[Jewelry making - Article 00374] - [Orchid] Carving Ivory

[Sumner Silverman]

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    I received the following email and sent the following reply. I hope
    it is useful. (To see examples of my ivory carving, go to
    www.sumnersilverman.com): 

>          I have been a jeweler for quite a few years - but have limited
>     my work to making and finishing the metal pieces - using only  gems
>     & materials from others to set. I would now like to try my hand at
>     carving ivory. Having lived in Alaska for 6 months or so in the
>     70's and subsequently having returned there every few years, I
>     cannot get this material out of my mind.  While there, I was asked
>     to make a wedding set incorporating fossilized ivory; the material
>     was gorgeous! To this end, I have been buying fossilized pieces for
>     years. Do you know of any books or articles available that I could
>     peruse before starting? 

    Thanks for the kind comments. I have been carving ivory for  35
    years now and I am entirely self-taught. As I am sure you were
    afraid of, there are no books or articles that I am aware of. You
    might try www.ganoksin.com and look at the archives. An absolutely
    indispensable resource and wonderful community. 

    But, let me get you started. First, examine the piece of ivory
    (fossil only or old legal  or new legal, but my preference is
    fossil, for both beauty and to make sure it was not poached
    material, also tends to move less ) for checks and color changes.
    Next I use a band saw to cut and as a rotating file to rough shape
    (stay sharp!). A flexshaft or better yet, a stationary rotating
    lathe (with an adjustable chuck at the business end and adjustable
    speed) with coarse tungsten bits will take it down quickly (that's
    relative, since the material is so very hard). You can get tungsten
    bits from a woodworkers catalog. Then, depending on the shape you
    are going for, files and/ or the trusty flexshaft to refine the
    shape further. I then use pen knives, gravers, and unidentified junk
    shop items that I have tortured into shapes that suite me for
    scraping, not cutting, material off. It is much too hard for much
    meaningful cutting to occur.  Do be very careful at this stage since
    I can attest that your holding hand is too readily the object of
    your tool as it skids off the very hard ivory. Want to see my scars?
    This stage is very gratifying if you allow it to take as much time
    as it requires. I always end up carrying it with me and working on
    the piece while standing in line, talking to friends, or awaiting
    the IRS agent. Finally, the most gratifying, annoying, and tedious
    part. I start with 80 grit paper, and progress though 120, 220. 320,
    400, 600, 1,200, ...8,000. I file down a toothpick to a pointed
    paddle shape and use it as a sanding stick (yes, a toothpick, the
    round tapered  kind). You begin to watch the grain and the polish
    slowly work up. There is nothing so wonderful. You occasionally have
    to retouch with the shaping tools or go up one or two grades of
    paper, but that is what separates the sheep from the cows or the
    mastodons. 

    Hope this helps. With your permission, I will publish this on the
    Orchid Form of  Ganoksin.com for the hopeful edification of others. 

Yours,
szs

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