Thread: Carving Ivory Scales

Once the carving is done , polish it up. Use pretty much whatever polishes you like for doing any plastic, horn, bone scale and make it shine. It has to be essentially finished before you start the Scrimshaw. You can't sand and polish after the Scrimshaw so you have to do it now.
Once the polishing is done it's time to get your pin in a dowel, or like I did, a sharpened drill bit in a mechanical pencil to use as your scribe to scratch , or press dots into the surface.
As I said, any number of sharp pointed tools have been used to do this. But just remember. Anywhere you touch that tool to the surface will leave enough of an impression , or mark, that will show up on the final design.
It doesn't take much. And varying the amount of pressure to either a series of dots for shading, or scratches for your outline will change the look of the design. Naturally a very light scratch on the surface will appear light. Press hard and make a deeper scratch and it'll appear very dark. A bit of practice will show you just how much pressure to use for a design.
Now once you scratch in your design simply use a Sharpie, Ink ( what has been used for centuries) paint, dyes etc. and allow it to flow into the scratches, dots, you just made for your design. Let it set a moment and wipe it away.
I happen to use the Sharpie Paint. Not a regular sharpie. Using Renwax ( as it has some thinner in it) allowed me to wipe away the excess paint. If you use acrylics,, use a dampened cloth. Depending on the ink, alcohol or whatever will thin the ink you're using to wipe away the excess.

Now this scratching in a design isn't done all in one step. First you scratch the outlines. Add the ink/paint, wipe it away and rub some wax on the surface.
For a single color this isn't as important as if you're using several colors that you want to keep separate. For example. You may scratch in an outline and color it with black. You wipe the completed design with wax. Then you go back and scratch , dot in some more of the design and you color it with say, red.
Wipe away the red and apply another coat of wax. Doing this will now block out both the black and the red in your design so you can add more scratches, dots and add another color for example , blue. Wipe off the blue and you'll now see black, red, and blue without the blue filling in all the dots and scratches left when you did the black and the red.
Cool huh?
So you just keep doing this over and over adding more detail until the design is completed.
In this case the fine pinstripe and Fleur de Lis type detail had to be done in one smooth line. You only have one chance to get it right as you can't simple erase a stray line. You have to sand the entire area if you do an 'OOPS' . So hold your breath and give it a go.

The remainder of the designs on the scales, the Cathedral Sacre Coure and the Eiffel Tower were done in the same fashion. A few lines to establish the outlines. Wax. Add some more details, paint, wipe, wax. Do it over and over again until the design is complete. Here is a reference to see the size of the design. It fits easily under a dime. The Eiffel Tower is slimmer than the sharpened pencil point.

The last shot shows some other scales I have made using these very same techniques.
The barber pole is an example of using layers of colors as I described in the scrimshaw techniques.Blocking out one color so the next color you apply doesn't settle into the scratches, dots you added previously.
This can be taken to an extreme where the final design looks as if a color photo was somehow glued on to the scale or handle in the case of a knife.

Thanks for the awesome write up & details on your process
wish I could readily get Ivory on Australia to try these techniques on
I assume bone would work much the same way for the scrimshaw also?? just a bit more porus

Yeah, Ivory is getting tricky. And it'll only get worse. Everything I have is pre ban. But if you can scratch the surface you can scrimshaw it. Bone works but can tend to get a bit fuzzy and if not sealed well , and depending in the piece , the pores show up. But like I said if you can scratch it you can put a design on it. I saw a PVC chair, one of those cheapie stacking one that was scrimshawed.
And here is a design I started of the bow of a sailing ship on a Bic lighter. Hey, it's practice.

So acrylic, plastics, Tagua nuts ( small but looks like Ivory and is vegetable based) horn.
Well, like I said, if you can scratch it you can lay on a design.

Your work is beyond great without question, those scales are fantastic.
Only thing I would have changed was to use a better Blade for that work of art,JMO

Ouch!
Hey, it's a great shaver. And besides it tells a complete story. Monmartre , Sacre Coeure , Paris etc. it's complete.
Besides. If I did it once I can do it again . Probably better. I'll find more blades.
Then too.
I just bought a KMG 2 x 72 grinder. 35 belts and wheels from 1 1/2 to 8 inch and an Evenheat kiln to make my own blades.
Add that to scales, Gold, etching and I think I'll be having some fun!

Originally Posted by mycarver

Ouch!
Hey, it's a great shaver. And besides it tells a complete story. Monmartre , Sacre Coeure , Paris etc. it's complete.
Besides. If I did it once I can do it again . Probably better. I'll find more blades.
Then too.
I just bought a KMG 2 x 72 grinder. 35 belts and wheels from 1 1/2 to 8 inch and an Evenheat kiln to make my own blades.
Add that to scales, Gold, etching and I think I'll be having some fun!

We will all fun,with your skills I think we will see some fantastic Blades.

that you for your in depth detail of carving ivory.
you are a talented works-man making beautiful blades and scales.

Just WOW!

Thank you for sharing.

You sir are a master craftsman. Incredible work, thanks for sharing