The "Mammoth Tooth" Blues...

[Montauks]

So after a coupla weeks of drooling over some mammoth tooth scales on Eay I purchase a pair of scales to try out on my next project   :D   ....man this stuff is pretty, but B R I T T L E!
 
I tried drilling the holes for the pins (carbide bit) and it split,
then I dropped the other piece     I'll have to incorporate it into a different type of handle.
The old lemons into lemonade cliche...I was looking forward to
an all mammoth tooth handle though...maybe next time.

Gene

[sticshooter]

Well I was going to give it a whirl... but now I think I'll pass.To bad buddy that is some great looking stuff.<><<><

[Leftieshot]

Looks like great spacers to me, unfortunately.  Sorry man!

[Montauks]

  Well I was going to give it a whirl... but now I think I'll pass

I hear ya....the stuff ain't cheap. As stated, I'll use it as a spacer for now.

[el oso]

Bummer. But now you can have some of it on several knives!

[Mechslasher]

that's a nice color, love the red mammoth tooth.  there is definately a trick to working with mammoth tooth.

[tippit]

Don't despair yet!  You can probably fit that back together and re-glue it with some super glue and a light clamp or just hold it together...use latex glove so you Don't stick to it!  Doesn't matter if you get glue on surface as you can grind it off easily.  If you have a small void, just keep filling it with super glue and it should come out looking like glass.  I usually lay it on some waxed paper and a flat surface so the bottom doesn't stick..Doc

[Montauks]

Thanks, Doc
  I'll think about it, I really don't have much "wiggle" room on the handle were I was drilling for the pin hole.

Gene

[tippit]

The other option is don't even put pins in.  Once pieces are glued together, just have the back roughed up well, a few holes in the tang, and then just glue to the tang.  The stuff isn't bad to grind and shape when it is well supported by the tang.

Question:  Did you drill it once it was glued on or just try to pre-drill the Mommoth tooth?  If you pre-drilled, it is just too brittle sometimes for that...Doc

[Montauks]

Doc, I took your advice and glued it back together, then drilled again...once more it broke...did the same procedure over...sooo right now I have it as one scale with 2 pin holes drilled out and the other scale I am pre-treating with 2-3 coats of super glue on each side before I attempt to drill. But I think your on the right track as far as going pin-less in the future or perhaps utilizing a thicker scale..you always learn the first time around!
Thanks,
Gene

[tippit]

If you glue it to the tang and then drill it...it is much less likely to break as the tang gives it the support...Doc

[Doug Campbell]

It ussually works best to glue mammoth tooth to something for some structural strength. Even a piece of thin cardboard which will keep it from crumbling out the back side when you drill it too. Once it's all glued up and saturated with glue a couple times it's considerable stronger.

Doug

[Montauks]

Doug, that's what I figure I'll do with the other scale, I'm going to glue it to a fiber card then drill.

Gene