A bit more work on the three pieces I have on the go currently. This time it was trying out Master Stephen's information on polishing bone and antler using wood ash. Luckily, we have a wood stove that is burned in the winter time so wood ash is very much available to me. I didn't have a piece of wool but I did find a piece of really course blanket in my scrap bag to use as the cloth.
Things I learned:
1) When I added water to the ash, I was left with a very course material. The really fine dust just disappeared.
Resulting Idea) Maybe I should try shifting the ash into different grits to see if that will give me a finer polish.
2) Ash is great for polishing but does not act like sandpaper to remove stock. After polishing all the little nicks and such were very visable, to me. I know that someone standing three feet away will not be able to see these imperfections but I will know they are there.
Resulting Idea) Not really an idea so much as a continuation of a thought I had when I challenged in...I want to find some way to do the really fine smoothing that is accomplished with modern sandpaper. Perhaps the sandstone grit will work to remove the nicks and smooth the surface more perfectly.
3) It is hard to photograph a polished surface.
Resulting Idea) I need to figure out a way to take good clear photos that will be successful in showing the before and after surfaces of the bone and antler. Spouse has suggested outside in bright sun so I will try that on the next sunny day.
4) The antler ring did not take on as high a polish as the bone.
Resulting Idea) I need to figure out is this is an artifact of the antler itself, the shape of the object (small round ring), or does it simply need more polishing.
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