AUSTRALIAN MARQUETRY BOX: Post IV

The AUSTRALIA BOX: Marquetry

Thursday 28/08/2014

Today I hope to finish the lid, cut the box open, apply veneer around the edging, and maybe, start a marquetry piece for inside the lid. I'm a bit hesitant about this as I want to do a Kangaroo, I have a good photo of a West Australian Red kangaroo I took when we went to West Australia to visit our son. but I haven't tried doing a kangaroo yet, so may make a fool of my self. 

Last night, I started by tracing around the photo, to get my outline.

 Once I had the outline, I had no idea where to go from there, I know very little about how to shade a drawing.

Normally I, just turn the photo into black and white, then work off the gray scale, Only this photo was taken in dappled light, so the black and white theory doesn't work.

So I have picked some veneers in suitable colours, and will work by trial and error.
But first things first, finish the outside.

After applying two cotes of PVA glue and allowing to dry, position the marquetry on the top of the box. Using a hot iron, iron the surface until there is no bubbles or gaps at the sides I have covered this technique in earlier posts.

I set my marking knife to required depth.

Apply masking tape to the edges of the top, this prevents splitting and tearing the veneer.

Scribe around the circumference of the box.

Remove the outside tape.

Using a small chisel prise up the edges,

and remove carefully.

I have glued strips of Red Cedar around the marquetry panel.

Planed until flush.

Then trimmed with my marking knife, to leave a 3/32" band.

Mitered the corners.

Then finished off the edge the same way.

The Inside panel.

Select the veneer to be used, and tape both sides.

I printed the design. 

Cut out and glue to the veneer.

Select timber for the inlay veneer.

Start cutting and shading.

Smoothing the back as I go.

When the marquetry is complete, remove the tape.

Clean up the back of the marquetry.

Took a chip out with the scraper, it happens. Easy to repair, just cut in another piece.

It's looking ok.

Out of time again, I didn't get done all I wanted to but thats ok.

Thanks for visiting, send me an email, if you have any questions.

Peter Holmes

holmesp06@gmail.com