BONELUST BONE PROCESSING PROGRESS: First Adult Goat Skull processing progression photos & timeline.

1) As it started in early March, horn sheaths removed. Added to maceration tub. Some minor flesh and grease present.



2) Removed from maceration and rinsed, mid April. Had been dumped and refilled once with water.



3) Started hydrogen peroxide bath mid April. No grease present or flesh. Only some bone staining.



4) Done and horn sheaths replaced late April. Turned out gorgeous.

RELATED BLOG POSTS:

Bad Words: BOIL & BLEACH

The Mathematics Of Maceration - A HowTo Guide For The Impatient

Whitening Bone Using Hydrogen Peroxide NOT Chlorine Bleach

BONELUST BONE ART SHOP Q&A: Who is your animal bone supplier?

I am! This is just a small peek into my bone supplies. 99% of the animal bones, teeth & claws I use in my art I find and process myself. They are natural death, road kill and hunter dumped remains I've collected & fully processed myself. Nothing is ever killed for my art. On rare occasions I locate ethical sources for anything I can't find locally. Like the quills & deer antler I use, which are naturally shed. Sorry, but I do not sell my bone supplies or tell anyone the sources for any of my supplies in general.

BONELUST BONE PROCESSING Q&A: What should the remains look like to begin maceration?

This photo of opossum remains is a perfect example of when to macerate. Only a little dried on flesh and almost no fur on the bones. I just filled up this container with water & tightly sealed the lid. Now I will leave the bacteria to do their work for the next 2 to 3 weeks. Do not add anything else, only water. Especially not any soaps or chemicals that would kill the bacteria that need to breed in that water to clean the bones of the flesh. If you put a whole animal in a maceration tub with fur, innards & skin it would take forever. Could potentially cause the bones to start to decay before they fell free. And would be unbelievably horrid smelling. I also stress using a sealed container for the process especially if you are leaving it outside. Otherwise you could grow algae on the bones or have the tub fill will maggots or other creatures that will possibly begin to decay the bone. Lastly, always wear latex gloves during this process while handling the remains/bones. They will be incredibly unsanitary.

For much more info about maceration check out my other posts here:

The Mathematics Of Maceration - A HowTo Guide For The Impatient

Bad Words: BOIL & BLEACH