

[alamocdc]

I hope you get it figured out, Gerry. It sure looks good![^]

 

[ctEaglesc]

Are you drizzing CA in the hole after you drill?

 

[Jim15]

It's a shame about the cracking as it is a beautiful pen.

 

[gerryr]

Originally posted by ctEaglesc
<br />Are you drizzing CA in the hole after you drill?

Yup, I'm doing that, then letting in cure for a day, then cleaning up the hole and applying 1-2 coats of flat white enamel.

Dario, I don't think the peroxide is weakening it. Bonnie Klein bleaches bone and doesn't report any problems. I don't know about more time to dry. I have a fair amount of bone and don't plan to use it all very soon so I guess I might eventually be able to make a guess about drying.