What to use?

[ihsfab]

Hi all,

I have been asked to engrave on a sterling silver end cap on a Boars tusk corkscrew.

Since this cap is hollow what would be the best thing to put inside the end cap to keep it from collapsing as I engrave it? I am thinking about Pitch or some type of Jetset/Thermolock. What do you all think.

I can see that it has been held on the tusk with pitch/shellac substance.

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Willem Parel]

I would fill it up with thermoloc ( less vibration compare to jettset imho) but before that I would put a little plastic bag in it so the thermoloc doesn't stick and is easely to remove.

 

[dlilazteca]

Scratch that, Will. makes perfect sense use thermal lock

Carlos De La O III

 

[Andrew Biggs]

If you fill it with thermolock be very careful as getting it out may become a bit of a mission............line it with a plastic supermarket first as Willem has suggested. Thermolock doesn't stick to it for some reason. That means when you come to take it out again it should just slide out easily. The thermolock will also help with work holding in the vise so you don't crush the end cap.

Vibration should not be too big an issue with this project. The silver on these things is very thin and the Sterling soft. That means you will have to use a very light touch.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Ron Spokovich]

If permissible, don't remove the material you fill the tusk with. One material you can use is the two part mix of resin in auto body repair, and pour in quickly with the opening level. Then, wait for the cure. Second, there is a company called 'The Golf Works', I believe, that sells a pourable mix for building up faces of golf clubs. When using this, don't get it hot by buffing, as it'll soften, if temperature. I once filled a bunch of hollow bear claws with resin, and buffed them after cure. They came out perfectly to use on a friend's Dundee style hat. One thing to remember when using any two part mix is to leave an escape route for the heat generated by the chemical reaction, as this is needed for complete cure. If not, without some sort of vent, the bond may fail.

 

[Ron Spokovich]

Correction to previous post

My error! It should read ". . .it'll soften, if temperature is too high." Sorry about that.

 

[monk]

i'd be concerned using a product requiring heat to soften, or any resinous product that's exothermic. would this heating cause damage ? i'd pack it with a stiff plasticene or modeling clay. pack it with small pellets and when filled, just leave it in. thermoloc is better than sliced bread, but i'd be very cautious about heat in this instance.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Thermolock would be just fine. You have to use a bit of common sense with it.

Don't shove it down the cavity when it's blistering hot, burning the kitchen down and melting the skin off your fingers......... Let it cool down a bit, kneading it as you go to keep the heat distributed evenly. It's actually quite pliable at medium heats.

The trick is to just take your time and exercise a gentle hand.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[rayf24]

As everone is saying thermolock and plastic shopping is fine BUT CHECK THAT THE MOUTH ISN'T SMALLER THAN THE BUTT END other wise it may have a dovetail effect and not pull out so easy !!!! it only take a 1/16 or 1mm taper and less to be a pain.
Ray
You could also use some dental plaster for support and cast a post in it to hold the job in your vise then remove with a burr as it will break away easier.

 

[Texasgerd]

I'll echo the comments on epoxy filling the tusk.
We've done a lot of repair on skulls/tusks that were not stabilized. They will actively split. I'd engrave the cap w/ thermoloc, but fill the tooth w/ epoxy. Then flip and fill the cap w/ the same epoxy, and insert the tooth when complete. This way you have a stabilized tooth, and fully encased tooth's end in epoxy. The final caping is a biggie. The end of any tusk/tooth is extremely thin and will quickly propagate cracks. It will also help the tooth in taking the stress of using the cork screw. Finally, the epoxy acts as a sort of harmonic dampener if they drop the corkscrew (and they will) preventing it from breaking.

Dan

 

[monk]

to andrew: thanks for that. i was uncertain if the heat would cause cracking or discoloration.

 

[LVVP]

I use only hot glue, works great for me. (Gun + Glue sticks)

 

[Andrew Biggs]

to andrew: thanks for that. i was uncertain if the heat would cause cracking or discoloration.

Just so we are on the same page.........I was talking about filling the silver end cap only. Not the tusk. The tusk would be quite fragile I should imagine.

There was also a good point made about the internal shape of the end cap. Make sure it is not a dovetail otherwise it will take a long time to pick the thermolock out. If it is you could use a teflon spacer bar in the middle as a safety valve so that it can slide out.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[ihsfab]

Well I figured out how to hold the end cap. I ended up filling the whole thing full of hot glue and placed a tin foil wrapped block of wood in the middle of the hot glue..... Worked like a charm... Sorry about the quality of the pictures..