How do you stabilized bone?

[AtlLaw]

Or do you have to?   

I got a set of bone scales from DGW's to try out on one of my Green River blades.  They look nice but I'll bet they are awfully porous.   

Anybody have any experience in this area?

[torpedoman]

i have filled pores with clear nail polish on some antler pieces.

[DeckH]

     The stabalization process is somewhat involved.  The item is placed in a container and a vacuum (sp) is induced until all air has been removed.  The hardener is then (usually a resin compound) introduced until the item is saturated and will no longer take in the resin.  Two of my knife making friend made a couple of small ones but no longer use them.
       Their are some various "crazy glue" products that makers use.  One item you might consider is the Minwax wood hardener available at the big do-it-yourself stores. 

[AtlLaw]

Thanks fellows.  

In doing some research I found that it is, indeed, an involved process.  Were I to have a few pounds of handle material I would just send it off to have it done by people who do that type of thing.  

Hi-ebber, and day always be a hi-ebber...    since I only have 2 sets of wood and the one of bone scales, I'll just find another way.  I should think treating it like finishing a gunstock would suffice.  i.e. building up a finish with multiple layers making the material impervious to water; the old "finish in the wood" we hear about.

Nail polish sounds pretty good.   Maybe with the first few coats thinned enough to be carried into the bone....

[Joel]

On porous handle materials that either aren't stabilized or are still porous(Ivory Micarta  for one). I use regular Super Glue.  Sand the handle down to almost the last grit you intend to use. Using a disposable rubber glove to rub with, pour a generous amount of superglue on and rub it in.  Once it starts to get the least bit sticky, STOP. Let it dry over night, and keep applying more layers until the pores are filled.  The last layer MUST be dry before applying the next.  After the last layer is on, I let it sit for one to three days in a warm place (a day for every layer). After it's dry go back to sanding to your final finish.  It's a lot less complicated than it sounds.  If I'm going to sand a handle down to 600 grit, then I stop at the 400 grit point and glue.  If I'm going to a thousand or above I stop at 600 grit.  The most important thing is to make sure the layers are dry.  If not, then when you sand, dirty streaks will appear that are extremely difficult to remove; if at all.

The knife in the pic has a moose horn handle from the porous interior of the antler that I stained with an alcohol based leather dye then superglued at 400 grit and finished to 600.

[crabyx78]

Several years ago when i was making some knives i harden some whitetail antler with
minwax wood hardener.
Bought a brake bleeding kit from harbour frt.for about $20. made a vacuum using a qt.
mason jar rigged to the bleed kit filled partly with wood harder and antler,pulled about a -20 lb. pressure for a day or so and
it turned out very solid.I also used the wood harder on some of my rifle barrel channels etc
to help weather proof em.Worked for me and simple once i got the jar set up.

[AtlLaw]

On porous handle materials that either aren't stabilized or are still porous(Ivory Micarta  for one). I use regular Super Glue.

Thanks Joel!   

That sounds like a plan to me.  It's akin to the "getting the finish into the wood" that I was talking about.  I believe I'll try it!   

Craby, your system sounds like a mini version of what the professional wood stabilizers do.  I gather that, unlike wood that will draw in thin enough finish, negative pressure is the only way to get the hardener down into the material.  Is that correct guys?