Intarsia Woodworking Projects

21 Original Designs with Full-Size Plans and Expert Instruction for All Skill Levels

Kathy Wise

• Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Year: 2007
• ISBN:
  9781607659075
• Topic: Tecnología e ingeniería
• Subtopic: Oficios técnicos y manufactureros

A collection of 21 full-size intarsia patterns ranging from beginner to expert. Includes a complete step-by-step tutorial to get you started, as well as helpful information on wood and blade selection, shaping, and more.

INTERMEDIATE PROJECTS

Mallard Demonstration

Wood

1" x 4" x 4" medium-dark wood such as cherry (front grass)

½" x 8" x 8" medium-dark wood such as cherry (rear grass, background)

1" x 6" x 10" medium-light wood such as bird’s eye maple (body)

1" x 2" x 3" light wood such as yellowheart (beak)

1" x 5" x 8" medium wood such as beech (wing)

1" x 8" x 10" dark wood such as black walnut (head, tail, chest)

1" x 4" x 6" white wood such as poplar (neck, feathers)

½" x 4" x 18" medium-light with a dark streak, such as beech (water)

¼" x 1" x 1" black wood such as ebony, or your stained or painted wood of choice (eyes)

¼" x 12" x 14" lauan plywood or Baltic birch plywood (backing board)

Mallard Drake

At 50 pieces, this mallard project is easy to cut and allows you to focus on details such as pattern layout, wood choice and shimming up pieces to add depth.

Remember that a pattern is simply a starting point for your finished work of art. If you want to have less pieces, eliminate some of the lines and cut areas in larger sections. You can remove some of the lines in the water area, or make the grass clump as an overlay and cut the underlying water as one piece. As you work on more intarsia projects, you will become more comfortable making design changes.

Examine the pattern. If any areas bother you or look too difficult to cut, change them. Determine where you can cut large sections of the same color with the same grain direction. You will need seven copies of the pattern. Keep one for your master copy. Cut apart each pattern piece.

Attach the patterns to contact paper. Apply spray adhesive to the back of the pattern pieces and position the pieces on the shiny side of the contact paper. Cut apart each pattern piece and group them together according to the color and thickness of the wood.

Choose your wood. Start with white and light-colored woods, then dark wood, and finally medium tones. 1"-thick stock gives you more room to add detail and texture. The dimensions listed are the bare minimum; if searching for good grain patterns, you may need twice as much. Have extra wood on hand in case you have to re-cut a piece.

Choose grain patterns. I chose bird’s eye maple for the body. The contrasts of light and dark in the grain produce a natural feathery effect. Be sparing with your use of wild grain; it may detract from your piece. Sometimes it helps to trace the outline of your piece onto your wood to see if the grain pattern gives the desired effect.

Peel and stick the patterns to the wood. Make sure your wood is clean, dry, and free of dust. I use yellowheart for the beak to add a spark of color. Black walnut is used for the dark areas of the bird and ebony is used for the eye. Cut the pieces down to manageable sizes on a band saw or with a large scroll saw blade, such as a #9 or #12.

Cut the perimeter of the larger pieces and sections. Make sure the blade is square to the saw table. I use a #5 blade. Sand off the burr on the bottom of the wood after each cut if necessary. Keep your blade in the middle of the line. As you gain more experience, leave more of the line for a more exact fit. Number the back of each piece and place it onto a full pattern.

Cut the sections into individual pieces. Switch to a small blade, such as a #2 or #3 blade. On are...