On 27 Oct 2003 02:22:16 GMT, ANSPAM (Rhbuxton) wrote:

Does anyone have any experience working with mother of pearl? I would like to
fashion some pocket knife handles out of it but have no idea how to work it.
Can it be sawn, filed, sanded, or buffed? Can it be drilled with high speed
steel twist drill bits? It appears to be brittle, is it? What questions do I
not know enough to ask!
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In Polynesia, artists use tungsten carbide burrs and high-speed
handsets (30,000 - 60,000 rpm) to carve it, and diamond disks to cut
it.

We were given a bunch of shell when we were in pearling areas. My
wife has played with it and, while you can cut it with a jeweler's
saw, the blades don't last long. A Dremel and diamond-coated steel
disks work great. It's very brittle.

Polish the usual way; coarse stones down to rouge for the final
polishing.

Kevin

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