Repair or replace?

I'm wondering how successful repair to cracks like this are and how to go about it. Especially cleaning. I've used CA mixed with horn dust on horn pits and have been impressed. How about cracks? Cleaning the aged goo out would be the first step. Alcohol? Peroxide?
Open the crack and fill or just clamp as is?
Is there another test to determine if a material is ivory besides burning? Does horn and bone have the same smell?

Thanks

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Would need to see better picks to determine if it's ivory. If it's ivory and it were mine I would attempt to repair it. If it's bone I would probably replace the scales. Outback has a thread showing a pretty cool technique that uses CA and baking soda.

They are home and I'm in the jungle. Just pondering my next break. I'll search for the thread.

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Well, bone or ivory does not matter as much as how much you like them. There are a few ways to skin that cat. The most simple is to clean the crack. I would use starting build to start with. That stuff has crazy vapors so make sure of ventilation and the usual precautions for using aerosol nasty stuff. Once the oily residue and dirt is out, you can bleach it with peroxide, but it is hard to not make a white streak. You can then simply fill it with CA and call it good there. That is for the crack. The chip will either have to be filled with bone/ivory dust or soda and CA. There are other methods of patching a piece in but would likely be better to go that route if you were going to go with a liner for your repair. If you take everything apart and clean it all up pretty pretty you can then laminate it to a liner. I've done some liners with 1/32" G-10 that have turned out looking pretty good. There have been a few nice ones posted too. It is way more involved and can be pretty spiffy. How deep you go is your choice but there is a couple of ways to ponder. I've been thinking about getting some vibrant blue G-10 for a similar task. Sometimes I can't help but be a philistine.

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Originally Posted by Clayglen

I'm wondering how successful repair to cracks like this are and how to go about it. Especially cleaning. I've used CA mixed with horn dust on horn pits and have been impressed. How about cracks? Cleaning the aged goo out would be the first step. Alcohol? Peroxide?
Open the crack and fill or just clamp as is?
Is there another test to determine if a material is ivory besides burning? Does horn and bone have the same smell?

Thanks

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Looks to be bone, if they have collars thats what they probably are.
Yes, I've done some pretty crazy repairs to bone with CA and baking soda. But the crack may need a liner, to keep it from cracking again once the pin tightens.
I've got a two day set in ivory that both scales are cracked like yours at the wedge. I'm going to either, epoxy some 1/32 oz. Woven fiberglass to the inside of each scale, or laminate it with .010 brass sheet. Both can be obtained from hobby shops that deal with RC planes and cars.

If they are bone I'll probably relace them. That was my second guess after plastic. Someone posted a set just like these that was ivory, which got me to wondering. It would be worth it to me, to save ivory.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clayglen

If they are bone I'll probably relace them. That was my second guess after plastic. Someone posted a set just like these that was ivory, which got me to wondering. It would be worth it to me, to save ivory.

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Always good to try saving everything.
Replace them.! Then you'll have a set to learn to repair on, or cut down for a shorty project. [emoji6]

Looks like ivory to me. In general, if there are no practical issues I tend to leave it be. Wedge cracks in ivory scales are an example of something I don't mess with (unless the scale tension is messed up, but I found that is usually not the case with cracks).

Hard to really tell on my phone but the bottom one looks like ivory and doesn't seem to have a collar, can't tell about the top one. I have nothing to offer as far as fixing them but as for identifying ivory, it is generally much thinner than bone and bone usually has visible pores where ivory doesn't. Also ivory will have Schregar lines which is more pronounced on some scales than others. I agree with Pithor about leaving them be unless they become problematic. I have a CV Heljestrand with ivory scales and one is chipped with a small crack but it doesn't really bother me and I would likely make it worse if I tried to fix it. Also one of my ivory John Barber pair has a crack similar to yours and I'll leave it be unless it worsens which it doesn't seem to be doing. You can see the Schregar lines pretty well in this pic too. Best of luck with whatever you choose to do.

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I really like tp leave things original when possible, but that's just me. I would go with the CA and backing soda fix. I have a matching pair of Joseph Rodgers & Sons in Ivory scales that one has a crack at the wedge end. I just took a few drops of CA (gel type) on a tooth pick and smeared into the crack mainly to prevent the crack from spreading. After the CA dried I sanded fairly smooth to match surface of the scale, you can still see the crack but I'm confident the crack won't spread any further.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clayglen

If they are bone I'll probably relace them. That was my second guess after plastic. Someone posted a set just like these that was ivory, which got me to wondering. It would be worth it to me, to save ivory.

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Bone can be bought and shaped and or replaced. Pre-ban Ivory I would save. It would be part of history. I have a few Ivory that one side has a crack in the wedge end. I removed the wedge pin cleaned well and mixed 2 part epoxy to fill the crack then replace pin and let harden. I go so far as epoxy wedge and both sides and pin all at the same time making sure that the blade centers and don't stick. I brad one end of the pin and stick it through then hold together with a wooden cloths pin the cut and brad the other end of the pin. so far so good.