Cleaning bones?

This question is for those who use bones in their practice or have used in bones in the past.

I've actually wanted to use bones in my practices for a long time. I'm sure I can find many by walking through the woods behind my house. I just wouldn't know how to clean them.

Does anyone have preferred methods for cleaning bones?

Thanks!

Temp and her husband work with bones so they probably know. I also think Percy works with bones so she is another good person to ask. Viss I believe has hunted before so he may also know as well as possibly Vitka. I myself do not work with bones so I have no clue. D:

I have never had to clean the bones I use, so far I have recieved them clean. I have, though, heard that boiling the bones can clean them by boiling off the tissue that is left on them. I would, however, look up how to do this properly. I have also heard of using peroxide and water and letting them soak for a bit.

Like I said I haven't done it before but those would most likely be the ways I would research on how to do it :)

Best of luck!! :)

Depending on what condition you get the bone in, theres a number of ways to clean bones. if there very little tissue on the bone left i wouldnt reccomend boiling them because you could boil the fat patches in the bone, and it often causes aot of problems. for getting tissue off the bones, wrap them in light mesh, and bury them for about three weeks or so, depending on how much tissue there is, then clean them off by using hydrogen peroxide or biowash. theres this kid in ireland who collects bones and is skilled in bone colecting and has a whole page of articles and stuff about cleaning bones.
http://www.jakes-bones.com/p/how-to-clean-animal-bones.html

I use a lot of bones in my general workings.

1. You can sometimes boil the bones to get the meat off, and clean them this way. You have to be careful with the temperature and amount of time the bones are saturated though, as some may crack or parts come loose.
2. Once the bones have been soaked, you can use your fingers or small knives and sharp tools to pull away the pieces of meat that readily fall off. You can use tweezers, knives, a scrup brush, toothbrush, etc.
3. Take the cleaner bones and soak them in an enzyme-bleach powder with water. The time it takes to soak depends on the bones, the size, how long the meat has sat on it.
4. Once the remaining meat looks ready to come off, repeat the second step.
5. You'll often have to do some maintenance to the bones afterwards. You can spray them with a protective coating of varathane if you intend to keep using them. Skulls are hard because bits of the skull, like small bones or teeth, often will come out. But you can just glue them in before painting with a protective coating.

Alternatively, get a beetle farm and bury the bones in the box with the beetles and let them eat away the decay. I've actually done this when learning how to make museum specimen :P