FINISHING OLD PROJECTS III

TUESDAY 19/08/2014 Marquetry / Intarsia

Just another beautiful day in paradise, going to be hard to find an excuse to get to the shed, but i'm sure I can come up with something.

I have been predicting the end of winter for the last three weeks, only to be disappointed, when the cold returned, however this time, i'm certain winter has gone, as worm has returned to stay,

snake is awake, and looking for a feed. He/she has lost weight over winter, but looks as if it has grown about half a meter, 18" for those that use feet and inches, must be about 3 1/2 meters long and about nine years old. Clever snake, has no fear of humans, and lives in the ceiling above our family room, right where the fire is. Now i'm getting of track, suppose to be talking about woodwork, so i'll drag myself to the shed. 

Yesterday I hoped to finish this marquetry/Intarsia heart box for my wife. A week ago some one told me I wasn't doing wood inlay, that I was doing marquetry, This week i'm told i'm doing "Intarsia", which when I look up the meaning, there right, but Intarsia is the same as marquetry, now i'm confused. I just love working with wood, I don't really care what it's called.

Starting by completing the veneer inside the box, so the glue can set while I do the Marquetry / Intarsia, for inside the lid.
Measure the inside dimensions of the lid.

With masking tape on the veneer, mark the veneer.

Using the homemade veneer saw, cut the veneer to length.

Hold the veneer in position and mark the height.

Cut the veneer for the front and back of the inside of the box.

Ensure the veneer fits correctly.

Apply glue to both surfaces.

Clamp and allow to dry.

Repeat for the back of the box.

Sand all rough surfaces, and clean off any excess glue.

Cut the heart first, this needs to be glued into position, and the glue set first, the integrity of the veneer depends on this. 

From my collection of bits and pieces, I have selected a piece of greenish wood for the rose stem.

Tape into position, and drill a pilot hole.

With the scrollsaw cut in a clockwise direction.

Glue into position.

Back to the bits and pieces, to fins something for the leaves.

Choose, some Black Bean subtropical hardwood, I found a small branch out the back of where I live.

Cut and shade using a gas soldering iron, traditionally is is done with hot sand, but I fine this environmentally wrong, as it takes a lot of power to heat the sand and keep it hot.

continue around the pattern.

I am using a piece of some sort of gum, for the rose peals. no way of identifying it.

I use a Dremel with a router attachment to level the back of the piece.

To make the piece sit flat, I am using, it's a bag of sand in an enclosed circle, that I clamp the veneer to, on a flat non-stick surface.

You can also use some-sort of scraper or a sharp chisel to trim the back of the piece.

Remove the masking tape and pattern.

Tape the veneer to the bench flatten and tidy the back.

The front will only need a light scraping and sanding, if to much material is removed then the effect of the shading is lost.

Clean off with acetone.

Apply a cote of glue to both surfaces, and position the veneer. 

Clamp into position.

That is all for today, thanks for visiting, if you have any questions or a comment please email me at.

Peter Holmes

holmesp06@gmail.com