Events Calendar
Marquetry
Saturday 13 May 2006, 08:00am - 09:30am
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As with many masters of a craft, Chris West makes marquetry look reasonably simple and easy. He says that most people can learn the techniques in about fifteen minutes although having the right instructor can make all the difference. Chris found this out after struggling to learn marquetry on his own for a while. Then he attended a class at the John C. Campbell Folk School near Murphy, NC where he suddenly 'got it'. Now Chris teaches classes at the school. He says the real art work in marquetry is learning to pick the wood varieties and orientation for the parts of the picture. Chris has become very successful with this as evidenced by his work.
Chris' simple technique starts with simple tools. He uses a workbench set at a comfortable working height to which is attached a hand powered scroll saw (actually a deep throated coping saw offered by the Garrett Wade Company). Add a bottle of white glue, some paper towels and steel seam roller and you are set to start.
Chris starts with a photo or 'cartoon' that can easily be used to trace the outlines that will become the separate pieces of the artwork. This is oriented and taped on usually the top edge to the background veneer. Black or white tracing paper available at most art supply and hobby stores is used to trace one section of the cartoon at a time onto the background. Once the location is established the inset veneer piece is selected, oriented, aligned and attached with Scotch tape to the back of the background. (NOTE: Attaching the inset piece on the back or front of the background is an artist's choice.) Once attached he uses the saw to cut out the inset. His saw table is set at about twelve degrees and he cuts counterclockwise cutting inside the line on 'finished' edges and on the line for other edges where later insets will be cut. This technique helps eliminate gaps in the finished piece.
Chris likes to attach his work to half inch Baltic birch plywood because of its stability and he attaches it with hide glue because it is reversible using a hot iron for repairs. Finishing is done with a water based lacquer sold by Sherwin-Williams. Several coats are sometimes necessary to even out the differences in veneer thickness.
Our many thanks to Chris West for an enlightening and interesting class and to Jim Myrick for inviting him and coordinating the meeting.
Paul Proffitt - President
Chris' simple technique starts with simple tools. He uses a workbench set at a comfortable working height to which is attached a hand powered scroll saw (actually a deep throated coping saw offered by the Garrett Wade Company). Add a bottle of white glue, some paper towels and steel seam roller and you are set to start.
Chris starts with a photo or 'cartoon' that can easily be used to trace the outlines that will become the separate pieces of the artwork. This is oriented and taped on usually the top edge to the background veneer. Black or white tracing paper available at most art supply and hobby stores is used to trace one section of the cartoon at a time onto the background. Once the location is established the inset veneer piece is selected, oriented, aligned and attached with Scotch tape to the back of the background. (NOTE: Attaching the inset piece on the back or front of the background is an artist's choice.) Once attached he uses the saw to cut out the inset. His saw table is set at about twelve degrees and he cuts counterclockwise cutting inside the line on 'finished' edges and on the line for other edges where later insets will be cut. This technique helps eliminate gaps in the finished piece.
Chris likes to attach his work to half inch Baltic birch plywood because of its stability and he attaches it with hide glue because it is reversible using a hot iron for repairs. Finishing is done with a water based lacquer sold by Sherwin-Williams. Several coats are sometimes necessary to even out the differences in veneer thickness.
Our many thanks to Chris West for an enlightening and interesting class and to Jim Myrick for inviting him and coordinating the meeting.
Paul Proffitt - President
Location Stone Mountain Power Tool Corporation / Kentec, Lilburn, GA