I don’t think Ivoryite is jasper. I ordered some of that from
wgreatrough.com and they describe it as: “It is a sedimentary
precipitate of magnesium, calcium and silica. It is 5 to 5-1/2 on
the Moh’s scale,…” So, it is rather too soft to be jasper (?). What
about Mammoth ivory? I have used it once or twice. Perhaps not as
white as elephant ivory, but it could work
Hello Charles,
Look up Galalith or Erinoid, this is the commercial names for the
casein types of plastic referred to in other posts. Coco Channel was
responsible for making it popular, really popular and world war II
killed it, milk was needed to feed people not as jewelry.
The man who invented it was trying to create synthetic ivory and
tortoise shell. Old pieces even check like ivory.
If you do a google patent search on galalith, hunker down for some
reading and you will be amazed at the processes available in the
20’s.
Galalith is a lot like ivory, it has to be carved or cut rather then
cast into it’s final shape.
Don’t be fooled by the vinegar and milk type plastics these will
look ok but do not get them wet or else they will become flexible and
if the material was clear (clearish) to begin with, it will become
cloudy when it drys again. It willl dry hard again. The reason for
this galalith uses paracasien which is hydrophobic and vinegar/milk
plastics are hygroscopic
Galalith can be molded into sheets and then the sheets can be
pressed into a form and held there until it hardens again.
Do not expect to be able to mold a piece from freshly made galalith,
the shrink factor is just big enough to cause your piece to crack.
Expect to mold your galalith and forget it for a few weeks until it
can be unmolded and allowed to further cure for several more
months!!! The center must be completely dry.
Then you get to cut it up and soak it (in secret chemicals, muh ha
ha!!!) so it will not absorb water!!!
If the milk plastic idea is not your idea of fun search YouTube for
corn plastic which is organic and easy(er), I haven’t made this so I
can’t comment on it.
Good luck
Kenneth
I’ve used Micarta for years for coffeepot and teapot insulators, it
even has a realistic grain like ivory. Find it here (among other
sources):
http://jantzsupply.com/cartease/item-detail.cfm?ID=MI701
Jeff Herman
And if you order boar’s tusks from Germany, they’ll probably be
slightly radioactive - twenty five years after Chernobyl!
I read recently that the German government is having to pay out boar
hunters who cannot sell the meat because it’s too high in radioactive
elements… however, the wild boar population is apparently thriving
because of several mild seasons. Go figure!
Sorry, couldn’t resist a bit of levity J
Jane in chilly winter Australia
I think hippo teeth are indeed quite large. However, it makes the
hippo very angry when you try to extract one!
John
Indiana
I make signs and graphics for a Zoo, so I’ve had a lot of opportunity
to experiment with different types of PVC sheet. I can confirm that
Sintra is definitely not the best option for an ivory/bone
substitute. It just doesn’t have the right density and is almost
impossible to buff to a glossy sheen because it is too porous. That’s
not to say that it doesn’t have it’s uses, but if you’re looking for
that hard shine, Sintra won’t cut it. I’ve had the best luck with
Komacel Gloss White PVC sheet (Product List). It comes
in up to 1/4" sheets, but can be kind of expensive. If you can find
someone to share the cost it might be worth it though. Another item
I’ve had some good luck with is PVC pipe and especially PVC pipe
fittings. 6" PVC couplings are great (http://tinyurl.com/2frprbv) !
If you don’t like the slight curve, you can heat the plastic up a bit
and flatten it. Both the Komacel and the PVC couplings are dense,
easy to shape, and they will polish to a gloss finish.
michelle
I don't think Ivoryite is jasper. I ordered some of that from wgreatrough.com and they describe it as: "It is a sedimentary precipitate of magnesium, calcium and silica. It is 5 to 5-1/2 on the Moh's scale,..."
It could be magnesite. It comes in a variety of colors from ivory to
tans. There is a deposit of it in a road cut on the east side of a
reservoir just south of San Jose, California. The San Francisco rock
club loved it in their intarsias.
Rose Alene
i know a guy who does a lot of figurines for russians, apparently
there is a large supply of mammoth tusks in siberia (literally
container loads are sent to him), it is very similar to ivory, and
not subject to any trade restrictions.
Mammoth ivory works very well. It is a tad hard to find sometimes but
if you use your search engine I am sure you will find what you want.
I have use Ivory and mammoth ivory in the past and there realy isn’t
a suibstitute save for an off white slab of plastic. Also deer
antlers work very nicely I’ve been told as well as whale teeth. These
are just ideas as it has been a long time since I have done any work
with these materials.
Tom Timms
Just a note about the ivory substitutes done in the 20’s and 30’s. I
have my mother’s button collection and some of the celluloid and
other old “plastics” have disintegrated over time. I would be wary
of some of those old recipes. I have no idea what the crumbled
shards were, chemically, but obviously they were not as stable as
one could wish for.
N Katsu
In looking at the Gilmer Wood reference on another thread, I found
this interesting substance, Tagua. From Wikipedia:
Phytelephas is a genus containing six species of palms (family
Arecaceae), occurring from southern Panama along the Andes to
Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. They are commonly known as ivory
palms, ivory-nut palms or tagua palms; their scientific name
means "plant elephant". This and the first two of the common
names refer to the very hard white endosperm of their seeds
(tagua nuts), which resembles elephant ivory.They are
medium-sized to tall palms reaching up to 20 m tall, with
pinnate leaves. In its original state, the "nut" is covered with
pericarp, which gets removed by various animals. The kernel is
covered with a brown, flaky skin and shaped like a small
avocado, roughly 4-8 cm in diameter. Gilmer sells these nuts as
an ivory substitute. They have other gorgeous carving woods and
they're in my home city, Portland Oregon.
http://tinyurl.com/2c4s75x
Mara Nesbitt-Aldrich
Tom, agreed that it works very well, and also that there really
isn’t a good substitute. Other than the stink, it’s a dream material
to work. The subtleties in coloration and grain can be stunning, and
it works easily and takes a gorgeous polish. As far as hard to find;
not. It’s not cheap though, $80 ~ $200/lb. Try these places:
Michael
One of the big complaints I’ve heard about mammoth ivory is that it
is too dark/brown, which led me to the thought. what about all the
tooth whitening products on the market these days? Does anyone have
any experience using any of them to lighten mammoth ivory? Do they
work? Are there other products that work as well, or better, without
damaging the ivory?
Mike DeBurgh, GJG
Alliance, OH
It could be magnesite. It comes in a variety of colors from ivory to tans. There is a deposit of it in a road cut on the east side of a reservoir just south of San Jose, California. The San Francisco rock club loved it in their intarsias.
Well, i have heard of magnesite and wondered if it was the same. I
need to get to the bottom of it since I am also using it in
intarsia! Couldn’t find much definitive on the internet, this being
perhaps the most illuminating:Ivoryite is a great substitute for
ivory. Ivoryite is a synthetic material made to look and feel like
Ivory, an animal friendly alternative! A substance called Ivoryite,
which is a Misnomer, is a sedimentary precipitate of magnesium,
calcium and silica. It is 5 to 5-1/2 on the Moh’s scale, which makes
it slightly harder than ivory. Ivoryite can be worked with metal
tools, but cuts effortlessly with diamond tools. Polishes well with
diamond, tin oxide, cerium oxide or white rouge. Excellent material
for inlay, cabochons and small carvings. There is actually no
specific mineral named Ivoryite, it is a misnomer given to harder
varieties of Magnesite. Found all the same locations as Magnesite or
Howlite. (from timelessdesignsstudio)
Tooth whitening is predominantly Peroxide.
Diff strengths can be bought at the drug store.
the "nut" is covered with pericarp, which gets removed by various animals. The kernel is covered with a brown, flaky skin and shaped like a small avocado, roughly 4-8 cm in diameter.
The proper name is corozo nut, and it is the very best ivory
substitute.
Leonid Surpin
I have hesitated to chime in… but: I have a friend whose family
business is player piano restoration. He gave me a baggee filled with
broken keys, real ivory as from when one could actually “tickle the
ivories.” I feel honored and in awe of having this material. Like it
is entrusted to me… my point is, check locally for piano
restorers… it blows me away to see the “growth rings” or lines in
this stuff… I am truly in awe, and will probably die never putting
it to use. Hell, I’ve carried around a plank of Zebra wood that I
bought in 1977 for twenty five dollars… now worth maybe one-
hundred twenty five, but, I may never put it to use, and that’s ok. I
may never see another.
Hi Michael
I also do the same.
While it can be difficult to broach the subject of using real ivory,
I feel that it serves 2 purposes. Recycling being there but I tell
clients that to throw away this type of ivory is akin to having the
elephant die twice.
Having said that I am VERY conscious of using it…it is painful.
Generally it is client requested.
Simone
Hi Leonid,
The proper name is corozo nut, and it is the very best ivory substitute.
The nut can be called :- vegetable ivory, palm ivory, /corozo/
or /tagua/ all are correct
However the proper Genus name is :-
/*Phytelephas
*/
Regards Charles A.
The proper name is corozo nut, and it is the very best ivory substitute.
this is the tagua nut, and the have it at woodcraft.com and
wherever else, it is very popular with us carvers, nice and
hard, and small