Sacre Bleu, it's Sacre Coeur. Making ivory scales

Is anyone else waiting for the lighter PIF?

AndroiDad75 said:

Wow, just wow. Absolutely beautiful. And then you show off all the ivory goodness you've done. I am just awed by your talent sir.

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Thank you very much!

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Thank you.

Wow. That really something else.

Thank you Henry!

Hehehe, cool. Thanks.

dear mycarver, please stop crafting things. my heart can't take it any more.
it stops beating when I look at your work..and then there's that defibrillator thing happening...
thanks in advance.

I'm so sorry to cause you any distress! LOL. Thanks. I'll be more cautious in the future.

Mycarver, I am getting ready to start my first set of ivory scales. I am a bit nervous working with such a rare material. I was going to PM you but thought others would like to hear your answers. How difficult is it to cut? Does the saw need to be very fine toothed? Anything special I need to know in its working characteristics compared to horn? Sanding characteristics? Special techniques to avoid cracks when pinning? I have been reading everything I can find, but seeing your work I would really appreciate your advice.

The suff is quite easy to work. I think my blade is a 12 point and leaves a nice surface. Most scales hover around the 1/16th area. Not sure how thick your stock is but taking it down from let's say 1/8th takes a while and eats up belts. It goes slow compared to horn. 80-120 grit is a good start. It polishes out beautifully with the same polishes you'd use for horn. You can polish from around a 320-400 G finish.

pinning is straight forward just don't overdo it. I think it's best for the blade to be almost snug but not tight. Spacer/shim washers are a good idea as they are found on most ivories I have seen.

Not difficult at all. It's just the mind set that you're working on something a bit more valuable and the belief that it is delicate that you have to get over . The stuff is pretty tough. You could keep them a but thicker if you're afraid of splitting them but at even a 1/16th they are surprisingly stiff. Thicker, they resist bending.

Thank you! You are a fantastic resource to this community as well as a master craftsman!

Glad I could help! Enjoy. And don't forget to show us your results. You're going to fall in love with the stuff I garr -on- tee it! Just in time for all the regulations and bans to hit. Bummer.

Incroyable! The attention to detail... Your finished pieces are museum quality. Simply magnifique.

Well thank you! I don't know if I'd go as far as Museum quality but I think it's pretty nice. But then again a toilet made it's way into the MOMA.
HA!