Latest project pic

[Lou Morrissette]

Hey all, it's been a while. I've been busy doing more carpentry than woodworking. I did find time to do a little shop work and thought I'd share it with you. It's a Judy Gail Roberts design and consists of walnut, western red cedar,maple,holly, pine and chestnut. The finish is three coats of Bartley gel poly. Thanks for looking.

Lou

[Bob Noles]

Lou,

That is precious! Great work.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Lou.....truly a piece of art! Fantastic!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Lou, that is great! I really like this type of work. It is something I have never ventured into...

[Don Stanley]

WOW! Very nice work Lou. Can you tell us more about Judy Gail Roberts designs, and the steps required to build this piece?

-Don

[John Miliunas]

Very well done, Lou! There was an intarsia artist at the Spring Green Art Fair this weekend (a rather large, judged fair) and he's got nothing on your work!:) Nice job, indeed!:) :cool:

[Corey Hallagan]

Nice work Lou! I love seeing your pieces of Intarsia work. They look incredible!

Corey

[Roy Wall]

Lou,

I think your stuff is just incredible!!!! Man- nice, nice job!!!:)

[Chris Padilla]

Awesome, Lou! Intarsia, right...or something like that? :) You did a fantastic job with the grain selection on your woods...very good eye for that detail.

[John Hart]

Nicely done Lou...I like all the colors and the finish is very touchable

[Lou Morrissette]

You guys are realy encouraging. Thanks for all the kind words.

Lou

[Richard Wolf]

Great work, Lou. I know that stuff is time comsuming.

Richard

[Lou Morrissette]

WOW! Very nice work Lou. Can you tell us more about Judy Gail Roberts designs, and the steps required to build this piece?

-Don

Don,
Judy Gail Roberts is considered by some (myself included) to be the leading expert in the US on Intarsia. She has published many books of plans of her designs and a few real good instructional videos. That's how I got interested.
Garnet Hall is also another good source for designs and plans.
As for the steps involved in building this project, I dont have any pics to show you but I'll try and explain it with pics of another project I built a while ago.

One of the hardest steps in doing an Intarsia project is wood selection. As there is no use of stains or paints in the process, one must rely on grain features and natural wood colors to achieve the detail in the piece. Once this is achieved, I cut out the individual pieces from the plan and attach them to the wood using spray adhesive. This is where careful attention must be given to grain direction on each piece. The individual pieces are then cut out on a scroll saw or band saw. I prefer the scroll saw for accuracy although the band saw is faster. The benefits of accuracy realy pay off in the end, rewarded by less sanding.
With all of the pieces cut out, they are reassembled and checked for fit. I like to assemble them on a white paper background to check for any gaps between the pieces. Parts with larger gaps are then sanded to fit or recut.

When satisfied with the fit, the parts are contoured by carving and sanding to achieve the 3D effect of the piece. This can be time consuming but attention to detail and patience are what give the project life. Otherwise it will look like a jigsaw puzzle.

I sand all parts to 320 and the project is ready for finish. I like to use Bartley poly gel. I like the matte finish as opposed to the gloss. I think it looks more natural. Three coats are usually enough.

The parts are then glued to a substrate. Depending on the project, you can use BB plywood or you can glue it to the top of a small box or wooden plate.

I probably oversimplified the process, but I hope you get the idea of what's involved. Try it. It's a lot of fun and a great way to use up scraps.

[Lou Morrissette]

WOW! Very nice work Lou. Can you tell us more about Judy Gail Roberts designs, and the steps required to build this piece?

-Don

More pics.

[Don Stanley]

Lou,

Thank you for the informative response, and all the pictures. Just seeing your work has inspired me to get a copy of Judy's book. I know I would enjoy a woodworking project like this.

-Don

[Glenn Clabo]

Wick-ed cool Lou!!!!