Cleaning a whale bone - question

[Catty1]

Long story, but I have a whale vertebra from the arctic as a surprise for a friend's husband (they are chiropractors - lol). This thing is rather weathered, and came from a hunting village in Fort Resolute, export permit and all. It's not new!

Anyway, it does need a bit of a cleanup. I found a really good site on this and I can get oxygen bleach, and the instructions are to mix a lot of the bleach (or 12% hydrogen peroxide, which I can't find in a large container) and top it up with water and leave the bone to soak in a plastic container for a few days.

Not sure I have a large enough container, but will check.

I had also thought of using a spray bottle of the bleach and a soft-medium brush to clean it.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[Karen]

Yikes, I would email someone at http://www.whalingmuseum.org I am sure they could guide you, as your goal is cleaning AND preserving!

[RICHARD]

That is what I love about PT.

You can NEVER predict what topic will get put on the board....

[Catty1]

That is what I love about PT.

You can NEVER predict what topic will get put on the board....

:D

I wound up buying a huge plastic storage container with a lid. (Canadian Tire had a sale!) It took about 24 gallons of warm water and a whack of hydrogen peroxide cleaner to soak most of the vertebra.

Getting the lid snapped on took a little effort, but it got done.

That raised the water level to the area by the handles, where there were 4 small ventilation holes at each end.

I had a nice puddle on the bathroom floor the following morning! I hauled Bessie out of the tub, rinsed 'er thoroughly with cold water, and once the bone was outta the way bailed out the storage container with the bucket. I figured overnight was clean enough! ;):D

It's drying on a DRY towel in the living room, near heat. Just have to epoxy three bone chips back on to the one end and it's done.

Yes, RICHARD, PT posts are an adventure fer sure! :eek::D