Marquetry Tips, Q & A and Links
Marquetry isn't restricted to just wood veneer. You can inlay any material, like thin brass or copper, shell, stone, bone, or wire. Safety warning: sawing some shell and bone requires you wear a dust mask.
Choosing Veneers and Kits:
As with any product, there are "veneers" and there are veneers! Sauers & Co Veneers are .02 or approx 1/40" thick. Poor quality or too-thin veneers mean all your careful work may not turn out after all. Buy good quality veneers, and I guarantee you'll avoid a lot of frustration. Sale price burls usually have lots of voids that will have to be filled. Ash sometimes reacts with PVA glue and black spots appear right through the veneer. Some coloured veneers fade, so if you need the colour to stay the same for all time, use top quality dyed veneers. Inexpensive kits often contain too-thin veneers. These are usually 1/100th of an inch thick. Even professionals stay away from these. There is almost no chance you won't sand through or otherwise damage veneer that fragile.
Q & A from Jansart emails
Q: I left some sticky tape on the marquetry when I put it in the press. The sticky film is now embedded in the veneer - help!
Jan's Answer: Take a Q-tip and a small amount of Varsol. Work on one area of the picture at a time, and gently wipe the sticky gue off with the Q-tip. Don't soak the veneer or do a large area at a time, or you may break the glue bond.
Q: The pieces I have cut are all breaking apart before I can insert them in the "window."
A: Don't remove the sticky tape from any individual piece of veneer until it is installed in the picture, glued in place and the glue is dry. Review the DVD where I cut piece three and glue it in.
Q: No matter how hard I try, I am unable to make nice sharp cuts with my knife.
A: Keep checking the tip of the blade. These fine # 11 blades break very easily and sometimes the tip just bends over. Replace or sharpen any blade that doesn't have a super sharp tip.
Q: I am just wondering how to get a more 3-D effect with my marquetry?
A: Artistic techniques such as decreasing the value (light and dark) as things recede into the distance, overlapping and sandshading all help to give a two dimensional picture plane the look of 3-D. See the last chapter of the DVD on Artistic Concepts for a thorough explantion.
Canadian, and International Marquetry Links
http://www.peaksandprairies.ca Great Southern Alberta B&B, with exquisite taste in art!
Jones Woodworks Two very talented Southern Alberta artists and craftsmen, outstanding turning as well as furnitre and restorations
Artists in Canada Great site to find out about Canadian artists
Cristina Alvarez Magliano Incredible artist, so original and creative
saw-online.com An international not for profit group for anyone interested in working with or the art created with a scrollsaw. Membership is open to everyone. Check out my April 2009 'ezine' article on marquetry.
Women in Woodworking Magazine - name speaks for itself.
Paul R. Dean Canadian artist and talented webmaster
Roarockit Vacuum Press System Manufacturer of the great vacuum press shown on the "Bonus Chapter"
Canadian Marquetry Society Great source for info and some "home video" instructional dvds on club projects
American Marquetry Society Large group of helpful, talented marquetry people
woundedwarriors.ca This artist supports the rehabilitation of wounded Canadian soldiers. Please visit the site to see how you can help.
Lee Valley Tools An awesome store - period!
Lacy West Supplies West Coast supplier - has jeweller's blades for fretsaws
oakwoodveneers.com Oakwood Veneer is a wood veneer supplier, specializing in exotic, burl, and domestic veneers. Oakwood has 10 mil paperbacked, 22 mil Bubble-Free Veneer, pressure-sensitive adhesive, phenolic back, and wood-on-wood backers, as well as over 250 species in stock daily
Sauers & Company Processed Veneers Processors of our retail veneers and manufacturers of my Chickadee Kits
Gene Zanni Check this guy out
A & M Wood Specialty Great Canadian supplier - excellent service
Victoria Australia Marquetry Society Check out what's going on "down under"
Redbridge Marquetry Society UK Great site with tons of information
Rivergum Timbers of Australia A great marquetry veneer pack with over a dozen identified local species