[Jewelry making - Article 01045] - Re: [Orchid] Learning to carve wood and lucite

[John Burgess]

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>        I want to learn how to carve wood and lucite for jewelry. 

    G'day; the difference between carving lucite ( we call it Perspex)
    and wood is well, like carving lucite and wood! Wood is fibrous,
    needing extremely sharp chisels,gouges and blades, whilst lucite has
    no grain but is far harder than wood and the same tools won't work;
    they just blunt.. Lucite gets hot quickly when worked, and tools like
    saws and files will jam and clog easily. It is best carved with sharp
    burrs  and a hand piece either under water or with a continuous water
    flow. Finishing is best done with 'wet ' n' dry' papers of various
    grits of fineness down to about 400 grit, always well wetted. Do not
    use a grindstone without plenty of water (you'll get soaked) Final
    polish is easily obtained by hand using ordinary Brasso metal
    polish,and a soft cloth but a buff will only make a nasty mess of the
    surface. Lucite can be etched, using chloroform, but don't think
    you'd want to do that. Chloroform is also an excellent glue , but you
    can buy lucite glues formulated for the job. 

    Plating can be done on anything  (even insects and leaves) by
    coating with an electrically conductive paint, giving an
    electrolytic plate of copper, then any metal you wish 

    I can't tell you where to obtain materials in your part of the
    world. I have had experience with both materials. 

Had you considered inlays?
Cheers for now,
JohnB of Mapua, Nelson NZ

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