Intarsia is a form of woodworking that produces mosaic-like pictures made from different colors and species of wood. It’s a challenging technique to master, but it can produce stunning results.
Intarsia was popular in Italy during the Renaissance, but it faded away until it resurfaced in the 1970’s. With this rebirth, intarsia has become an international craft that is gaining in popularity.
Patterns
Intarsia is a unique woodworking technique that creates a mosaic-like picture by fitting pieces of different woods together. This process can result in truly beautiful works of art that will look amazing even for beginners.
Patterns can be purchased at craft stores or online. Typically, they are available in full size and will show you how to fit the pieces together properly.
Using these patterns, you can create amazing works of art with a scroll saw. It’s a fun and rewarding way to get creative!
Intarsia can be done with almost any type of wood. However, it’s important to choose a wood that will hold its color well and will be easy to cut. Some of the best choices include ash, aspen, canarywood, pine, maple and sycamore.
Wood
Intarsia woodworking involves the creation of a mosaic-like pattern from pieces of different types of wood. These pieces are cut to size using a scroll saw or band saw, then sanded and shaped before being fitted together and glued.
A variety of contrasting colors and values are used in the process, which creates depth in the final product. This is important since the pattern will be viewed from multiple angles.
Intarsia was popular in Italy during the Renaissance, and it also was practiced to a lesser degree elsewhere in Western Europe. However, after about 1620, it largely gave way to marquetry, which used a pattern of veneers. Today, intarsia is enjoying a rebirth worldwide. It’s a fun and challenging craft that produces stunning results.
Blades
Intarsia woodworking uses scroll saw blades for cutting intricate and delicate pieces. The saw’s thin blades allow you to make curved or angled cuts that would otherwise be very difficult to do with a power saw.
Scroll saw blades come in a wide range of sizes, from small to very large. Choose the size that works best for your project.
Generally, a larger blade is good for thicker materials, while a smaller one is better for finer detail work. The thickness and hardness of the material you’re cutting also affects which blade you use.
There are many different blade types, including skip tooth, regular tooth and double tooth. These types of blades all cut well and will handle a variety of materials.
Sanding
Intarsia woodworking is a technique in which contrasting pieces of wood are set next to each other, creating an illusion of depth. Craftsmen use a scroll saw to cut these small pieces of wood and then shape and sand them before they are fitted into place like a mosaic.
For intarsia projects to look the best, all the individual pieces must fit together tightly. Fortunately, there are surefire pointers that can help you avoid gaps and keep your project looking smooth and perfect!
When sanding, a table-mounted disc/belt sander is often the tool of choice. This allows you to round corners and maintain the 90 degree cut.
Gluing
The glueing process in intarsia woodworking involves cutting and gluing pieces of various types of wood to form a design. This is a fun and challenging process that can be done by anyone with the right tools and technique.
To get started you must first choose a pattern. You can buy a full size pattern or create your own.
Next you must select the woods that will work best for the design. It is important to find woods that will hold a consistent color over time.
Light colored woods like ash, aspen, pine and holly are great choices for intarsia projects. Highly figured woods, such as mahogany and rosewood can be used to add depth and interest.
