Need advise on cutting ivory

Indian George

Indian George

Well-Known Member
Any suggestion on cutting it???
The Mammoth will be done in slabs. The walrus I would do a stick tang block and I would save the bark for slabs.;)
 
Last edited:
Pretty sure you just use your Band saw Bubba. But i'm sure there are helpful tricks while doing so!
 
I watched a fellow in Alaska cut both ivory and oosik. He used a band saw with a very very fine tooth count (it looked like a metal blade) and very small kerf. He wrapped it in a wrap or two of masking tape along his cut line, to prevent chipping I suppose. Other than that he cut it just like a hard wood, slow and genital so the blade did its job. I am sure it goes with out saying but the dust from cutting should not be inhaled (he made me where a heave 3M mask). He may have done more that I was not present for, and I was only watching so please take what I say as just a thought.

V/R
Chad
 
chadp said:
I watched a fellow in Alaska cut both ivory and oosik. He used a band saw with a very very fine tooth count (it looked like a metal blade) and very small kerf. He wrapped it in a wrap or two of masking tape along his cut line, to prevent chipping I suppose. Other than that he cut it just like a hard wood, slow and genital so the blade did its job. I am sure it goes with out saying but the dust from cutting should not be inhaled (he made me where a heave 3M mask). He may have done more that I was not present for, and I was only watching so please take what I say as just a thought.

V/R
Chad
Click to expand...

Thanks Chad2thumbs But I have a ??? about this part "slow and genital so the blade did its job. " :eek::confused:oh no! 1Jaw Drop
I don't think that there is any way I am going to go there. HEHEHEHEHEHE!!!
 
Last edited:
He said to never force it. Meaning only apply enough force on the material to allow the blade to cut cleanly. I would assume it is one of those things where if you push to hard you will chip or burn it. I wish I could put you in touch with him, but to make a long story short the fellow was my bosses foster kid’s dad and he was a Inuit that lived about 45 min north of Fairbanks lol and that is all I know about the guy.

V/R
Chad
 
chadp said:
He said to never force it. Meaning only apply enough force on the material to allow the blade to cut cleanly. I would assume it is one of those things where if you push to hard you will chip or burn it. I wish I could put you in touch with him, but to make a long story short the fellow was my bosses foster kid’s dad and he was a Inuit that lived about 45 min north of Fairbanks lol and that is all I know about the guy.

V/R
Chad
Click to expand...

Bro, do you know what genitals are????pup2 Didn't you mean "gentle".
HEHEHEHEHEHE!!!!
 
Oops miss click in spell check. I did not even notice, I did mean gentle. I don’t spell well that’s why I turn a wrench for a living. All I need to know there is right = tight and left = loose.
 
The Walrus tusk was given to me back in the late 70's. This dude's name was Whale, he is the one who gave it to me, he was a Big Ole Burly Dude and a Biker. He was on a dragger, fishing for scallops off of Georgia's Banks and they came up with it in the drag. I don't know how long that the Walrus haven't been on the east coast, but it has been sometime.:unsure:
 
Last edited:
I've cut a few of those up. Here is what I've learned.
Use super glue before cutting in the weaker looking spots. You will feel this by pressing here and there. Use the thin stuff and plenty of it so it soaks into the cracks. Plan to cut it for the very best matched bark scales you can, not the maximum number of scales. Expect 1/3 waste when you do this. It's very distressing to see any of it go to waste. If you try to cut for maximum sets of scales you get mismatched mediocre scales. If it's a big piece, slice off the 4 sides leaving a rectangle block of the dark ivory in the middle. Bark is king, the interior is OK but all your cuts should focus on the best bark you can get.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top