Mammoth ivory inlay...

[poker]

Gangreen, if you did have trouble getting the inlay back out after sanding flush, just super glue a pencil or something to it and lift it out. Thatd be easy to fix.

 

[springfield art]

My intention and desire is to keep it in its raw form and NOT to stain it, that's why I ask the question. I'm curious how to inlet it and file it flush with the stock before staining and then to protect it so that it won't take the stain.

Oh, I see! Guess I'd do all inletting except final mounting of ivory until after staining. Good luck, the ivory is really classy!

 

[Col. Batguano]

".....mammoths are no longer endangered, and they find lots of tusks in the thawing tundras."

And in Alabama where the Tusks a' Loosa

 

[HughMan]

I'd suggest doing one inlay at a time because it's easy to lose focus if you're multi-tusking. Then again, you could find a better solution which would render all this advice irr-elephant.

 

[Mad L]

Never tried it but what about Wax?
Set the ivory inlay, melt a coat of bee's wax (use a small brush, apply a few coats). Then after staining, sand away.
Only problem might be that it could leak around edges however..

 

[user 48679]

Make/install the inlay permanently, sand flush with the stock, then wipe on a heavy coat of paste wax on the surface of the inlay, being careful to get the wax exactly to the edge of the inlay.

To do that, you can temporarily run masking tape on the stock wood around the inlay to protect it, then pull off the tape when done waxing the inlay.

While I've had paint creep under masking tape, I've never had anything get through the dried wax.

Do not buff the wax off until the stock staining & finishing is done.

 

[springfield art]

You've gotten a lot of nice replies, but it's best to do all staining, sanding, etc., THEN cement in Ivory; pre-place and fit it loose, stain, then set it up. All the other options have 'leakage' possibilities. I've never used Mammoth, but would love to on something. Very cool thing to do. Best of luck!

 

[springfield art]

And in Alabama where the Tusks a' Loosa

That Tusks joke is hilarious! Thanks!

 

[springfield art]

I'd suggest doing one inlay at a time because it's easy to lose focus if you're multi-tusking. Then again, you could find a better solution which would render all this advice irr-elephant.

Who'da thunk you could get such funny puns out of mammoth ivory?

 

[Col. Batguano]

"..... out of mammoth ivory?"

Out of ivory? I buy it by the cake

 

[Mad L]

About Mammoth ivory; I have a Mori Hook (necklace) I got some 15 years ago from a site "Whereonearth". It starts out white (depending on its quality, actually more a light off white-yellow). Upon wearing it, it will absorb your body salts and begin to turn a golden, golden-brown. The old sailors said it 'bonds' with its owner and gives protective properties.

Not that I buy into all that old wives tale stuff...but that is what they say.

Mine has now turned a nice golden brown patina. (I do have a few stories to tell, but for another forum perhaps)

 

[k.jacobfrost]

Do you have enough of the ivory to test your stain on to see if or how much it may be effected?

 

[Tumbledown]

Using ivory may be a problem. In many areas, it's restricted or outright illegal unless you can prove the source. It may render the gun essentially worthless or even contraband.

 

[GANGGREEN]

I'd have whatever scraps came off the piece that I cut the inlay out of. Maybe I'll test a tiny, little shred.

Do you have enough of the ivory to test your stain on to see if or how much it may be effected?

 

[Flinty Scot]

You should be able to get New skin or Nexcare brand skin crack repair at most pharmacies. However, since alcohol will remove them, they may not protect from a solvent-based stain or acid-based grain enhancement.
Good luck. Interesting problem. Please post the result.

 

[Ames]

I think most people are imagining your inlays as paper white. And it puts them off.
I am making plans for a SMR with some bone added, comb or toe plate etc. But I envision it stained and steel wooled back to look more like old bone.
If you are not counting on obtaining stark white on the finished inlay, you could get it close to finished depth and thickness. Remove the inlay to stain the stock. Stain the inlay separately. Then steel wool the inlay to the depth/ color you would like and re install. No wet stock stain on the inlay. No wet inlay stain on the stock. Any touch up would be at a minimum.

 

[AFord]

Maybe someone better than I am at it could do so, but I really like to have my inlays perfectly flush with the stock and the only way to really do that is to sand it flush after inletting it, at least for me. Since I don't have Nu-skin or something like that to use, I really think I might be able to tape it with painter's tape, but that's going to require some care and hopefully the stain won't simply work its way underneath the tape and onto the ivory anyway.

My thought, after smoothing the stock & inlay, remove the inlay, stain the stock, THEN, sand the back side of the inlay until the front is the right height. Then glue it (or however you want to attach it).

 

[Pete G]

FWIW All mammoth ivory is fossilized....

 

[Robby]

Using ivory may be a problem. In many areas, it's restricted or outright illegal unless you can prove the source. It may render the gun essentially worthless or even contraband.

Once its' in the wood it magically becomes bone.
Robby

 

[Scota@4570]

Does anyone know if Mammoth ivory takes wood/leather stain? If so, how can I protect it when I stain my stock? Blue painter's tape? I haven't done so yet, but I'm thinking about doing a cheekpiece inlay with Mammoth ivory and I'd like to know that it's not going to look bad.

Nobody had addressed the original question, "I'd like to know that it's not going to look bad". IMHO it will look wrong. Cheek piece inlays were originally done with engraved metal. Brass or silver. That is not to say somebody did not use other things but mostly they were not quality gunsmiths.

OF course, It is your gun, you can do whatever you want. IF you must proceed, I see not reason to stain it.