Old Walrus

[Jonathans]

If a very old piece of beach tusk is weathered, can the surface just be sanded down and polished?

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

Send it to me and I'll check it out.

 

[Russ Andrews]

Short answer.....Probably.....BUT...some pieces with color/texture
are best left as-is, or finished only slightly....Got pics...?

 

[Fish30114]

whenever I get to a piece of whatever at that kind of stage, I throw it in my stabilizing tank, and pull a vacuum on it while submerged in Cactus Juice. I have not found a subject matter that stabilizing negatively affects in any way, and it gives me some added piece of mind. So that's what I'd recommend, send it and have it stabilized--if it's semi-regular size, I would do it for you--if interested just send me a PM

 

[Frank Niro]

Walrus can be a great material to work. It's not hard but works fairly cleanly. You can fine sand it and even polish it . It can have cracks
on the inside. Don't be surprised but just accept they are there and continue working. Some gap filling crazy glue can help on that.
Frank

 

[Jonathans]

pics wont upload for some reason. I'll just try cleaning it up and see what I'm left with if it doesn't fall apart.
I like the stabilizing idea. I've used real thin CA when turning questionable wood, so may try letting some of that soak in as well on a piece.

 

[Fish30114]

pics wont upload for some reason. I'll just try cleaning it up and see what I'm left with if it doesn't fall apart.
I like the stabilizing idea. I've used real thin CA when turning questionable wood, so may try letting some of that soak in as well on a piece.

Thin CA is great stuff for this type of application--good luck with it!!