Elephant Ivory piano keys
A piano repairman stopped by my shop and gave me some very old ebony piano keys.
I wonder how they could be used in pen making?
Thanks
Most of the cue makers I know cut them into stripes and use the ivory as a inlays in what is commonly known as slotted trim rings .
Most everyone I know that makes billets are using a live cutter on there tool post or they have mounted a router on a metal lathe ..
The billets slits or grooves can be cut to different thicknesses to hopefully match the piano keys thickness .
You could do a tux and use gaboon ebony
You can use a router table and cut a groove down all 4 sides of a block of wood the same thickness as the piano keys ...
Then inlay the strips of ivory ..
Soaking the ivory in wood hardener isn't a bad thought either ..
What is the exact thickness of the piano keys ?
and is there several keys all the same thickness ?
I find I have allot less blow outs with certain materials is I laminate them between wood before drilling.
And personally I rather machine or use a mill end then a aggressive drill bit .
That is the easy way or proper way...
You might take the keys to the trophy shop and have them laser cut the Ivory keys into washers ...
All the laser engravers or Laser CNC's have vacuum system or it will burn out the bulb or something ...
I have wood veneers cut all the time at my local trophy shop
Hope this info helps.