imitation ivory

I wanted to use ivory for an inlay. I googled ivory and came up with several descriptions of various materials used in making imitation ivory. This includes acrylic & phenolic resins. Pool balls are made of phenolic resin. I am now getting to a question related to all this. How many of you craftsmen have seen the chinese puzzle ball, where there are several balls within balls ? My brother has one & *insists* it is ivory.

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theory as to how the ball is made (not carved) is to start with a small ball, cover with a thin sheet of wax, then pour a resin over this in a mold that simulates an intricate carving, and so on to the finished outside ball. After all is done, melt out the wax. sorry this is so long.

Smitty

Reply to
papadoo1
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made with it.

I suppose that would work but I've seen them being carved (in China).

Reply to
dadiOH

Ivory is quite easy to identify. Heat and smell tests rule out most of the synthetics and looking for Schreger patterns will tell if its hippo, mammoth or elephant (you'll need a hand lens). Telling antique elephant from modern illegal elephant is the tricky one.

You think they're complicated? Look at these

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dingbat

Reply to
Darrell Feltmate

Tue, Sep 19, 2006, 9:07am (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com doth smoke his sawdust and posteth: How many of you craftsmen have seen the chinese puzzle ball, where there are several balls within balls ? My brother has one &

*insists* it is ivory.
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My theory as to how the ball is made (not carved) is to

I've seen some. In the National Museum in Taipai, Taiwan. Some of 'em had up to seven balls, possibly even more, but it's been a long time. They were ivory, not plastic, and they were carved. Varied from maybe 2-3 inches tall, to well over a foot. Most were very, very, ornate. I went thru the entire museum, but don't even recall anything else in there. They didn't allow picture taking. Practice and you can probably knock one out in a weekend.

JOAT I am not paranoid. I do not "think" people are after me. I "know" damn well they're after me.

Reply to
J T

Nope. They're either carved or turned on a lathe from a single solid block.

-- Andy Barss

Reply to
Andrew Barss

Better make it a long weekend. I recall seeing a display in a shop selling the balls showing how they were made. The round ball is drilled with conical holes down to the depth of the innermost ball. Then a special drill bit that had 'wings', similar to a weed whacker's three blade setup, on the end that would swing out as they cut a spherical groove. This wither freed the inner sphere or came very close so hand cutting would remove the remaining connections. One free the inner sphere was carved, then the process repeated for other layers. Thinking about it now, having tried to carve a few Celtic knots, it seems it might be easier to hold the outer layers immobile while freeing and carving the inner ones. Or a few details have evaporated over time. Joe

Reply to
Joe Gorman

" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:

Depending on how big an inlay you want to do, tagua nuts are frequently used.

I've made similar items, and many whittlers/carvers have made "ball in cage" designs. While waiting on the computer to do various tasks (downloads, compiles, etc.) I started carving somethin similar from basswood eggs. Due to the grain and softness of the wood, I never got more than two "layers". People ofter accuse me of cutting the eggs open, hollowing them out, then glueing them back together. They're puzzled when they can't find the seams. I would post some on abpw, but I think I've given all the good ones away. Will see what I can find. Bathsheba Grossman's stuff is computer generated; not carved but built up layer-by- layer.

Reply to
Smaug Ichorfang

Wed, Sep 20, 2006, 6:52am snipped-for-privacy@musc.edu (Joe=A0Gorman) doth posteth thusly: Better make it a long weekend.

Well you can't procrastinate. LMAO

There was some written info, but I was so awed I didn't really pay that much attention. I do know it said something about making one of those took months at least, and I think some of the more elaborate ones took, years. I don't recall any description of how they were made. If they'd allowed cameras I'd have taken pictures of everything. You descrition of how they're made makes a lot more sense than how I was thinking - I've only ever heard they were "carved". Hmm, now that I think on it I may have seen one or two at the Smithsonian too. For you guys that've only seen pictures of one, seeing one in person is so much more awesome.

JOAT I am not paranoid. I do not "think" people are after me. I "know" damn well they're after me.

Reply to
J T

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