DIY ivory wafers: could this be it?

[harvey]

This one is from Richard Wagner, 4/8/98, and deals with Ivory Wafer
Retraction. In part:

[Although I have an extremely vivid picture in my mind of the article,
complete with drawings of the process, I don't know where I actually saw
it.  Maybe it was in a handout from a PTG seminar I attended in the past.
Perhaps I dreamed the whole thing... though I doubt it.
If anyone remembers reading such a PTJ article in the last 5+ years or so,
I'd sure like to know where and when it was.]

I hope Bill Smith (and Jeannie Grassi?) will forgive my failure to get
permission to use this, but I just happened to have it in my archives.
Also, I'll let y'all play with the 'oxide' versus 'dioxide' part -- my
chemistry is fading fast.

From: Tuner's Beat, December 1992
Making Ivory Wafers
by Bill Smith

When ivory wafers are not available from supply houses, or at times they do
not work as they should -- why not make your own?
Ivory wafers should be very white and when clamped and heated should
liquefy and somewhat seep out from underneath the ivory.
Start with about 8-10 ounces of liquid hot glue in the glue pot. To the hot
glue, slowly add enough dry titanium dioxide powder to make it white. Add
the powder slowly, stirring until the brew appears smooth. The powder does
thicken the glue somewhat, so at this time add enough water to thin the
glue to make it watery.
Have ready some VERY THIN WHITE COTTON-LIKE FABRIC (old white cotton bed
sheet works fine) -- torn or cut into squares about 7" x 7". Immerse two
squares into the glue/titanium dioxide mixture, stir and soak them for a
minute or so. Take the soaked squares out of the glue and place on a TEFLON
cookie sheet and immediately squeegee off the surplus glue. This should be
done before the glue starts to get. A rubber kitchen spatula can be used as
a squeegee. The wafer will dry in about an hour and will readily peel off
the teflon sheet. You can accelerate the drying process by using a hair dryer.
The wafers can then be cut into 1" x 2" pieces for fronts or 1/2" x 4"
pieces for tails. A paper cutter or scissors would great. The glue mixture
will make approximately eight wafers 7" x 7".
The dry powder titanium dioxide can usually be obtained from some paint
stores and art supply outlets. The last supply I had was a pound jar. Some
places have referred to it as "titanium white."

[end of quoted material]
 

Jim Harvey, RPT
harvey@greenwood.net
________________________
Yes, I'm familiar with Brambach... why do you ask?
	-Jim Harvey, 1974