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Thread: Marquetry tutorial (finished w/lots of pics!)

  1. #1
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    Marquetry tutorial (finished w/lots of pics!)

    Some have asked for a tutorial on some of the marquetry and inlay I feature in my work so here goes: I am going to do this in multiple posts so I can add the pictures as I go.

    This one I will just talk about the marquetry fan like the ones you see here:

    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=87725

    Later (if there is interest), I could do one for string inlay, muti-layered inlay, and marquetry pictures.

    The inlay fans are not hard to do but like most things there is a process.

    First, I chose a design. In this case the design can be used to make the 1/4, 1/2 or full circle inlay motifs like the ones you can buy online.

    The basic materials I used are:
    Cutting mat
    Exacto knife
    Gouge
    Sand
    Hot plate
    various veneers (for this I used dyed maple for the black, you can use whatever types of wood you want, just try to contrast as much as possible).
    Veneer tape
    Router w 1/8 inch spiral down cut- An up cut spiral will pull the fibers of the wood up…you don’t want that.
    Compass
    1/8 inch hard board
    Card scraper
    Wax paper
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  2. #2
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    Cut the light colored veneer into 1x2 inch rectangles (You will need 4 of these for each ¼ fan). Cut some extra incase you damage a few in the process. This takes a bit of feel and you are likely to need the extras.

    Cut the rectangles in half, these angles will need to be precisely 22.5 degrees. The way you accomplish this easiest is to mark the angle in a piece of scrap plywood and then line them up. Use a straight edge to cut them. On one of the wedges for each pair of four cut the angle slightly more than 22.5º. You will cut this away later to make the fan exactly 90 degrees.

    Note: Any time you cut veneer with an exacto, the key is very light successive passes.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  3. #3
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    Fire up the hot plate with sand all the way on high and let it get good and hot (pic #1). Stick the wedges into the sand until you get this effect (pic #2).


    Tape the four wedges together to look like this noting all of the shading on the same side (pic #3): The side you put the tape on will always be the “show” side when you are done (pic#4).
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  4. #4
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    Make two templates out of hard board. One will be used for the inside radius and one for the outside radius that will border the outer edge of the fan. It is critical that you take time to make sure these templates are accurate because mistakes will be transferred to your fans. These are made by using a compass. Readjust the compass for 1/8 inch more and make the larger of the two. Rough cut them close to the line and refine them with sanding.
    Use the inside radius to trim off the excess.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  5. #5
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    Then use your gouge to cut the void for the accent from one point to the other. Be careful here and do this by hand with downward pressure. Don’t hit the gouge with a mallet or the pieces will fly.



    Now to cut and adhere the black accents to each of the quarter parts of the fans. Don’t be surprised here if you break a few (quite a few) of these until you get the hang of it. Good thing is the waste material is minuscule when you break one.



    Once you have 4 that will fit without overlapping or coming out too narrow, use veneer tape as shown (pics #3 and4) to adhere the black accent pieces. Next cut the tips off using the small template.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  6. #6
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    Pics 1 and 2 out of order
    pic 2 is trimming the black accents
    pic 1 is after the trimming.

    (pic 3) Now cut the outer border being careful to keep the same positioning of the templates, cut the inside with the small template and the outside with the large template.

    Note: cut for the arc past the templates by 1/8 inch on each side when cutting these so you can trim them to size after and make a dead on 90 degree fan.


    Next adhere the outside border using the same technique as for the rest of the fan. I find it easier to position this piece of veneer tape sideways and all others vertical.


    Cut the fan to a perfect 90 degrees using compass mark on a piece of ply the same as you used for the wedges. Also trim away all overlapping veneer tape so that all you see are the crisp edges of the fan itself.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  7. #7
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    Your fan is now ready to be inlaid into the work.

    Position and trace the fan with and exacto using the fan itself as a template (remember light successive passes). Be extra careful on this part as the blade will try to follow the grain. Cross grain is the easiest but as the blade rounds the corner it will be more oriented to flow with the grain and that is where you are more likely to cut away from your fan or into it.

    Next set the router to rout a recess that will leave the fan a few thousandths proud. Free hand the cut close to the scoring and you will be able to clean it up very easily. The wood almost falls off where you scored it.

    Note: Score a bit deeper for this than you did to cut the veneers.

    Glue and clamp the fan with the veneer tape up using wax paper and a clamping block. Once it is dry (overnight), remove clamps and carefully scrape all the veneer tape off and bring to flush. The sand shading goes all the way through the wood so it will not come off, just make sure you don’t scrape all the way through.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  8. #8
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    How to make a repair:

    As I made these I got all the way to the last one (8) total and I scraped one of the borders too deep and went all the way through it. Not to worry though, just cut it out with an exacto, made a patch and put it in place. I re-glued it and you have to look real hard and know about this to notice.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  9. #9
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    I hope this explains it well and you all enjoy!

    If not, hopefully I can answer any questions... or at least someone from the creek will.

    Dewey
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  10. #10
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    Thanks Dewey. Very nice work and helpful tutorial.

  11. #11
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    Excellent tutorial Dewey! Thanks for taking the time to share.

    I got online just as you were starting your posts and kept comming back to see what the next step would be.

    Thanks again. I hope you don't mind a few questions as one digests everything.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by gary Zimmel View Post
    Excellent tutorial Dewey! Thanks for taking the time to share.

    I got online just as you were starting your posts and kept comming back to see what the next step would be.

    Thanks again. I hope you don't mind a few questions as one digests everything.
    Fire away!

    Dewey
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  13. #13
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    Dewey

    When you are cutting out the voids for the accent pieces is it the gouge that gives you the arc?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by gary Zimmel View Post
    Dewey

    When you are cutting out the voids for the accent pieces is it the gouge that gives you the arc?
    Yes

    and it has to be the same one used for the accent pieces. That is what makes them mate up so perfectly. I used a 1 inch but I have a set so that I can select the right arc according to the width of the wedges.

    Dewey
    Dewey

    "Everything is better with Inlay or Marquetry!"


  15. #15
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    Nice work Dewey, well done.

    Richard

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