Pyrography on Shells

[Lindy]

Has anyone done this? If you have what can you tell me about it as I would like to try it.

Thanks
Linda

[chpster90bu]

Lindy....I haven't tried it, but love the concept. Never gave it a thought as to it's possibility. What gave you the idea? Bonnie

[Lindy]

Hi Bonnie,

Well I'm sad to report it doesn't work, even with really high temperature I could even make a mark! I got the idea because I was in White Rock, BC yesterday walking the beach and of course collecting shells. After dropping them off in the car, we went to the gift boutique and I saw some burning on vegetable ivory which made me start thinking about the shells and the possibilities, as well as how interesting it would be to have a burning inside the shell. Now I'm just disappointed because I think it would have been interesting. Ah well, I'll have to go and buy the veggie ivory so I can play with that. Hmmmm - I wonder if I could carve into the shells at all.

[Thomp]

linda,

i think you could use a diamond bit or dental but and come up with something like scrimshaw, ob the inside where you scratch and ink the scratch inside the shells, '

an old lical indain in galena alaska would scrimshaw moose bones, and he made a good living at it selling them in ankorage, he did some scrimshaw in side muscle shells,
his tools looked like nails put into little dowles and anchored with sinue oe rawhide, he had a bottle of ink and 5 or so of these scratching tools, but it didnt stop him from making some beautiful work,

he also painted the fungas that grows out of trees like round shelves,

[chpster90bu]

Lindy...I have to agree with Tom here regarding the diamond bits with the results looking like scrimshaw....hand tools would be impossible for sure. Too bad the burning didn't work. I might have liked to have given that a try myself. If you decide to use power on the shells, though, be sure to wear a mask. Bonnie

[BobD]

...so basically it's like trying to burn Tums...

If I remember my college geometry, though...if you mask off areas, you can probably apply a bit of acid to etch it pretty nicely...

Bob

[BobD]

I know I know, it's like saying that glass is the same as sand...while both are Si02, they have different crystal constructions...

I was a geology major until I got fed up with my teachers...in my Minerology class (there were 3 of us in the class) I was the only one to pass...and realized that I didn't want to spend 3 more years translating for the other two in the class!

Bob