I first became interested in marquetry when my wife and I were in London in 1986.  We went to a street market and found a booth selling handcut marquetry pictures.  Hand cut in the sense that the veneer pieces were cut out with something similar to an X-ACTO knife.  I bought one of the artist’s pictures and I still have the picture – see it here.  I liked it because it was one-of-a-kind.  In other words, some people will sandwich a number of veneers together and cut out (with a scroll saw or something similar) a number of similar objects.  The blade is perpendicular to the veneer sandwich so he or she then simply rearranges the veneers to give multiple identical pictures (with visible kerf lines).  The pictures are identical in the sense that the scene is similar but the woods used to make that picture are different.  The “artist” can do this because he or she is cutting perpendicular to the wood so all pieces cut out are interchangable.  The picture of the girl is unique because you can’t see a kerf line – which would be seen if you used something like a scroll saw and cut perpendicular to the wood.

 

In 1993 my wife and I were in San Diego and went to Balboa Park.  We ended up at the San Diego Museum of Art.  Right in the lobby was a person doing a marquetry demonstration.  His name was Patrick Edwards from Anitque Refinishers, Inc.  He had a foot-powered saw to cut the veneers.  I was fascinated by the saw.  The saw cut the veneers at an angle and he would cut two veneers at once (a sandwich).  Doing it this way would allow for the bottom veneer to drop into the top (background) veneer with no kerf line visible.  In other words – each piece produced was unique.  I wanted to make a saw like this so I did.  Here is the saw that I made: click here.  The saw is foot-powered and drives the rectangular frame that holds the fine jeweler’s blade (Rio Grande) for cutting the veneer.  The table’s tilt angle is adjustable which is important for veneers that are markedly thinnier or thicker that normal.  As I said, the saw was inspired by the one used by Patrick Edwards, but also by a saw from the book “Marquetry” by Pierre Ramond (Taunton Press, 1989, jigsaw in a frame, p 102).  Once the veneer pieces are cut out they need to be glued to a backer.  Please also note that I use only natural veneers – nothing is dyed.

 

Above is a very brief and incomplete description of some of the processes needed in marquetry.  For example, the veneer has to be flattened before it can be used.  This is done by misting with water (some also use glycerine in the water) and pressing between heated up metal plates (pressed in a veneer press).  Once flattened, a paper (I use newspaper from end-rolls) is glued to the veneer.  I use hide glue since it is water soluble so the paper and glue can be easily removed at a later stage.  Patterns are then drawn on the paper.  The first piece to be cut is taped (I use white paper tape) onto the back of the main background piece of veneer.  A hole is made with a pin on a pattern line.  The jigsaw blade it threaded through the hole and the piece is cut out at an appropriate angle.  The bottom veneer has a section cut out that is basically identical to the top piece (background piece).  Because the pieces are cut at an angle, the bottom piece fits into the background veneer with no kerf line to be seen.  I have also done it where I have the piece to be placed on top of the background.  I like the piece to be placed, taped on the back of the background veneer as it is easier to use a pattern which is glued on top of the “background” veneer.  I plan on making a video of this for ease of explanation.

 

Click here for marquetry the I have made