4 replies to this topic

[tsterling]

I recently completed a small stone bladed knife and added a group of ladybugs to it. While I was in tutorial mode, I took photos along the way and have posted a long tutorial about carving ladybugs on my web site.

Here's the link: http://www.sterlingsculptures.com/Resource...tutorial_01.htm

Hope you enjoy it.

[Janel]

My thanks to the guest who was having a look at this topic! I believe that I missed this entry last year when my computer was down. Thanks Tom for putting together the great tutorial! I have not got the handy shop tools, but the concept for doing the lady bugs is a great teaching tool. The tiny lathe is quite a sweet looking tool!

One question about the use of vinegar, do you wipe/rinse the vinegar off before dying the antler?

[tsterling]

Janel, on Jul 9 2006, 12:53 PM, said:

One question about the use of vinegar, do you wipe/rinse the vinegar off before dying the antler?

I just let the vinegar dry before dyeing, occasionally gently using a little compressed air to speed things up. The vinegar really only needs to sit on the ivory or antler a couple of minutes to dissolve whatever it is dissolving, giving the surface a little "tooth." You only want to paint it on, not soak the ivory or antler. Soaking for long periods (ie weeks) will turn bone and antler into "rubber" so that's not good - assuming you didn't want rubber, of course. Oh yes, it will do the same to an egg shell.

[Janel]

I did the egg shell/vinegar thing when our son was small. That process was interesting to watch over the days it took to disolve the shell.

[Jim Kelso]

Nice sequence Tom. Thanks. For those without a lathe, you turn small pins like that chucked in a larger handpiece or in a drill-press, using files instead of turning tools.