Cutting jigs for mammoth ivory.

B

blackboogers

Joined
Jan 16, 2002
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What ways have you cut mammoth ivory. What I'm getting at how do set it up to place accurate cuts on odd shaped material. My best plan is to take the curved piece and grind small flats on the ends and epoxy the piece to a large square piece of wood that will fit on the mitre on my band saw. Thats the best I can think of and I hope there is an easier way. If anyone has some experience in this please let me know. Ivory is something I dont want to have a trial run on.
 
I've never used the mammoth ivory but I got a lot of pre-ban elephant ivory last year. I used a bandsaw and went by eye. Did a lot of sweating in the process. I think either Bruce Bump, Bruce Evans or Tom Mayo would have some tricks for you. Tom was very helpful when I started using it.
 
Blackboogers (I love that nick, so appropriate for us makers:))
I use a square piece of steel, 3"x3"x12" and hot glue the material to it, then either with the fence or free eye, bandsaw it. The steel is heavy and doesn't let it wander all over the place. After it is cut I double stick tape it to another steel place 1/2"x5"x6" and either fly cut it or surface grind it to the thickness I need.
 
I knew I was on the right track,it was the epoxy/wood combo I didnt like. Hot glue and heavy steel,that will work and the hot glue is much better than epoxy. Thanks,I knew somebody had the answer.
 
BB,
I'm a big fan of hot glue for odd sized handle material. Double stick tape is fine for flat stuff but lousy for uneven materials. BTW, Ace Hardware carries the best of the double stick tapes.
 
BB. I cut it to length (a little longer than needed) on my band saw, next I cut it to width. Next I square it on two sides so it will clamp into my milling machine vice. A 3/4" carbide mill will precision flatten it from there. If I didnt have a mill the hot glue idea sounds good.
 
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