Walrus Ivory

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DocStram

DocStram

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I mentioned in another post about my friend bringing some jade back from Alaska. He also surprised me with a nice chunk of walrus ivory. Anybody have experience drilling and turning walrus?
 
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I hope it is "ancient" walrus ivory. If not, my understanding is it isn't legal for non-Alaskian natives to sell. So please check on that. As to working it. Drill slow and cool. Before you glue the tube run thin ca down the hole and allow to dry naturally. Remember ca curing causes heat and ivory hates heat. So no accelerator. Don't allow it to get hot while turning and make sure it's climate never changes. Wait a few days before you assemble it... It is easier to fix cracks that way.
 
hewunch said:
I hope it is "ancient" walrus ivory. If not, my understanding is it isn't legal for non-Alaskian natives to sell. So please check on that. As to working it. Drill slow and cool. Before you glue the tube run thin ca down the hole and allow to dry naturally. Remember ca curing causes heat and ivory hates heat. So no accelerator. Don't allow it to get hot while turning and make sure it's climate never changes. Wait a few days before you assemble it... It is easier to fix cracks that way.
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Thanks for the advice. Also, please be aware that it was purchased legally from a dealer in Alaska and brought through customs. It was a gift to me.
It looks like I need to treat it as though it was snakewood. Cool is the operative term.
 
It turns just like ivory, don't over heat it. It usually has mineral staining which gives it great charter. Stinks like all bone type material. It can be stablized.
 
If you plan to use this in a kit pen, as with all ivory I would either trim the interior of the tubes or trim/sand the fittings so that they are a slip fit and glue them in. Tubeless is even better. I've seen or heard of more ivory cracking on pens than any other ivory product and truly believe is has more to do with the stress applied when the tubes expand while inserting the fittings. I have made several ivory pens that have not cracked with this method. The person who gave me the ivory made some from the same batch and all of his cracked. He used standard press in methods. Keeping it cool while drilling is good, but not as important as not stressing the material.
 
I have some experience with ivory. Drill very slow, used a little water and dish soap as lubricant and coolant. The material will have some internal cracks that you will not see until you start turning. Stop turning and check the piece often, use CA to fill cracks, etc. +1 on the above for press fit! You might even oversize the hole a few mm to give the tube a little extra room.
 
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