Approach

[oleranger]

I have a question for all you Intarsia specialists.  I'm just getting started doing this.  Have done a few simple pieces, now about to tackle one that is a bit more difficult.  Up to now, I have been starting on one side of the piece and moving through it to the other side.  The one I'm about to attempt is round with a series of boarder pieces.  My question is... is it better to start from the outside and work in?  or would I be better to start in the center of the piece and work out, with the boarder being my final pieces. 

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

ye Ole Ranger

[LarryEA]

I'll follow this because I want to know. Good question.

[Clayton717]

I would start in the center and work out.

[amazingkevin]

That's something I want to know, but am afraid to ask.I've done plenty of intarsias, but nothing where finished size and looks mattered.I'm going to sit back and wait for the experts to chime in on this one. Now thinking about it, work inside out, as you can sand it round again  when finished. This is why i never did big tile jobs as a 1/8" out here and there multiplys by the time you get to the other wall.But usually intarsias aren't to big ,but maybe not in your case .More info needed.I could be totally off the wall on this ,but wait for the more experienced ones to hepl you.your making the wheels turn thanks!lol ,The more i think about it either way amounts to the same thing .It's a force fit no matter what, still im guessing.Boy a round one this will be one for the books.

Edited September 7, 2014 by amazingkevin

[oleranger]

The project I'm doing is "End of the Trail"  Indian warrior on a horse with lance down.  I'm not sure who designed the original, but got the pattern from Kirk Boleman.  Anyway, it's about 180 pieces.  It's about 2 foot in diameter, and most of the detail is with the horse and the rider. 

 

I've done a couple of others before, a ship wheel and a tazmainian devil, which had fewer pieces but were also in circles.  On both of them I started from the outside and worked in.  On the ship wheel that approach worked out well.  On the Tazmainian it was a struggle as I got to the inside with more detailed pieces. 

 

This one is about the same size, but more than double the pieces. 

 

Hope this additional information helps.   I do need the advice of an expert. 

 

Thanks for the comments so far, and any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. 

 

Ye Ole Ranger

[Phantom Scroller]

You won't find an expert we are all still learning but you will find the advice of the people who are very good at the Intarsia on here and I'm afraid it's not me. Don't forget to show pics. Roly

[heppnerguy]

PM Homer Bishop. This guy knows all about gluing these intarsia pieces.. He is friendly and very helpful too. I bet you can get an answer there.

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[trailfndr]

Lots of different ways to approach this issue.  As for myself, I tend to layout all the pieces onto the wood, and then just start cutting with the main subject and then any background and frames are always last for me.  As I cut pieces, I lay them onto the pattern and check fit as I go.  If you can follow a good line while cutting, I find very few fit issues.  Once I learned to slow down my feed rate on the saw, I found that I could follow the line almost perfectly.  I always try to split the line while cutting, and prefer to make errors to the outside scrap area whenever possible, as its easy to trim a piece, much harder to make it larger  LOL.  Knowing my saw and blades, I know that If I cut a piece clockwise, I find that most errors tend to be into the piece, and counter clockwise tends to err into the scrap.

 

My method, allows me to adjust with background and frame pieces as needed.

 

I have not cut the pattern you are working on, But have done over 60 intarsia pieces during the past two years.  I don't claim to be an expert, But I am mostly happy with my results.

[oleranger]

Good advice all... thanks so much.... I read your comments and it boosts my confidence...

Thanks...