Thread: Wade & Butcher Mother of Broken Pearl

Now Randy! I never called you pigheaded! Just stubborn!
I started on this one as the pearl was loose at the bottom. I carefully unpinned the mop from the liners, subsequently busting one of the bottom sections I was trying to preserve! Needless to say, the bottom sections got a bit shorter and new holes were drilled for the inner pin. I could not find 1/32 silver wire, (stubborn!) so I drilled everything out and did 1/16. The pearl was adhered to the liner with "Goop" and the pin was lightly peened until just tight. Then, I cut, sized, sanded, and fit the top sections, adding a CA'd Bakelite separator. The ivory was also adhered before peening. Then the Dremel drum came out and buzzed it down to the metal of the liner. From there, as Randy said, It was all file and sandpaper.
Being no artist nor carver, I tried to do lilys, but it wound out looking like crow footprints!
Best thing I did and learned from is pearl crumbles under pins. I used reinforced collars from Babur and sized the holes in the pearl so the collars would go thru the pearl and the ivory as well and dead end on the metal liners. This gives a way to make them nice and tight and save the scales from undue pressure.

Another thing to remember when working with pearl is that the dust is VERY bad for your lungs. A lot of good men died young of "grinder's consumption" ( silicosis ) from breathing the dust from MOP scales.

Most all of the dust from scale material is bad, but pearl is the worst. It has sharp edges and keeps cutting for a long time.

Be careful around that stuff. Wear a mask.

The preceding has been a public service announcement, we now return you to regularly scheduled BS'ing.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Now Randy! I never called you pigheaded! Just stubborn!

My thesaurus lists, among many other terms as synonymous with "stubborn" the term "pigheaded". HA. Stubborn Synonyms, Stubborn Antonyms | Thesaurus.com

But I am replying because eod7 and I were both correct. I just wanted to clarify that. Who knew you actually owned a Dremel?

Randy

Originally Posted by Wullie

Another thing to remember when working with pearl is that the dust is VERY bad for your lungs. A lot of good men died young of "grinder's consumption" ( silicosis ) from breathing the dust from MOP scales.

Most all of the dust from scale material is bad, but pearl is the worst. It has sharp edges and keeps cutting for a long time.

Be careful around that stuff. Wear a mask.

The preceding has been a public service announcement, we now return you to regularly scheduled BS'ing.

Yep, Wullie. I usually have a fan blowin across the work and toward an exhaust fan. I have taken to wearing a mask lately. NOTHIN stinks like a Dremel and ivory/bone! Mask or no mask!

Originally Posted by WhiteLion

My thesaurus lists, among many other terms as synonymous with "stubborn" the term "pigheaded". HA. Stubborn Synonyms, Stubborn Antonyms | Thesaurus.com

But I am replying because eod7 and I were both correct. I just wanted to clarify that. Who knew you actually owned a Dremel?

Randy

Dremeltools are quite handy, Randy! (poet!) Guys who abhor them, ......Have One!

Originally Posted by Wullie

Another thing to remember when working with pearl is that the dust is VERY bad for your lungs. A lot of good men died young of "grinder's consumption" ( silicosis ) from breathing the dust from MOP scales.

Most all of the dust from scale material is bad, but pearl is the worst. It has sharp edges and keeps cutting for a long time.

Be careful around that stuff. Wear a mask.

The preceding has been a public service announcement, we now return you to regularly scheduled BS'ing.

The maintenance workers at my work are always cutting concrete with no mask. (Often with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth) I keep telling them silicosis is some bad stuff, but they are like "What do you mean, I feel fine." Now I just stay upwind.

Haha, I was the first bidder on that W&B! Ended up not bidding after that though because something else came up. I'm glad someone here got it.