The surface of the scrimshaw medium must be smooth and free of scratches. It is unclear what tools the whalers used to polish their ivory, but modern artists have a variety of tools available. Rough spots, ridges and sharp edges are sanded with a coarse sandpaper. Depending on the size of the piece and the preference of the artist, this process may be performed with a power sander using a 50- or 120-grit sandpaper. Once the surface is relatively smooth, the artist begins to sand with a fine 220-grit sandpaper. This process is done by hand and can take several hours to produce a smooth satiny surface. Next, the surface is polished using a jeweler's buffing cloth and polishing compounds.
To avoid the risk of mistakes, many artists prefer to draw the picture onto the scrimshaw surface rather than carve freehand. Since most graphite pencils do not write on highly polished surfaces, many scrimshaw artists use a specialty pencil. Aquaellable pencils are designed to write on nonporous surfaces, such as glass and metal, making them the perfect medium to sketch a scrimshaw design. They are waterproof, but marks are easily removed by wiping with a clean cloth.
Any sharp object strong enough to scratch the scrimshaw medium's surface can be used as a carving tool. Sailing needles and knives were commonly used by the whalers. Craft knives and sewing needles are commonly used today. Other creative innovations include dental drill bits and drafting compass points.
The whalers most likely used lampblack, the soot from oil lamps, or writing ink to color their drawings. Today's artists have a wealth of choices available to them. India ink and acrylic paints work well. They both dry quickly, but are easily wiped of the polished surface.
While the whalers did not have the luxury of magnifiers, many modern scrimshaw artists find them useful. Opti-visors are a perfect choice for scrimshaw. The device is held in place on the user's forehead by a headband, leaving the artist's hands free to create his work. The Opti-visor is available in a variety of magnifying strengths and some are lighted.