This place I live is quite wild. Looks like a small deer met her demise with maybe a coyote or wolf. The skeleton is picked clean, probably by ants and such. I want to reconstruct it, but it's not complete. It's missing a jawbone, at least. Needless to say, wife isn't crazy about the idea. Anyone ever did this? Any hints about preserving the bones? I though about boiling them, but as I said, they are already picked clean.

 

You'll definitely need to clean them--just being picked "clean" does not mean there's no bacteria

First thing to do would be to scrub them with soap and water to make sure you kill as much bacteria as possible. You can then whiten them by submerging them in hydrogen peroxide. Depending on its concentration, and how white or off-white you want them, you will need to soak the bones for 1-3 days. Finally, give them 3-4 coats of clear polyurethane for protection and a bit of "shine".

That should be all that you'd need to do to preserve them. Fairly simple overall, though you'll have to be patient when soaking them in the H2O2.

Good luck! Do you plan to post photos here? I would be interested to see what you come up with!

Regards,
Matt

 

I'm curious about the smell of marrow rotting because I don't think H2O2 will remove it.
I mention this because I noticed that a short slice of ham bone has no marrow after I make soup of it.

Don't take me seriously. I'm just showing my ignorance.

 

I'm curious about the smell of marrow rotting because I don't think H2O2 will remove it.

I think that's why you have to boil them. But I think the ants/worms took care of that for me.

 

http://www.jakes-bones.com/p/how-to-clean-animal-bones.html?m=1

 

Great website - that kid is awesome!

There's even an article on there about articulating it.

 

You better check with wild life agency first.

 

I was at the field museum in Chicago and they had roaches eating the last of the the meat off of the bones. The curator said it is the easiest and fastest way of cleaning without damage to the bone. I never asked about boiling or marrow.