Can you turn ivory?

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TurnerJP

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May 5, 2011
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New Jersey
Just curious to know...is it possible to turn ivory (both fossilized and fresh) on a lathe using the same materials as you would with resin and wood?

I know you can do so with antlers, but I wasn't sure if ivory was any different.

Thanks in advance!

JP
 
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I carved a piece once, about 30 years ago, and it was not too difficult.

I think, these days, there's restrictions on where you can sell stuff made with real ivory though.
 
Yes you can turn and sell ivory Turner JP. You can only get it from a few sources and it needs to be "fossil" or preworked. All the ivory I have worked with has been either beach washed Walrus or Mammoth. Mammoth and very old walrus splits easily but the newer Walrus ivory turns about like bone or antler. I haven't woprked with deer but moose and caribou antler turns well, if you dont mind frequant sharpening. I'll be turning a Majestic squier in Walrus ivory in the next few days, be honored to post a pic for review.
 
Rick P said:
Yes you can turn and sell ivory Turner JP. You can only get it from a few sources and it needs to be "fossil" or preworked. All the ivory I have worked with has been either beach washed Walrus or Mammoth. Mammoth and very old walrus splits easily but the newer Walrus ivory turns about like bone or antler. I haven't woprked with deer but moose and caribou antler turns well, if you dont mind frequant sharpening. I'll be turning a Majestic squier in Walrus ivory in the next few days, be honored to post a pic for review.
Click to expand...

I have seen a few sites on the web so far (boone trading company and elephantivorytusks.com to name a pair) that claim to sell non fossilized ivory...the former of the two sells all different types, including inlay material. The latter is involved with everything elephant. I don't know if anyone has experience with these sites, but I'm also curious to know where you go for your ivory. Do they supply any certificates of authenticity with the material? How much does it generally set you back?

I know there are a lot of questions I've been asking regarding this, but I'd LOVE to make a majestic rollerball in black titanium with an ivory body...do the same techniques used while turning wood apply while turning ivory? And lastly...how do you finish? (Lacquer, CA glue, etc.)

Thanks again everyone, I appreciate the guidance.

JP
 
I get it from native Alaskan friends. The going price ranges from $175-200 per pound for walrus. No need for a certificate when the dude hands you a tusk or tooth. I haven't ordered from bone traders but I want a gemsbok set for a long bow badly! "fossil" doesn't mean mineralized in this case, just rather old. Even the mammoth I work is not truly fossilized, more like tanned. The tundra soil is incredibly rich in tannin, the stuff that dose the work in vegetable tanning hides so preserved is really a more accurate word. There are lots of diferent kinds of ivory, many perfectly legal to sell right out of the critters mouth, hippo and warthog for example. I turn it like wood but carefully! It doesn't need more of a finish then sanding down and buffing, the stuff shines like glass on its own. Well Mammoth and walrus ivory do anyway.
 
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