Make Cool Stuff Carving IVORY! (Part Deux) (Anchorage, Barrow: sale, crime)

[SityData]

Using a latex (exam) glove makes it much easier to spread the glue along the cord for an inch or so.

My sons just use their fingers, the glue comes off easily using several simple, different methods. Each method works quite well by itself.

It peels off as they continue to work.

It can easily be removed using nail polish remover or acetone

It is easily sanded off quickly




Once you cut the cord, now you have a much smaller diameter and can easily push that cord with little or no effort at all. Next step is to tie the knots and lock this bracelet together.

Grab each end; pull tightly; and tie a simple knot.



The next step is to glue the knots, so they cannot ever unravel and become loose.

[starlite9]

Very good thread! Neat photos of the work in progress!

[SityData]

Thanks Starlite9. I'm looking forward to seeing you again this Sunday!!

[SityData]

Wow !! What an incredible surprise. AFN (Alaska Federation of Natives)This is the last thing I would have ever expected to hear. Tommorrow I will post the photographs to PROVE IT. As is our normal daily routine; Two of the boys are out the door before 10:am They are usually home by noon. Our work day has ended. Today; they went to AFN the yearly hooha meetings for ALL NATIVES - state-wide. Thousands of people decend upon Anchorage, all headed for the Denaina Civic Convention Center downtown on 7th Ave. Well the boys sure were surprised to see so many close friends from different villages. But they were SHOCKED when they began to look at all the arts & crafts tables. Five different tables on the first floor - selling arts & crafts. (chuckle) Each table was 'full' of OUR bracelets we have made in the past and sold to so many different people in so many different villages.

I have said; numerous times; That Inupiaq woman collect bracelets; Some have huge collections. They buy lots; so that when they travel; they use them as cash for extra money when travelling. Everyone is selling theirs. BUT; they cannot charge what they originally paid for them because they are not the original artist. The arts & crafts are carefully adminstrated; so that the original artisit retains the rights.
When certain people recognized my sons; the very first words were; do you have any new bracelets ?? YES !

[SityData]

A small Baleen / Ivory Jewerly Box w/ Momma seal and baby seal

[SityData]

AFN was a lot of fun, seeing lots of people we haven't seen in over a year & a half. Barrow, Pt. Lay, Wainwright, Point Hope & Kotzebue. It sure was a great time and I long to go back home where we belong.

Meanwhile, we keep busy.. at home far far away from the maddening crowd.



You can easily notice; the different amounts of pieces in each bracelet is not the same.
It only requires making one bracelet for anyone (even children) to become very proficient at doing these same simple steps.
This is a time tested well proven method to generate x-tra income that has worked for decades .. .. in the arctic! YOU CAN do the exact same thing; no matter where you live!!

The biggest problem is DUST. When cutting or sanding; that is the one main issue that must be dealt with BEFORE you can even begin.

Vacumn cleaners, masks, dust collectors, fans, etc. There are many options available to choose from. This is the quick method; while the fan on the right side of him blows the dust out away from the front of his face while cutting or slicing this tusk into 1/4" pieces.



We always purchase extra items; that will make our work flow easier; We like to pay special attention to very details and of course these magnifyers with lights make it so much easier to see (fine scratches). In addition to the magnifying lens and smaller lens. there is a third lens hidden upside of the visor that snaps down for the ultimate in extreme magnification.




These small 'spindles' are made to INSERT inside a bigger unit or turntable that holds hundreds more bits, & burrs and other essential tools for shaping; smoothing & cutting of any type materials or ivories. YOU cannot safely work in a mess. YOu have to have .. an orderly neat clean work area with everything you possibly need at your finger tips close by.



All cuttting, shaping is done in this corner. The fan works quite well to expell the dust out the window. We clean sweep up the major dust that forms in the work areas every evening. Once per week we wipe down all tools and surfaces with clean damp rags. I've taken the time to explain the many advantages of using 'preventative mantainence" to my sons. How incredibly important it is . to take great care of all tools and equipment to prolong the life of the tools.



The cost of setting up this makeshift shop was very inexpensive. Most of the stuff we found - headed for the dumpsters; left by the elevators in our building. Free is good enough all the time. we will find a use for it.


Ear-rings, are the most efficient use of ivory possible. There is vitrually no waste. They are simple to make, no skills needed other than smooth edges.

Always take great care to round off, bevel, & smooth any edge that is sharp.













THE FINAL - FINISHED PRODUCTS. There is no easier way to generate guaranteed X-tra income than making simple ivory ear-rings. They all sell like wildfire no matter where we go to display or show them. We have only one word we use. Ivory ?? instantly everyone is always interested!

[SityData]

Simple shapes; easy work, right from the comfort of your home. My passion is photography; My greatest pleasure is to create images of total strangers (un aware) and then market and sell for profit those same images to completly different strangers. This is not an easy task to accomplish. But ivory is free money, flowing like a river daily for anyone that takes the time to duplicate what has been posted in this thread and in the ORIGINAL THREAD. Once you acquire the simple skills to draw a simple shape; cut it out and smooth it and polish that item. Then you can sit back, relax, and use your imagination in ways you might never have imagined.

The... most important thing for any item you may make.. .. is that 'shine'. That is the main attraction. It is the shine that sells !!





As you can easily see and discern; there is very little remaining of that cotton polishing wheel that once was 5 inches in diameter!
We have plenty of spares on hand, 5 inch and 3 inch cotton and muslim, wheels.

There are lots of special tricks we use to achieve that mirror like glass shine on ivory. All of the stores we deal with ask the same question. How do you get that shine so brilliant ? No other pieces of ivory from other artists on their bracelets and other works can shine like this.

What do you use ? Well we use the same polishing compound(s) as the others use. Diamond XXX or Diamond XXXX or Fabuluster. But the main trick is to take your time and use multiple coats of polish. When it POPS you will instantly recognize that shine.



Practice, practice; Practice .. ... Makes .. 'better'!

[SityData]

We won't be making bracelets until maybe next week. No demand for them now. But, in a couple of weeks; we have lots of people requesting us to stop on by and show our crafts.

Meanwhile we are prepping for our next run of ear-rings.

TOP LEFT: 4 pair of ulu ear-rings w/ mastodon handles.

Bottom Right: Arc type shaped pieces that naturally break away from every piece of mastodon ivory. We use these to make pasta type twisted ear-rings that are extremely popular.





These are the finished arc type ear-rings from the image above.




Rounding off the sharp edges inside and outside these Oval type ear-rings.





Inside edges and outside edges all need to be broken and rounded off using burr cutting bit. Then sand to obtain a smooth scratch free surface.




Cut ting down the sharp edges and rounding them off using a burr bit to cut with.


Sanding the rounded edges smooth and remove all scratches in the ivory.

[SityData]

Here are step by step views of how we make "spiral" ear-rings.

Yes these are very small, and lots of detail is added thus making the price rather high. Women never hesitate when we show these. Eighty to One hundred & Twenty is the range these fall into. Depending on the size (length).







Yes these are time consuming to create. Most ear-rings only require 15 minutes per pair to create. These take the greater part of 45 minutes per pair.



Carefully following the original lines created, all ivory is removed until the entire spiral is hollow!

[SityData]

The final product all finished !