Need some help

Hi all,

Someone here allready turned ivory ? If yes, what kind of tools you use for it ?

I used my standard tools ( skew, gouge, carbide scraper, etc... ) and they become all dull after a few minutes.
Spent more time on sharpening than turning...

If one of yours have a suggestion

Read up on old time turners who describe in depth their methods and tooling.

Peter.

I’ve used scrapers & a tool called a wedge tool.

One good old book......Hand or Simple Turning Principles and Practice. By John Jacob Holttzapffel ISBNB 0-486-26428-9 A Dover Publication. Look up ISBNS.NET digital copies mentioned there as well.

Good luck ....Peter.

When I turned the ivory from a wild boars tusk, I used a simple 1/2 round scraper and it turned quite nicely without sharpening. I did turning quite fast though.

PG

I saw a tutorial on turning Ivory by Bill Jones and he used to soak the ivory in water for a couple of hours before he turned it apparently it made it easier to turn.

Peter

Bill Jones didn't he write a book about turning?

I turned some elephant ivory, hard stuff, slow to turn. I had to sharpen a bit more often than with wood, but nothing impossible.
I also turned warthog tusk, I had to sharpen HSS too often. Carbide scraper could do, taking time, sometimes working with the corners of the blade, like on a metal lathe. I soaked it, it seems it helps a bit, but it is very hard stuff to turn.
I also was lucky enough to try hippopotamus, it blunted the edges (including carbide) in one pass, it sparkled, I just could not do it.