# How do you secure a small shell to carve?



## jmwhosh (Feb 15, 2010)

I just got back from a trip to the Bahamas and with us we brought a couple really ugly looking Conch shells (ugly because the outer shell is not pretty but the inside is the beautiful pink you'd see with most conch shells). I've looked online and found some real cool things you can do with them by cutting the shell into pieces and then carving, like make jewelry or even christmas ornaments. I love this idea but how do you secure a small piece of shell well enough to use a dremel to carve? Is there a special type of vice? Do you just glue it to something? Anyone have any ideas on how to carve these things safely?


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## jmwhosh (Feb 15, 2010)

Here's about the only thing I can find on the subject.

Makeing Conch shell beads

Making a Conch shell pendandt

I'd love to make something like this








or This


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## REO (Sep 20, 2012)

Use a hot glue gun for temporary holding.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

In jewelry work we usually use shellac as an adhesive for carving tiny or hard to hold pieces.
The shellac we use comes in stick form, about 3/4" square, and 4" long and is green in color.
It is used by melting a puddle onto a dowel handle, or a plate we can grip in the engraving vise.
Then you just embed the article to be engraved in the puddle. It will solidify very quickly.
To remove the part we just drop it into alcohol and it dissolves the shellac.


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## jmwhosh (Feb 15, 2010)

thanks for the reply, would buying burn in shellac from woodcraft be the same thing youre talking about?


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Another vote for hot glue.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I'm not sure of the WoodCraft product.

http://www.stuller.com/search/results/?query=shellac

Here is a link to one of my suppliers.
Apparently you could use the flake product as well.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

For really small cavings, i use industrial strength double stick tape… flat, on a board, and gummed into a ball for irregular shapes.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

Italy is famous for conch shell cameos. What they do is amazing. 
I bought my wife a cameo pendant and a complete carved shell when I was there.

Bahama conch shells aren't much to look at, but the conch sure taste good.


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## lathu (Aug 8, 2013)

Ya.This is real.Its look beautiful.


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