Pipemakers - imitation ivory?

[IrishPiper42]

What material do you use for imitation ivory mounts and where do you get it? I’ve tried delrin and white hardwoods such as satinwood, but none have been satisfactory.

-Mike Brennan

[reedbiter]

it.s a form of cast polyester…a 2 part colored resin mix. easily avalable from many woodturning supply places, cue builder supplies, knife maker supplies. Do a google search for imitation ivory and you should have a successful hit.

[IrishPiper42]

Thanks. I didn’t do well with my google search. I’ll try my local Woodworkers Store. Does it turn easily? I tried Armstrong A-2 epoxy for rings on a flute. It looks good, but the stuff was like concrete! Almost impossible to turn. I think it was filled with aluminum oxide.

-Mike

[Doc_Jones]

@reedbiter

it.s a form of cast polyester…a 2 part colored resin mix. easily avalable from many woodturning supply places, cue builder supplies, knife maker supplies. Do a google search for imitation ivory and you should have a successful hit.

I’m glad they’ve come up with a synthetic substitute for artificial ivory.

Artificial elephants are getting harder and harder to find.

Doc

[Joseph_E_Smith]

@IrishPiper42

Does it turn easily?

Yes it does but wear goggles, it shatters easily too.

[John_Mulhern]

Try a search under “alternative ivory”. I’ve purchased it from these folks before:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?search=action&keywords=alternative-ivory-blank

[lordofthestrings]

A retired gentleman I know gave me some pieces of it to mess with, used some for mounting the copper whistles I make. I’m not a master turner, and have had little sucess getting it to make the graceful shapes I’m seeking. I ordered my pipes mounted with maple, because after all, Art ivory is really pretty much plactic when it all boils down. I’d rather not have plastic parts on an uber expensive an beautimus instrument such as the pipes.

[reedbiter]

The folks at masecraft have been excellent to me and have ALWAYS come through in emergencies and been exceedingly generous and courteous to me…they FINALLY have a website.

www.masecraftsupply.com

[Joseph_E_Smith]

@lordofthestrings

I ordered my pipes mounted with maple, because after all, Art ivory is really pretty much plactic when it all boils down. I’d rather not have plastic parts on an uber expensive an beautimus instrument such as the pipes.

Welllllllllll… one could always look at it this way: That plastic once was wood, which died and was buried by eons of sediment layers of other organic matter, pressures building until eventually it became oil and natural gas. Then that oil was converted to plastic, and in this case art ivory, which is cleverly used to replace real ivory in an attempt to stop the slaughter and poaching of ivory bearing mammals such as elephants, walrus, whales and homo sapiens… well, maybe nor so much the last critter.

[TheSpoonMan]

@Joseph E. Smith

@lordofthestrings

I ordered my pipes mounted with maple, because after all, Art ivory is really pretty much plactic when it all boils down. I’d rather not have plastic parts on an uber expensive an beautimus instrument such as the pipes.

Welllllllllll… one could always look at it this way: That plastic once was wood, which died and was buried by eons of sediment layers of other organic matter, pressures building until eventually it became oil and natural gas. Then that oil was converted to plastic, and in this case art ivory, which is cleverly used to replace real ivory in an attempt to stop the slaughter and poaching of ivory bearing mammals such as elephants, walrus, whales and homo sapiens… well, maybe nor so much the last critter.

Human bone mounts… hmm… the possibilities…

[itisi]

I saw an episode of “how it’s made” once and there they showed a button factory.
The buttons are cut from rods which are made from what appears to be the same material as art. ivory, i.e poly.
Obviously the rods come in various diameters and colours.

I always wondered if that stuff would work for making mounts.

[patrick_Jacob]

I prefer boxwood even above ivory and art ivory. Don’t have it myself, but the collor of boxwood get really nice when it gets older

[giggleswicksam]

for faux ivory in UK try http://www.ivoryalternative.com/ - same stuff as Reedbiters - they liked it so much, they bought the company!

Boxwood - can be a bit prone to warping hhmmmm? So I hear anyway.

The GPS stuff looks so similar from anything more than 12" away, but it’s not really pleasant to turn, swarf gets wrapped round everything - as Joseph sez it can shatter (turns better with a HOT tool btw, get that friction building up!!) and it smells of burning plastic. However I suppose the real thing smells of burning mammal . . .

It’s a problem though - a great or even better than ivory substitute has yet to be found. Does anyone fancy any of these gaudy bunch on a chanter?

[lordofthestrings]

Human bone mounts… hmm… the possibilities…

That’s a little too “Ed Gein” for me…

Seems like a piper’s parallel to “the Red Violin”

[Ceann_Cromtha]

@Joseph E. Smith

@lordofthestrings

I ordered my pipes mounted with maple, because after all, Art ivory is really pretty much plactic when it all boils down. I’d rather not have plastic parts on an uber expensive an beautimus instrument such as the pipes.

Welllllllllll… one could always look at it this way: That plastic once was wood, which died and was buried by eons of sediment layers of other organic matter, pressures building until eventually it became oil and natural gas. Then that oil was converted to plastic, and in this case art ivory, which is cleverly used to replace real ivory in an attempt to stop the slaughter and poaching of ivory bearing mammals such as elephants, walrus, whales and homo sapiens… well, maybe nor so much the last critter.

Love it! Joseph, do you also consider your mechanical beast a dinosaur carrion eater?

[Joseph_E_Smith]

@Khan Krum

@Joseph E. Smith

@lordofthestrings

I ordered my pipes mounted with maple, because after all, Art ivory is really pretty much plactic when it all boils down. I’d rather not have plastic parts on an uber expensive an beautimus instrument such as the pipes.

Welllllllllll… one could always look at it this way: That plastic once was wood, which died and was buried by eons of sediment layers of other organic matter, pressures building until eventually it became oil and natural gas. Then that oil was converted to plastic, and in this case art ivory, which is cleverly used to replace real ivory in an attempt to stop the slaughter and poaching of ivory bearing mammals such as elephants, walrus, whales and homo sapiens… well, maybe nor so much the last critter.

Love it! Joseph, do you also consider your mechanical beast a dinosaur carrion eater?

Depends on which mechanical beastie you are speaking of.

[Ceann_Cromtha]

The one(s) with the interal combustion engine, be it a mechanical beast or a mechanical steed.

[Joseph_E_Smith]

@Khan Krum

The one(s) with the interal combustion engine, be it a mechanical beast or a mechanical steed.

In that case, the mechanical beastie is an herbivore.