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Thread: Cleaning a whale bone - question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    22,005

    Cleaning a whale bone - question

    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.
    "Do or do not. There is no try." -- Yoda

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Windham, Vermont, USA
    Posts
    40,828
    Yikes, I would email someone at http://www.whalingmuseum.org I am sure they could guide you, as your goal is cleaning AND preserving!
    I've Been Frosted

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Kentucky, LAND OF THE EASILY AMUSED
    Posts
    25,224
    That is what I love about PT.

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

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    22,005
    Quote Originally Posted by RICHARD View Post
    That is what I love about PT.

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


    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!

    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!
    "Do or do not. There is no try." -- Yoda

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