Great Heron in intarsia

[planeur]

Bonsoir from Québec !

I will start a work in progress while doing my Great Heron in intarsia , as the photo, and found on Pinterest.

So you can comment my way of doing it , and I hope you will notified or correct my faults !

I am doing it for your support and tricks you surely have ?

I already in progress with with the Heron , all the parts are cut  but not  finally adjust.

Next post will have photos.... and my way of doing it.

 

planeur

[Foxfold]

A lovely piece, I'll look forward to your updates.

[planeur]

So let's begin  this intarsia with you, and hoping most of you know what is an intarsia..... !

And as I said before  your advises are welcome bad or good !

I had started that intarsia around April , and stop for summer time ( biking, gardenig, walking ,! ) And  from 3 weeks ago, restart  the bird .

I’m having fun …. to make an intarsia that is the largest made to date, and includes 8 species of wood and 40 different pieces to be cut with my scroolsaw  saw. The woods are Mexican ebony, mahogany, cherry, amaranth, sapelli, cedar, elm,. 

 The choice of colors is not necessarily the choice of a great heron…. but we  recognize it nevertheless … and those in nature will be jealous….! 

From a model taken on Pinterest,  I had it copied on an 11X17"  paper sheet. ,

 

then transferred and enlarged onto a cardboard with my pantograph to make about 36 ‘’ high by 20’.

Then the cardboard cut with scissors and scalpel , to see the final result but on a cardboard….!

 

Without telling my wife, I put the Heron in the bathroom without saying a word to her and … she almost had a cardiac arrest when she saw him…..  but was very happy and encouraging!

The cherry frame composed of 6 pieces cut to have the oval shape by sticking them. Then reinforced with a tite plate at the back on each joint. The joints on the front are hidden by parts of the Heron.

Once I have selected the wood species for each part of the bird, I thinned them at +- 3/8 ‘’, in the right direction of the grain, then plane them to make them soft enough.

Let’s copy each piece! With a carbon paper I copy the whole bird on a large white sheet from the cardboard model. 

Then I cut these pieces with scissors and scalpel, so normally they fit together very well ….

Then I cut every parts of the bird, to be glued to the wood choosen

 

 

I glue them to the corresponding wood, to finally cut them at the scrool saw as accurately as possible, with Pegas blades.

Gradually I put them on the cardboard model, actual size, to see if everything is OK. ! 

 

Naturally there is always more or less correction between these parts so  they adapt as best as possible between them!

And that is where I am at this moment! 

WOW It begin to look like an Great Heron! 

 

So..... à bientôt !

 

planeur

 

 

 

Edited September 9, 2019 by planeur

[amazingkevin]

Excellent way of doing this project. Wish I had boards instead of tooth picks here to work with. love seeing your wood planks (Eye Candy).your a pro at this sort of medium!!! Good job ,keep your work coming!!!!

[Rolf]

It is a different way of doing intarsia but it if it works for you that is great. Most of us make multiple copies of the pattern and than cut and attach the pattern pieces directly to the wood, a bit less work. If I understand you correctly you thinned the wood before doing any shaping?. 

Who designed the pattern?

[planeur]

Allo Rolf

I have to do it that way because our photocopy store do 11" X 17" max. copy ! My 36" X 20" was to large for them.

Then the transfer on cardboard was to have tought copy to see the result of my cuts.

All the pieces are not at the same thickness but close.

I will have to work on the thickness of  them to make the 3D effect ,  soon ! Almost there....!

This pattern was found on pinterest , while I was looking for other things. So much on Pinterest site !

Have a good day

 

planeur

[heppnerguy]

If you are going to be shaping the pieces to get the heron to look realistic as possible you will need to make some risers for the parts that are closest to you or stand out the most on the bird  You haave certainly gone about it differently then I have ever seen someone do intarsia before and I am anxious to see how it comes out in the end. Take your time and then some more photos.

Dick

heppnerguy

[planeur]

Merci Richard for your support !

I am almost finishing  to adjust each parts to the i's  neighbour . Lot of precise job....! Photos will comme soon !

For the 3D effect , I Will ( I think .... ! ) sand some sections of most of the pieces, so a piece will be  "rounded " gradually  than its neighbourd  until the limit of the 2 pieces.

Naturally I will do it gradually , making some tests before !

It is my first one with so much 3D effet.

If you have some advises good or bad  , I will be glad to have them!

 

planeur

[planeur]

Well,  here I am !

After a week of part time work,  I had complete the adjustment of all the pieces together . Lot of small sanding, measurements .

The 3D dimensionning of the Heron is the next phase of work, which will be very tough for me, and probably long!

But till today I am OK with that work and I like it very much.

So I will have to rounded or thin  most of the parts , as ex. the 2 cattail of marsh ( quenouille in french ) at the right, or the heron's beak.

So again if you have any advise that could help me, I am with the VILLAGE to learn and of what I had seen sor far, they are a lot of incredible talent , artists, and people seem to be very generous!

planeur

 

 

Edited September 17, 2019 by planeur

[planeur]

Forgot to tell you I will make another eye, more real ! This one was a test .

planeur

[planeur]

I would like to have expert advises on my way of doing it !

Well after viewing  Brian's excellent "tutorial " with his Raccoon, I will try to put some rinsing pieces behind the 8 central pieces of the wing , as described on the photo.

So that way I could put (   I think..... ! ) some 3D effet on the body and central wings, with the middle more rounded .

The middle part would be raised by 1/2", the 2 nexts by 3/8" , and the others one by 1/4".  All the wing pieces are 3/8 " thick.

I have already cut the raising piece so It could give me a good idea of the work.....

So what do you think ? Is there other manner to do it ?

The model I try to do is that one .

 

Thanks a lot, I am here to learn...!

planeur

 

Edited October 5, 2019 by planeur

[planeur]

I had cut and  install with double tape the rising pieces behind the wings and assembled them together, and ........WOW  ......already a 3D effect and without no rounding yet !

Look that :

Before :

 

and after gluing the risers :

 

We see some risers but that will be corrected.

Can I do better for a 3D effect before beginning to rounded the wings? And how and with which wing would you start to rounded those wings? Ext. or middle one ?

I am all exited....!

Thank you !

 

planeur

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2019 by planeur

[Frank Pellow]

Planeur, you are doing a great job on this.  Also, I like the way tha you are documenting each step.

I am learning from what you are doing.

Thanks,  Frank

Edited October 10, 2019 by Frank Pellow

[planeur]

Thanks a lot Frank, I need comments like that to continue ! You are  also an exemple by your incredible work , It gave me the boost to try intarsia and scroolsaw!

Untill I have finish preparing my garden for the winter , and some biking.....   I will use the rainy days ( coming ) to begin to rounded  the piece.

Until that I look at my Heron versus the model quite often to figure how I will do it!

Merci !

planeur

 

 

 

 

 

[Harry Barton]

Excellent work and explanation of your approach!  I look forward to seeing the finished article.

[planeur]

Bonjour everyone !

At last outside autumn job are almost finish, so here I am with my work of rounding the  wings !

Quite happy with the job , still some details to come .

I had also began rounding parts of the neck . From yours suggestions,  I  had put a small  raising shim under the neck that make a big difference !

And here are the equipments used for that job.

And they are always a port of aspirating hose near!

The two wood little hand sanding tools were  made from a photo and I am  using  the sanding paper, cut  from paper use with the Ridgid machine.

Thank again for your support !

 

planeur

 

[Phantom Scroller]

Excellent work great to see the process very time consuming but the finished product is worth all of it. Thanks for showing . Roly

[planeur]

Well  here I am with another step . I would like to have your advises if I can get my Heron look better.

Gradually I had worked  almost everyday, slowly  because I am not a natural sculptor, but I discovered through the time that I have more and more facility of rounding pieces and adding the 3 D look !

He is becoming more and more real ( I think... ) , with all pieces rounded, and some were rising, I had also change the top of left wing to copy the other one and more real.

 

 

 

So what do you think , some sanding is still to come, before holding all the pieces together.

 

Thanks

 

planeur

Edited November 30, 2019 by planeur

[Scrappile]

Looking very good.  I think this is my favorite intarsia pattern and the one I would want to do if I ever try intarsia.

[Frank Pellow]

You have done a meticulous detailed job on this and should be very proud of yourself!

Thanks for showing your working environment.  I am always interested in that.

Edited December 1, 2019 by Frank Pellow

[planeur]

10 hours ago, Scrappile said:

Looking very good.  I think this is my favorite intarsia pattern and the one I would want to do if I ever try intarsia.

Thanks Paul , I have seen part of your gallery and WOW , beatiful  pieces and looking at it you should have no problem to do intarsia !

 

planeur

[planeur]

1 hour ago, Frank Pellow said:

You have done a meticulous detailed job on this and should be very proud of yourself!

Thanks for showing your working environment.  I am always interested in that.

Thanks Frank, I just take a look of some of your works and I saw your Glade Creek Mill that I had seen on the CWW site, and I still find that piece so beautiful , and so much delicate work !

Bravo, et merci ,  you are probably part in my decision of doing some intarsia and scroolsaw work!

planeur

[planeur]

My Blue Heron  kisses !

Knowing that he will be soon ready to get final  assembling , he was very happy.....!

See you soon !

planeur