restoring imititation ivory

[Jase]

My set of pipes has Imitation ivory, which i have been told were once
white. they are now a dark yellow hue. What is the best quickest method
of bringing back the white? I tried toothpaste and and toothbruch, bu
the effect was unremarkable. The same with lemon juice and salt.

any winners?

how much would it cost to get them changed over for new imitation
mounts?

thanks all.

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[Andrew & Kristen Lenz]

Why do you want to lighten them? Did someone tell you that they were
ugly, or you just want make then look more like ivory? Yellowed mounts
are not uncommon.

You could try scraping off a bit in an inconspicuous spot. If the
discoloration is deep I'd say you are bummed, but that's just a
semi-educated guess. I'd be interested to hear if anyone as a good
method to reverse the aging of the synthetic mounts.

Best,
Andrew
--
Andrew & Kristen Lenz
al...@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu
Santa Cruz, California U.S.A.

[dnimmo]

Andrew & Kristen Lenz wrote in message
<394FF16F...@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu>...

>Why do you want to lighten them? Did someone tell you that they were
>ugly, or you just want make then look more like ivory? Yellowed mounts
>are not uncommon.
>

Hmmm....Now I'm confused..............(again)...........it was my
understanding that pipemakers long sought a synthetic that would "age" in a
manner similar to real ivory...........I suppose some were more successful
than others.............I don't think any were really successful and I get
the impression that many have just accepted the fact that white plastic is
white plastic and always will be.............

so the "yellowing" of the plastic ivory was in most cases, designed to
happen..........

David

[sdon]

Fine grit steel wool takes it right off and dosen't seem to hurt the
plastic.

Don

Andrew & Kristen Lenz wrote:

> Why do you want to lighten them? Did someone tell you that they were
> ugly, or you just want make then look more like ivory? Yellowed mounts
> are not uncommon.
>

> You could try scraping off a bit in an inconspicuous spot. If the
> discoloration is deep I'd say you are bummed, but that's just a
> semi-educated guess. I'd be interested to hear if anyone as a good
> method to reverse the aging of the synthetic mounts.
>
> Best,
> Andrew
> --
> Andrew & Kristen Lenz
> al...@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu
> Santa Cruz, California U.S.A.

--
PIPER AT LARGE (sd...@utah.uswest.net)
White Peaks Pipe Band
http://www.angelfire.com/ut/sdon/index.html

[Jase]

Thanks all,

It is just a personal thing. I don't really like the look of the
yellowing, though I accept some find it attractive.

It sounds like too much work anyway, I think i will leave them alone!!!
Use the time to practice!!!!!!!

[Ray Hyde]

Want to swap? My set is 10 years old and still as pristine as the day it
came out of the box. The whiteness simply hurts the eye.

Is there anyway I can make this cheapo plastic look like mellow yellow
ivory?

Cheers,

Ray

"Jase" <zmuhNO...@hotmail.com.invalid> schreef in bericht
news:15efa2ac...@usw-ex0106-044.remarq.com...

> My set of pipes has Imitation ivory, which i have been told were once
> white. they are now a dark yellow hue. What is the best quickest method
> of bringing back the white? I tried toothpaste and and toothbruch, bu
> the effect was unremarkable. The same with lemon juice and salt.
>
> any winners?
>
> how much would it cost to get them changed over for new imitation
> mounts?
>
> thanks all.
>
>

[Andrew & Kristen Lenz]

Ray Hyde wrote:
> Is there anyway I can make this cheapo plastic look like mellow yellow
> ivory?

You want the useless but effective answer? Leave it in the sun for a few weeks.

I'll check with a objects conservator acquaintance and see if I can find
a useful method.

[John Brock]

I personally have not tried this but I understand soaking it in
strong tea will give the color you want. Then buff the edges on a lathe
with a 0000 ScotchBrite pad to remove some of the stain so it looks more
like natural wear and tear. Then seal it with some fresh super blonde
shellac to get the shine. I have some good imitation ivory I've been
turning so I'll try it myself one of these days.

John Brock

Andrew & Kristen Lenz <al...@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu> wrote in message
news:3951EC69...@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu...

[Andrew & Kristen Lenz]

Here's what I learned from the objects conservator (works at an
archive/museum) regarding yellowing (or lightening) imitation ivory.

He says:

"The parts might be made of cellulose nitrate (celluloid). Try exposing them
to ultraviolet light, which will cause yellowing."

[Any pipe makers want to let us know exactly of what this plastic is composed?]

"By the way, the yellowing in ivory actually occurs due to the lack of
light, which is the opposite of most organic materials. Yellowed old
ivory is more an indication of it being shielded from light, and in the
case of a musical instrument, not used very much, more than it is a
direct function of age. Therefore, yellowing imitation ivory to
represent old(er) real ivory is not exactly accurate."

"There really isn't anything that you can do to whiten the yellowed
plastic, as that type of change is irreversible, since it occurs on the
molecular level as a reaction to light and oxygen. You can remove the
grime from the surfaces if that is partially responsible for darkening
the color with slightly damp cloths with a mild soap solution; dry the
surfaces immediately."

So there you have it. The only way to lighten yellowed plastic is to get
rid of the yellowed plastic, i.e. remove the oxidized outer layer with
some abrasive item (steel wool, etc.).

[Ray Hyde]

Thanks for the extensive info. However, I have the feeling that my set is
not imitation ivory, just white plastic, that even has swirls of a more
transparent plastic thrown in. After ten years playing everywhere, including
the sun, one would have thought *some* yellowing would occur. Such a pity,
because the woodworking is very good.

Tea won't stick to the surface. Anybody has an idea if this could be
celluloid? The set is a Piob Mhor.

Thanks for the help so far!

Cheers,

Ray

"Andrew & Kristen Lenz" <al...@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu> schreef in bericht
news:3952735F...@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu...

[John Brock]

Ray:
That sounds like the imitation ivory I use. It comes out of the UK.
I get it from Craft Supplies in Utah. It does not yellow by itself. I
think it is a polyester resin. Personally, I like the clean look it has
after turning, polishing, and finishing. The subtle swirls and slight
color variations look a lot like the real thing. I understand it can be
colored with strong tea and then buffed to look like what we think old
real ivory looks like. I haven't tried it yet but I probably will.

John Brock

Ray Hyde <r...@eurotech.nl> wrote in message
news:8ivcvm$4i2$1...@nereid.worldonline.nl...

[Ray Hyde]

John,

thanks for the info. I understand strong tea is not an option in Utah? :-)

I will give it a try, though I balk a soaking the wood too, so it's going to
be tricky. I tried dabbing a test bit, but that didn't help much, so I need
to take stronger measures.

Cheers,

Ray"John Brock" <j...@mcneel.com> schreef in bericht
news:8ivu67$o40$1...@news.mcneel.com...

[Dan Maker]

Ray Hyde <r...@eurotech.nl> wrote:
> John,

> thanks for the info. I understand strong tea is not an option in Utah? :-)

Hard to find, but not an impossible option here in Utah ;) When I was younger
I was on a boy scout indian dance team, we used black tea to artificially age
the bone hair pipes we used for varous parts of our costumes (I was in Seattle
at the time, tea was easy to find.)

Dan (in Orem Ut.)
--
Linux Advocate * Fiber Junkie * Piper * Genealogist
Bagpipe FAQ - http://www.xmission.com/~redbeard/rmmb_fom/cache/1.html

[Donna C Morris]

Did you try whitening toothpaste? !

[Donna C Morris]

You could get a bagpipe maker to turn down the mounts on a laithe

Glyn

[Jase]

i ended up using normal toothpaste, which works okay - but gee it takes
a hell of a lot of time - time i should use to practise. i ended up
only doing the blowpipe mount, and after 30mins it only brought a small
amount of the yellow off.

also, i noticed the paste was affecting the varnish on the wood - that
put an end to my efforts!

more practise of my movements, and less dicking around with the gear!

thanks all

[Chris Eyre]

You would have saved yourself a lot of time and got a better result if you
had used car paint restorer instead (ie. T-Cut) and protected the varnish on
the wood with a wrap of plastic tape.

Chris Eyre

Jase <zmuhNO...@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:022eeae0...@usw-ex0107-049.remarq.com...

[John Brock]

I was turning some imitation ivory over the holiday break and found
plain old automotive polishing compound on a rag works great on it.
After shaping with scrapers, and sanding to 400 grit, I tried the
polishing compound and in seconds it shined right up. It works well on
blackwood too after 600 grit paper.

John Brock

Chris Eyre <lsr...@ceyre.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:8jk7bn$sje$2...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk...

[Paul Mc]

My wife's pipes and mine are of roughly the same vintage and both
have imitation ivory mounts. When compared side by side, the two
sets of mounts appears almost identical, however, mine are a very
dark yellow and my wife's are about half as dark a yellow.

I've often wondered why mine took on a more aged appearance and
the only possibility that seems to make any sense is the type of
pipe case they are stored in.

My wife keeps hers in a plastic covered wooden case, while I keep
mine in an all leather case. I believe that the tannins in the
leather are slowly being released as the leather ages and that
these vapours, which are continually surrounding my pipes, have
been the significant factor in this 'aging' process.

Both of us bought our pipes new in the late '70s. If yours are of
a similar age you might try exposing them to leather in a
confined area.

I'd suggest oak tanned leather it has stronger tannins than other
types. Cut a piece just big enough to fit the bottom of your
case. Let it sit out in the sun for about a week, then put it in
the bottom of your pipe case.

If it works, my theory is proved. If it doesn't, at least you'll
have a nice piece of carving leather to work with. ;)

Best of luck,
Paul Mc.

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