How to Make Imitation Scrimshaw
Long ago when whaling ships plied the seas in search of blubber, sailors used to engrave pieces of whale or walrus ivory. These engravings are called scrimshaw, and although legal ivory is now hard to find, many people still practice this art. Although some engravers opt to use the same tools and materials as these ancient sailors, you can create a fair imitation using modern ones.
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Things You'll Need
- Engraving material
- Pencil
- Dremel
- Polishing wheel
- Beeswax
- Fine dremel tip or pin
- Cotton swab
- India ink
- Rag
Instructions
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1
Select a material to engrave. Whale, walrus, or elephant ivory can be rare and in some cases, illegal to buy. You can obtain antique ivory legally from reputable sources, but it is expensive and highly regulated. Some engravers also use extinct mastodon ivory, which is also expensive. A cheaper alternative is to use ordinary bone or imitation ivory. In a pinch, you can use modern resin.
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2
Seal the surface of your material by running a buffing wheel over it. A buffing wheel is an attachment for a modern dremel. Dip the wheel into beeswax before you run it along your carving surface.
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Draw your design lightly on the surface of your material using a pencil. Begin to carve away at it using your choice of engraving tools. The fastest method is to use a fine tip with a modern dremel, but your result will not look as authentic as it would if you use traditional tools. The traditional method of doing scrimshaw simply uses a pin, such as a sewing needle, to scratch out the design.
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Dip a cotton swab into a bottle of India ink and smear it over your engraving. Let it dry for 60 seconds, then slightly dampen a rag and wipe it over the surface of the carving. This will clear any excess ink away, but leave the ink in the engraving untouched.
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Replace your dremel tip with the polishing wheel again and reseal the surface of your scrimshaw with beeswax.
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References
- Photo Credit Whale bones image by gburba from Fotolia.com
