I wanted to use ivory for an inlay. I googled ivory and came up with
several descriptions of various materials used in making
imitation ivory. This includes acrylic & phenolic resins.
Pool balls are made of phenolic resin.
I am now getting to a question related to all this.
How many of you craftsmen have seen the chinese puzzle ball,
where there are several balls within balls ?
My brother has one & *insists* it is ivory.
http://www.tradekey.com/product_view/id/73014.htm

My theory as to how the ball is made (not carved) is to start
with a small ball, cover with a thin sheet of wax, then
pour a resin over this in a mold that simulates an intricate
carving, and so on to the finished outside ball.
After all is done, melt out the wax.
sorry this is so long.

Smitty

wrote:
I wanted to use ivory for an inlay. I googled ivory and came up with
several descriptions of various materials used in making
imitation ivory. This includes acrylic & phenolic resins.
Pool balls are made of phenolic resin.
I am now getting to a question related to all this.
How many of you craftsmen have seen the chinese puzzle ball,
where there are several balls within balls ?
My brother has one & *insists* it is ivory.
http://www.tradekey.com/product_view/id/73014.htm

They are called "balls of patience". Used to be ivory, may still be
made with it.

My theory as to how the ball is made (not carved) is to start
with a small ball, cover with a thin sheet of wax, then
pour a resin over this in a mold that simulates an intricate
carving, and so on to the finished outside ball.
After all is done, melt out the wax.
sorry this is so long.

I suppose that would work but I've seen them being carved (in China).



--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

wrote:

My brother has one & *insists* it is ivory.

Ivory is quite easy to identify. Heat and smell tests rule out most of
the synthetics and looking for Schreger patterns will tell if its
hippo, mammoth or elephant (you'll need a hand lens). Telling antique
elephant from modern illegal elephant is the tricky one.


My theory as to how the ball is made

You think they're complicated? Look at these
http://www.bathsheba.com/

Some are carved but a lot are turned. David Springett shows how in his
"Woodturning Wizardry" book.
______
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com
wrote in message
ups.com...
I wanted to use ivory for an inlay. I googled ivory and came up with
several descriptions of various materials used in making
imitation ivory. This includes acrylic & phenolic resins.
Pool balls are made of phenolic resin.
I am now getting to a question related to all this.
How many of you craftsmen have seen the chinese puzzle ball,
where there are several balls within balls ?
My brother has one & *insists* it is ivory.
http://www.tradekey.com/product_view/id/73014.htm

My theory as to how the ball is made (not carved) is to start
with a small ball, cover with a thin sheet of wax, then
pour a resin over this in a mold that simulates an intricate
carving, and so on to the finished outside ball.
After all is done, melt out the wax.
sorry this is so long.

Smitty

Tue, Sep 19, 2006, 9:07am (EDT-3) doth smoke his
sawdust and posteth:
snip How many of you craftsmen have seen the chinese puzzle ball,
where there are several balls within balls ? My brother has one &
*insists* it is ivory. http://www.tradekey.com/product_view/id/73014.htm
My theory as to how the ball is made (not carved) is to snip

I've seen some. In the National Museum in Taipai, Taiwan. Some of
'em had up to seven balls, possibly even more, but it's been a long
time. They were ivory, not plastic, and they were carved. Varied from
maybe 2-3 inches tall, to well over a foot. Most were very, very,
ornate. I went thru the entire museum, but don't even recall anything
else in there. They didn't allow picture taking. Practice and you can
probably knock one out in a weekend.



JOAT
I am not paranoid. I do not "think" people are after me. I "know" damn
well they're after me.

Nope. They're either carved or turned on a lathe from a single solid
block.

-- Andy Barss

J T wrote:
Tue, Sep 19, 2006, 9:07am (EDT-3) doth smoke his
sawdust and posteth:
snip How many of you craftsmen have seen the chinese puzzle ball,
where there are several balls within balls ? My brother has one &
*insists* it is ivory. http://www.tradekey.com/product_view/id/73014.htm
My theory as to how the ball is made (not carved) is to snip

I've seen some. In the National Museum in Taipai, Taiwan. Some of
'em had up to seven balls, possibly even more, but it's been a long
time. They were ivory, not plastic, and they were carved. Varied from
maybe 2-3 inches tall, to well over a foot. Most were very, very,
ornate. I went thru the entire museum, but don't even recall anything
else in there. They didn't allow picture taking. Practice and you can
probably knock one out in a weekend.



JOAT
I am not paranoid. I do not "think" people are after me. I "know" damn
well they're after me.

Better make it a long weekend. I recall seeing a display in a shop
selling the balls showing how they were made. The round ball is drilled
with conical holes down to the depth of the innermost ball. Then a
special drill bit that had 'wings', similar to a weed whacker's three
blade setup, on the end that would swing out as they cut a spherical
groove. This wither freed the inner sphere or came very close so hand
cutting would remove the remaining connections. One free the inner
sphere was carved, then the process repeated for other layers.
Thinking about it now, having tried to carve a few Celtic knots, it
seems it might be easier to hold the outer layers immobile while freeing
and carving the inner ones. Or a few details have evaporated over time.
Joe

" wrote in
ups.com:

I wanted to use ivory for an inlay. I googled ivory and came up with
several descriptions of various materials used in making
imitation ivory.

Depending on how big an inlay you want to do, tagua nuts are frequently
used.

How many of you craftsmen have seen the chinese puzzle ball,
where there are several balls within balls ?
My brother has one & *insists* it is ivory.
http://www.tradekey.com/product_view/id/73014.htm

My theory as to how the ball is made (not carved) is to start
with a small ball, cover with a thin sheet of wax, then
pour a resin over this in a mold that simulates an intricate
carving, and so on to the finished outside ball.
After all is done, melt out the wax.
sorry this is so long.

I've made similar items, and many whittlers/carvers have made "ball in
cage" designs. While waiting on the computer to do various tasks
(downloads, compiles, etc.) I started carving somethin similar from
basswood eggs. Due to the grain and softness of the wood, I never got more
than two "layers". People ofter accuse me of cutting the eggs open,
hollowing them out, then glueing them back together. They're puzzled when
they can't find the seams. I would post some on abpw, but I think I've
given all the good ones away. Will see what I can find. Bathsheba
Grossman's stuff is computer generated; not carved but built up layer-by-
layer.

Wed, Sep 20, 2006, 6:52am (Joe*Gorman) doth posteth
thusly:
Better make it a long weekend. snip

Well you can't procrastinate. LMAO

There was some written info, but I was so awed I didn't really pay
that much attention. I do know it said something about making one of
those took months at least, and I think some of the more elaborate ones
took, years. I don't recall any description of how they were made. If
they'd allowed cameras I'd have taken pictures of everything. You
descrition of how they're made makes a lot more sense than how I was
thinking - I've only ever heard they were "carved". Hmm, now that I
think on it I may have seen one or two at the Smithsonian too. For you
guys that've only seen pictures of one, seeing one in person is so much
more awesome.



JOAT
I am not paranoid. I do not "think" people are after me. I "know" damn
well they're after me.