Which bandsaw blade for cutting ivory?

[John L]

For those of you that cut up mammoth or elephant ivory..do you use a wood cutting saw or metal cutting bandsaw? Seems like speed is a factor and also tooth configuration. I have both types saws ...just do not know which blades to use. Thanks

 

[pappy1959]

Ivory is a nasty little bugger to cut.
I have 15 years and tens of thousands of pounds of mammoth and elephant ivory under my belt. Here are my suggestions:

• Use a standard 1725rpm motor on a wood cutting saw. Excessive speed will lead to burning the material.
• Lennox makes a 14tpi blade that is .250" wide and .014"thick. Use it. Find it and use it. If you use a standard blade you will be creating a saw kerf of at least .024" and wasting alot of material. Not to mention, creating twice as much dust to breath in.
• Block the blade squarely and make sure your bearings are clean, oiled and straight. The thin Lennox blade will cut into the bearing if it hesitates at all. Mill the ends of your saw guides (blocks) so they are square and put them finger tight on the blade both up and down.
• Use steel blocks, not wood, not anything else...........steel. That blade has to stay in one place
• Don't press the blocks against the teeth. Make sure those teeth have a good set and that the weld is smooth. The .014" blade requires a cnc welder to make the proper weld. If your local lennox dealer does not have one, search for another dealer.
• Cut the ivory at a steady pace so it produces dust, not smoke. Ivory will burn at the slightest provocation, so keep the pieces moving and at a steady pace.
• The .014" blade was originally developed for use in the meat cutting industry. Please be careful, you can lop off a finger, and not even feel it. Keep your fingers out of the path of the blade at all times. You cut yourself with this blade, you cut yourself for real.
• Make sure you have a sturdy fence and that it is locked down with a pair of channel locks or vise grips. If your fence moves, you will booger the ivory
• Cut at a steady pace. The blade should be tightened against the wheels as tight as it can be. If you don't do this, the blade will wander because it is so thin. If you push too fast, also, the blade will wander and bow in or out. Slow and steady will make for an awesome cut, minimum waste, a safe safe safe cut and no boogering or burning.

Give that all a try and let me know what other questions you may have.
I'll be glad to help if I can.

keep Care,

Tim

 

[John L]

Many thanks Tim...I will order this blade today and see what happens. Thansk again.