Where to find faux tortoise shell for Boulle table?

2 months ago

I'm working on cleaning up and trying to get a Boulle table back to a shape where we can display it. I've been polishing the brass with steel wool and gluing loose parts back down with hide glue. There are several missing pieces of brass and tortoise shell. I'd like to find something to use on the top to replace this missing piece of red tortoise shell since it's really obvious. Any suggestions where I can find something that would be similar to this red?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

Michael Hilber

2 months ago

Very nice, looks well worth the work to fix it. Think I'd experiment with mixing some of this up.

Here is some pigment powder -

https://www.amazon.com/Merlot-Pigment-Plastidip-Diamond-Pigments/dp/B01HNK6CS8

Normally you can mix that into epoxy resin.

I might try mixing the color powder into Bondo or this patching stuff

https://www.amazon.com/Bondo-907-Glazing-Spot-Putty/dp/B0002JM8PY

https://www.amazon.com/58505-Purpose-Patching-Compound-4-Pound/dp/B000S8JJS8?th=1

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Comments (8)

kazzh
2 months ago
Sometime paint work is an option on a thin veneer to mimic the tortoise shell. Or maybe a resin veneer?
Bob thanked kazzh
apple_pie_order
2 months ago
Try searching for "tortoiseshell pickguard". Something like this will pop up in a range of colors.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1475747636/tortoiseshell-amber-acrylic-sheet-25mm
Olychick
2 months ago
I wonder if you couldn't photograph the existing shell and have something fabricated from that photo? I don't know what I'm talking about, lol, but I'm thinking like even a thick paper or something a 3d printer could print...or?? Like they do with fake wood floors where they finish the top with photos of real wood?
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
2 months ago
last modified: 2 months ago
Or you can try searching for 'tortoise shell celluloid sheet'/ 'tortoise shell acrylic sheet'

I like to use Google Image search, and go from there.
Bob
Original Author
2 months ago
https://imgur.com/a/ol30s2I

I'm not having much luck finding any faux shell that's even close to this red. I think I'll have to resort to some type of filler that I paint to match the red/black but I don't know what type of filler will work with this. I believe the wood/brass/shell combo does move quite a bit based on temperature and humidity so I'm concerned about the filler cracking.
apple_pie_order
2 months ago
Paint the back of a clear sheet with red and black. Cut to fit.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
2 months ago
It's practically impossible to match a color from photo images on the internet - way too many variables at play. Are you only seeing these virtually?

Is there any way you could order samples so you can see them in real life? Hubby gets samples of plastic laminate for drums that way.