Gluing the Bone

All that’s left is to slightly round off the front edges of the bone or micarta – players don’t appreciate sharp edges. Use a piece of 220 grit sandpaper and swipe each front corner, lightly, five or six times. Don’t make the corners round but sand enough to get rid of those pointy edges. Swipe the top front edge of the bone or micarta a few times to eliminate any sharp edge.

Remove the masking tape from the top surfaces of all the sharp keys. Apply liquid hide glue to the underside of the bone and to the sharp keystick. Use a rub joint as you align the bone to the keystick, making sure that the slightly rounded edges of the bone or Micarta faces forward on the key. Again, small clamps are useful but be certain they don’t pull the bone out of alignment. If you're using Micarta or G10 instead of bone, use contact cement instead. Hide glue or yellow glue will not stick permanently to these materials.