intarsia, help

[cjswoodcrafts]

Hey yall, i must admit this is my first post in this category, but i am going out on a limb here, i bought the art of intarsia projects and patterns by Garnet Hall, from Barnes and noble, well just what i see so far, haven't set down to read it yet, looks very complicated... is it that complicated, or is it just my nerves messing with me, i am anxious to get started on it, gonna start on Monday,

 

i am looking forward of doing intarsia, they are just so pretty and cool looking..

[amazingkevin]

that's funny Jim.My thought exactly .BUT all i've found it out to be is a glorified puzzle with smooth edges ,lol.Just a lot more work to get it to that point.And they sure look good when finished.Wood stain ,bare wood,food coloring,rit dye,paint,clear coat. What ever you chose to finish it off with.Be carefull, it is addicting. the money comes alot better to and if you don't sell, it sure decorates the walls nicely.Better than hanging 5 dollar keychains on the wall.try it you'll like it .I sand the edges with a sanding drum in the drill press .Hang a blanket around the back so you don't have to chase pieces as they are snatched from your fingers and it's a good soft landing too. ask away

[Clayton717]

It's not real complicated. It is very time consuming though. Since it's your first project check the book for any instructions it will give. I suggest picking a pattern that looks easy to do and do it. It is like a big puzzle that you are cutting and sanding to fit together and then shaping it to give it a dimensional look.

I felt the same way before I did my first one, now I love it. I spend more time doing intarsia than any other scrolling. Just take your time and don't give up.

[cjswoodcrafts]

Clayton, thanks yeah i am gonna do a flower one with i think it has 15 pieces or an egle head that has 27 pieces, what type of finish should i get to really make it pop? poly? beeswax? tung oil? or some other kind

 

Looking forward to starting on it tomorrow,

 

Thanks for the reply

[cjswoodcrafts]

Kevin, lol, all i have is a dremel tool at the moment, gonna look at lowes tomorrow see what they got for a cheap price, dont have a drill press yet, wanting one bad, the blanket trick sounds like a great idea,,, well tomorrow i get started on it, anxious, will post a pic soon (i hope)

[amazingkevin]

harbor freight is as low as you can go .they have a drill press right now for 50 bananas and the sanding drums that you put your own cloth sandpaper on 4 or 5 sizes in a pac with sand paper4" 3" 2" 1"3/4" etc drums all ready to go for 25.00. the dremil is way to slow,that's only for detail or getting rid of the sanding drum marks then it's perfect for that .Dremils are for delicate work.you will really make some saw dust that is fine so get a good dust mask and real good ventalation to keep it out of your lungs and everywhere else.go easy on the drums and not hold the wood in one spot to long as it will ruin the sandpaper.use the drum sander on a drill press like it was a spindle sander going up and down, by moving you project up and down .harbor freight sanding drums are soft ones so go easy with them to save your paper and the soft drum coating.I think it's rubber.It'll give you a nice soft edge allmost finish grade.then use the dremil with a sanding hollow round tube with sand paper on it .i forget the name of it,maybe it's called a sanding sleeve.They work great to clean up any imperfections from the drum.ask away JIM! :)sand a piece and put it back on a board like it was a puzzle .I've wasted more time trying to figure out where all the funny dull looking pieces go to finish the project .When there's 50 pieces it's a nightmare.i want to make a puzzle not try to figure out how it goes together.you'll see.keep track of the placement of the pieces.important!

[Huntter2022]

From a newbie intarsia (2 projects so far) check and make sure your saw is square , Slow down so you prevent side cutting . Shaping take your time (easier said then done ) shap a little and try the pieces . above all HAVE FUN

[Clayton717]

I use satin poly on mine. I don't like them real shiny. I found a "recipe" for a finish online and I'm gonna try that. If it works I will post what it is.