Mammoth ivory scales tutorial???
- Thread starter Ray
- Start date
Also VERY important, use new sharp belts as they produce less heat. Mammoth ivory is VERY sensitive to heat build up. Grind a tad, lay scale on aluminum to remove heat.
You might do some reading on this site: http://www.silversmithing.com/1ivory.htm
Have fun
Ken H>
You might do some reading on this site: http://www.silversmithing.com/1ivory.htm
Have fun
Ken H>
Darrin Sanders
Moderator
This may sound odd but it works for me. When grinding Ivory, I grind a bit and touch the Ivory to my lips and when all the heat is gone I grind some more. Your lips are way more heat sensitive than your fingers so 'kissing' the Ivory when you grind it is an excellent way to keep it from getting too hot.
Also, as the other guys have mentioned, sharp bits and abrasives are a must. Just go slow, work it like wood, keep it as cool as possible, and you'll be fine.
Also, as the other guys have mentioned, sharp bits and abrasives are a must. Just go slow, work it like wood, keep it as cool as possible, and you'll be fine.
Frank Niro
KNIFE MAKER
You did say mammoth. This can be cooled in water as you go. As far as the grinding is I flatten the bottoms starting with a 34 grit or so to start. This will get you flat and now a new 120 a disc sander or hand sanding with the paper on a smooth hard surface like granite or even glass. One of the big things with mammoth ivory is to try to retain the colour and pattern on the outside or surface. This means you should try to take off almost all necessary from the bottom and then work the top. Mammoth ivory in fact works very easily except for the part of maintaining the colour and patterning it may have. I have done hundreds of folder scales and know this information to be fact.
Frank
Frank
TacticallySharp
KNIFE MAKER
Charles Turnage has a very good DVD showing how to work it. If you've never used fossil ivory it's a good one to have in your collection of resources. Boss carries it.
Calvin Robinson
Moderator Christian Forum
Frank Niro
KNIFE MAKER
Well stezann, I'm sorry but I can't agree with you. In fact I work it like wood or most artificial materials it is a very durable material. I understand though that elephant ivory is quite the opposite.
Frank
Frank
BonhamBlades
Well-Known Member
I agree with Darrin. I too kiss the ivory.
Frank Niro
KNIFE MAKER
I do too, for it's beauty !
Frank
Frank
Frank, maybe there was a misunderstanding... i was saying that if you get the ivory hot while grinding (for a disattention) you may not be able to tell the damage right now, but the hot worked area will develope surface cracks afterward.
If you keep the ivory cool while shaping it will be beautiful for centuries
If you keep the ivory cool while shaping it will be beautiful for centuries
Frank Niro
KNIFE MAKER
Thank you for the explanation. I apologize for jumping on that. There has been so much false information circulated about mammoth ivory. It makes people think they shouldn't go there. .
Frank
Frank
RB Johnson taught me to kiss the Ivory to see if it's too hot. You feel silly doing it but it works.
Most scales need to thinned on the bottom so you almost always have to grind it down. If it gets too hot it curls but you don't notice it till you set it down and it cools and then you end up with a bow in it. I've seen this more than once. I'm a slow learner. I started checking it that way and switching pieces as they warmed up. No more curls.
Also most mammoth can benefit from a *light* sanding on the bark side to bring out some colors from under the typically brown bark. If you take too much off you get down to the plain egg shell looking Ivory under the bark. Don't sand it evenly. Mammoth benefits from contrast so you want some highs and lows in the pattern/color/look.
If its a really plain piece, you can use oil based leather dye. A few dabs here and there with a Qtip can add some life in otherwise dull Ivory. It doesn't take much. It needs to look natural. If you end up with some that has lots of crazing on the surface you are really in luck. Take some leather dye and rub it over the scales and highlight the surface craze and you end up with an awesome "cracked ice" look. Leather dye can fade from UV so consider a coating of tune oil based finish with UV inhibitors. Rub it on, let it soak a few minutes, wipe it off. It will be invisible but help with the final glow mammoth can achieve.
Something like this...
It it can be stabilized and that will help slow down some movement that could crack it down the road. Like wood, it's going to move with humidity changes so carefull how you pien it. It's amazing how fast it can crack at a fastener.
when drilling, drill from the bottom and back up the top with masking tape and a scrap of wood to help minimize chip break out.
most mammoth has hairline cracks. Use super thin super glue to tighten it up before doing anything. Larger cracks can be filled with gap filling super glue and dust ground from the trimmings on the same scales. Fill the gap with glue, pour dust over it and sand it smooth while it is still curing. This mixes everything up and blends in any lines.
I usually finish sand to 1000 grit, then buff with pink no scratch. Over buffing will remove the color that you want so easy does it there also.
Working with mammoth is nerve racking as so much can go wrong but when you get right, it's really satisfying.
t
Most scales need to thinned on the bottom so you almost always have to grind it down. If it gets too hot it curls but you don't notice it till you set it down and it cools and then you end up with a bow in it. I've seen this more than once. I'm a slow learner. I started checking it that way and switching pieces as they warmed up. No more curls.
Also most mammoth can benefit from a *light* sanding on the bark side to bring out some colors from under the typically brown bark. If you take too much off you get down to the plain egg shell looking Ivory under the bark. Don't sand it evenly. Mammoth benefits from contrast so you want some highs and lows in the pattern/color/look.
If its a really plain piece, you can use oil based leather dye. A few dabs here and there with a Qtip can add some life in otherwise dull Ivory. It doesn't take much. It needs to look natural. If you end up with some that has lots of crazing on the surface you are really in luck. Take some leather dye and rub it over the scales and highlight the surface craze and you end up with an awesome "cracked ice" look. Leather dye can fade from UV so consider a coating of tune oil based finish with UV inhibitors. Rub it on, let it soak a few minutes, wipe it off. It will be invisible but help with the final glow mammoth can achieve.
Something like this...
It it can be stabilized and that will help slow down some movement that could crack it down the road. Like wood, it's going to move with humidity changes so carefull how you pien it. It's amazing how fast it can crack at a fastener.
when drilling, drill from the bottom and back up the top with masking tape and a scrap of wood to help minimize chip break out.
most mammoth has hairline cracks. Use super thin super glue to tighten it up before doing anything. Larger cracks can be filled with gap filling super glue and dust ground from the trimmings on the same scales. Fill the gap with glue, pour dust over it and sand it smooth while it is still curing. This mixes everything up and blends in any lines.
I usually finish sand to 1000 grit, then buff with pink no scratch. Over buffing will remove the color that you want so easy does it there also.
Working with mammoth is nerve racking as so much can go wrong but when you get right, it's really satisfying.
t
Last edited:
BrandantR
Well-Known Member
I've always been very cautious when working with mammoth ivory not to get it too hot. I'm kind of impatient, and waiting for the mammoth scale to cool back down between grinding passes is a real bummer. I've been afraid to cool it in water for fear of warping or swelling, but from what it sounds like on this thread, it's alright to do so. I'm going to have to give dunking in water a try the next time I use mammoth.