Advise for intarsia beginner

[GrampaJim]

I have started learning intarsia and have Kathy Wise's book "Intarsia woodworking for Beginners."  What do you experts here at SSV advise for a next book for a total beginner? 

 

I have nothing to show yet, but the beginning steps I have taken have been very humbling! 

 

 

[Scrolling Steve]

Jim , I know how you feel, I have one project completed and really do want to get better it,,,,I just ordered Katy wise's book!.....Hang in there,

[meflick]

Hi Jim and welcome to the Imtarsia side. I am a newbie to both the saw and intarsia myself. Besides KathyWise's book you have, she has a couple more books. I have her first one and plan to get more of hers. However, I also have a couple of Judy Gale Roberts and Jerry Booher's books as well. I have done some pieces from both Kathy's book and Judy's so far. Both are good in my opinion. Further, on Judy's site you can order a video with pattern for learning to contour intarsia. The piece covered is a horse. I am very fortunate to live less than an hour away from Judy Gale Roberts studio and got to take her beginner class back in May. She is cutting back on her classes though so if anyone ever has the opportunity to take one or attend a meeting she is at I highly recommend it. Maybe one day I can get to Michigan and learn from Kathy too.

[amazingkevin]

Hi Jim and welcome to the Imtarsia side. I am a newbie to both the saw and intarsia myself. Besides KathyWise's book you have, she has a couple more books. I have her first one and plan to get more of hers. However, I also have a couple of Judy Gale Roberts and Jerry Booher's books as well. I have done some pieces from both Kathy's book and Judy's so far. Both are good in my opinion. Further, on Judy's site you can order a video with pattern for learning to contour intarsia. The piece covered is a horse. I am very fortunate to live less than an hour away from Judy Gale Roberts studio and got to take her beginner class back in May. She is cutting back on her classes though so if anyone ever has the opportunity to take one or attend a meeting she is at I highly recommend it. Maybe one day I can get to Michigan and learn from Kathy too.

Lol,i went to the school of hard knocks intarsia,It was a real leaning experience!

[don in brooklin on]

I am a newby too. I took a side trip to Judy Gale Roberts studio a couple of years ago and it was awesome.  Ton of art work from easy to hard.  If you have a chance, the visit is worth it.  I got a chance to tour the workshop with Judy and it was really great.

 

Judy's recommendation to me was her Intarsia Workbook.  It has 11 different projects and each one teaches one more aspect of Intarsia.  I did every project and it has given me a great basis moving forward.  I would really love to take one of her courses to lean more about shaping and especially the wonder wheel. 

 

Kathy Wise studio is closer to me so that might be more realistic.  I have done a couple of Kathy Wise's projects and I love here work too.

[jscottj]

What kind of things are you finding hard to do? I have limited experience having done about a dozen intarsia projects, but I will try to help in anyway I can. I"m sure others here will too. I've found the folks here to be  a great resource.  I know it is on a different forum, but there are several pinned topics in the intarsia section at Scroll saw Woodworking and Craft's community forum. They cover several topics that you may find helpful.  Youtube has a few videos, but the Gwinnett Woodworkers Club has a couple of presentations on intarsia including one by Judy Gale Roberts speaking at a meeting. 

[trailfndr]

Bruce Worthington has a free E-Book that goes step by step thru a simple teddy bear.  www.intarsia.net/e-book/intarsia101.htm  Check it out.

Both Kathy and Judy have great books for folks starting out, but the best teacher is time and practice.  Don't be afraid to try something new.  I use a lot of shims for lifting pieces to get a more three dimensional appearance.  Fortunately for me,  I spent decades of my life doing hand carved leather carvings, mostly of animals and scenery.  This background gave me a good understanding of how an animal, or other object should appear once shaped.  Now I strive to put that knowledge into my Intarsia pieces.  Judy and Kathy both have that same type of background in different art mediums.  They learned how things should look, and both recommend that a person study and have available, several pictures of the subject matter.  So if you are making a horse,  have several pictures of horses in front of you as you shape, so you can compare what you are shaping, to what the real life horse looks like.

 

Some folks will start out doing segmentation, using less expensive lumber, so the pieces fit perfectly while they learn to shape, and then go to full intarsia with different woods.  Cutting is important, as pieces must fit together.  I keep the all the different pieces in place on the pattern and constantly check for fit, and shape as I work.

 

My best advise to anyone, is to take your time,  don't rush, and most importantly, HAVE FUN with it,.  When you are having fun, things go smoother, and your finished work tends to be something you are proud of.

[Clayton717]

I agree with everything that's been said. Lee said it best,- the best teacher is time and practice, don't rush and have fun.. 

There are plenty of books out there, my local library had a few. Watch some videos if you want to see someone working on intarsia. Experience is the best teacher, pick a simple pattern and go for it.

[GrampaJim]

About the only thing I am not struggling with is finishing.  LOL 

Thanks for the kind words.  I need to give myself time and practice. 

Based on the fretwork projects I have done in the past, I thought I was a pretty good with a scroll saw.  Fitting pieces together for intarsia has shown I still have a ways to go. 

Jim

[trailfndr]

GrandpaJim,  another bit of advice.  NEVER trace a pattern onto wood.  Your lines will never match up.  I make several copies of the full patter, and cut the individual pieces out of the prints and attach those to the wood.  Gives you a cleaner line that is easier to follow.  Keep one copy for your master, and lay your pieces onto it as you cut them.  This allows you to check fit as you go.

[Bpardue]

I agree with everything trailfndr says in the earlier responses

[NC Scroller]

What kind of things are you finding hard to do? I have limited experience having done about a dozen intarsia projects, but I will try to help in anyway I can. I"m sure others here will too. I've found the folks here to be  a great resource.  I know it is on a different forum, but there are several pinned topics in the intarsia section at Scroll saw Woodworking and Craft's community forum. They cover several topics that you may find helpful.  Youtube has a few videos, but the Gwinnett Woodworkers Club has a couple of presentations on intarsia including one by Judy Gale Roberts speaking at a meeting.

Sorry to be late to this thread. Like a few other here I took a class from Judy Gale Roberts. Well worth it. The hardest thing for me was precision cutting. I don't mean cutting close to the line but cutting down the center of the line on every part and every piece.

 

Start out with softer woods like Western Red Cedar. JGR use cedar for most of her projects. There is such grain and color variation a couple boards gives you a whole lumber yard.

[Rolf]

Many years of cutting delicate fretwork ornaments had me all prepped for precision intarsia cutting.  I agree with Scott on the softer woods to start.

[WigWag Workshop]

I ordered a kit from Kathy Wise - https://store7626357.ecwid.com/#!/CDs-and-Kits/c/15482446- It comes with everything you need to make your first Intarsia project, each kit comes with enough material to make 2 projects.

[Rolf]

I did the Cat kit years ago. The kit is great for learning how to shape. the cutting is not that critical as you stack the two different color woods so it is a bit like segmentation with two different woods.

Make sure that the blade is perpendicular to the table.!

[Sycamore67]

I think Kathy Wise has the best books and think I have most of them. Her book for beginners is one of the best.

 

I have also been to a couple of her classes she has had at various events and she is very good.

[Jo Labre]

In addition to making several paper copies of the pattern, I also print the pattern (or parts of it) on transparencies like you use on an overhead projector.  It helps to visualize the grain on each piece.  Holding the transparency where I want it, I lift it just far enough up off of the wood to place my glue sprayed paper underneath.