Pink Ivory Help

[THarvey]

Somewhere I am missing the right drilling combination. Every piece (not an exaggeration) of pink ivory I drill cracks or breaks.

I have drilled on the lathe and drill press - pen blanks and brush blanks - twist bits, brad points, forestner bits - new bits and old bits - every speed from 300 to 4000.

The results are the same...The faster speeds crack, which shows up quickly on the lathe. The slower speeds break completely.

I have drilled a lot of crazy stuff over the years, but this is the only thing that has beaten me (so far). Any suggestions?

I have a customer order for pink ivory and just shattered my last piece. If anyone has some they would like to trade, let me know. I have some Cocobolo and Bloodwood available - I would be glad to trade 2 for 1 or 3 for 2 to be fair.

Thank you.

 

[scotirish]

I have found Pink Ivory to be brittle. I drill a slow speed and slow feed rate with better results. I also found it better to sand the corners off, usually rounding them off.

 

[bad]

Could the wood just be too dry? I was given a box of exotic hardwood blanks for my birthday a while ago and in it was some pink ivory. It drilled and turned great. Do I have to worry about it cracking in the future? Is pink ivory prone to cracking? I'm thinking it's going to sell great at Christmas.

 

[Rollerbob]

Tim, BTDT.....slow and short cuts , cleaning the bit each pass, making sure that the hole is clean before exiting, has been my only way to get beyond this beast of a wood.

 

[mickr]

you might try turning round between centers and then soaking in CA..it may percolate & hold it together..drill a bit and put CA in hole..then let it dry..drill again, etc...it may or may not work

 

[ed4copies]

Tim,

I don't like Pink Ivory, cause it cracks (InMyExperience)

But I did an order of pens last year from wood I got from VisExp. It behaved extremely well. Drilled holes, soaked holes in thin CA, applied twice in two days, redrilled holes two days later, let set for about a week, redrilled and tubed, turned. No cracking-CA finish. Tried to keep heat down, but the wood itself was VERY cooperative.

 

[dennisg]

I got a blank from VisExp also. No one told me it was prone to cracking, so I just drilled it, glued in the tubes, turned it and added a CA finish and assembled a nice JR Gent II that I sold a few weeks later. I'm glad I didn't know this stuff is suppose to crack. lol,

 

[GouletPens]

I have an awesome block of curly pink ivory, with the brightest pink you've ever seen...I ain't gonna trade that for nothing cuz it cost me a friggin' arm....but it's one of those pieces that's so nice I'm afraid to make something from it! I was thinking though, couldn't you stabilize it and that would take care of just about all the problems it typically has???:question:

 

[ed4copies]

I got a blank from VisExp also. No one told me it was prone to cracking, so I just drilled it, glued in the tubes, turned it and added a CA finish and assembled a nice JR Gent II that I sold a few weeks later. I'm glad I didn't know this stuff is suppose to crack. lol,

There are people who will tell you it is NOT prone to cracking. I, on the other hand, had 14 or so crack in an outdoor show (1996ish). Now I realize they were slimlines (very thin wood) and the temp was nearly 100 with about 60 percent humidity (it was NOT a dry heat). What should I have expected???

 

[markgum]

Tim;
I have some blanks burried in my shop. What size of blanks are you looking for?

 

[Bree]

Try using duct tape or strapping tape around the blank when you drill it. Make your drilling moderate in speed ( don't heat the blank with unnecessary contact between the drill bit and the blank... Greek Restaurant drilling... Eat, Pay, Get Out!) and clear the bit every 1/4" or so. Let the bit and blank cool frequently as you drill it. The object is to keep the heat down to a minimum. The tape wrap adds much strength to the blank as it has no where to go when it wants to crack.

That's my $.02 and my technique when I am drilling crackers.
:wink::wink::wink:

 

[GouletPens]

Try using duct tape or strapping tape around the blank when you drill it. Make your drilling moderate in speed ( don't heat the blank with unnecessary contact between the drill bit and the blank... Greek Restaurant drilling... Eat, Pay, Get Out!) and clear the bit every 1/4" or so. Let the bit and blank cool frequently as you drill it. The object is to keep the heat down to a minimum. The tape wrap adds much strength to the blank as it has no where to go when it wants to crack.

That's my $.02 and my technique when I am drilling crackers.
:wink::wink::wink:

On top of that, if you blow a little compressed air on the bit every time you clear it, that will help to cool the bit (and clear the chunks out of the flutes that might get stuck).

 

[Fred]

Try everything suggested on this thread and see if your results improve.

I also might add another suggestion ... drill with a much smaller drill bit all the way through the blank. Then step up to another size, drill, repeat until you have used the proper drill size. Drill slow, clean chips out all the time, every time! I have drilled in 1/4" increments just to avoid any heat at all. This 'step drilling' also has worked out well for me when I use Cocobolo, or other woods prone to heat stresses.

Good luck on your endeavors ... just don't give up on the projects!

 

[THarvey]

Thank you ALL

Thank you all. This is a great place.

I have some more Pink Ivory coming. Thank you all for your suggestions. I will beat this.

 

[DurocShark]

One thing I do with ebony is to toss the drilled blanks in a box and leave it for a few days. Seems to allow the wood to equalize before gluing the tubes in. I've found a couple times that I had to re-drill because the wood had moved so much.

 

[philb]

Try putting a small desk fan blowing on to the drill bit and blank when drilling?

I tried this with some Kingwood, as that kept cracking after drilling or even after assembly. First go with a bit of wind cooling that blanks and bit, seem to wok much better?

PHIL

 

[Hosspen]

These sound like some good tips. Be warned also that when you give someone a pen made from pink ivory, you should probably warn them not to leave it in the sunlight unless they want it to change colors. I made a few and noticed one went from pink to a faded orangeish color on the side that was facing the sun in my pen display after a few craft shows. I think others here will verify that this is a characteristic of this wood.

 

[drjpawlus]

It is my understanding that denser woods are very difficult to get a true deep stabilization, due to a lack of penetration. So not sure it would be of much benefit to pink ivory.