[Jewelry making - Article 00251] - Re: [Orchid] Elk Teeth

[Katherine Palochak]

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    I live in Wyoming and I do quite a few elk teeth, claws and horn.
    Yeah, beats me why people want to wear dead animal parts on their
    person, but people have been doing that for millenia, as well as
    fossilized dead critters (shark teeth, ammonite, ammolite,
    crinoids). If they want most of the tooth, it's usually cut off just
    below the shoulder, removing most of the root. I use a 2/0 blade in
    my jeweler's saw. If it's to be bezel set in a piece of jewelry,
    then just the "cap" is used, which is the upper 1/2 to 1/3 of the
    tooth. Using a bit of dop wax and a dowel rod with the tooth stuck
    on the end will help you to hold onto it. Let's presume you're doing
    most of the tooth for mounting. 

    Cut off the root part, remove the debris (if there's tissue on it)
    and save it for carving or using in lapidary inlay work. Since
    you're using more than just the cap, you will have a hollow space in
    the middle of the main part of the tooth, with the dead tissue from
    the dental pulp inside. You have to get rid of this, or the tooth
    will wind up stinking. Easiest way is to give it a session in the
    ultrasonic, but if you don't have that, then repeated boilings in
    water and pull it out with a needle. Once the tooth is clean, fit it
    for a bezel with the fit being at the widest part of the shoulder.
    If you don't have bezel wire high enough to accomplish that, then
    make or buy housing strip, which is wider than bezel wire, and 26
    gauge makes it sturdy. Attach the plate to the bottom of the bezel.
    Add a bail to the plate to hang on a chain or cord. 

    Smooth any imperfections in the tooth with an extra-fine Cratex or
    pumice wheel. Stay away from the eye end. You still have it mounted
    on the stick with dop wax. Wear a mask so you don't inhale the ivory
    dust--not good for you. A little water will keep the dust under
    control. Rough up the inside of the bezel and the part of the tooth
    that will be inside the bezel. Mount the tooth in the bezel with
    glue. I like Epoxy 330, as it's not water soluable and gives a
    secure mounting. For added security, you can drill straight through
    both the bezel mounting and the tooth with just a regular drill at
    slow speed, and then insert a piece of wire to rivet it. Cut off the
    wire with just a little extended out from the hole, rivet it, file
    it flush to the bezel. Now polish the metal as you normally would.
    Polish the tooth with a bit of Zam on a loose muslin wheel to make
    it shine. You don't want to polish the tooth before you do your
    mounting, because it will get slicker than snot on a doorknob and
    you won't be able to hang onto the little sucker. 

    If you should happen to remove a bit too much of the brown patina, a
    dip in strong tea or coffee for 30 minutes will bring it back.
    Aren't you glad you used the Epoxy 330 now? 

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