My marquetry guidelines....

• My marquetry guidelines:

There’s nothing to it,... really just get a nice and strait ruler, a sharp normal utility-knife, scotch-tape , patience and a small hard sandingblock with 150 and 180 grain and start cutting, thats how I learned it…..

Guidelines:

- I generally use MDF as a work-surface because it has no grain and therefore the knife won’t try to ‘wonder off’.

- Never try to cut the veneer in one go, always make multiple lite strokes depending on the wood. , say 3 to 5 for maple, 3 to 4 for mahogany just don’t force the blade through, it will “search” and follow the grain of the wood and you’d never get a strait cut.(I use 0,6 mm / 0,024” veneer.)

- Always place the ruler on the part you’re gonna use not on the cut-away, that way you’ll automatically cut at a slide angle and get perfect (!!!) seamless fitting pieces.

- Don’t use a pencil or pen, just mark stuff lightly with you knife.
(I am 21 so I have no problem seeing the markings with a knife, but if you do just try to keep the lines as this as possible.)

- I use scotch-tape to keep the pieces together. After glue-up the tape is scraped of very carefully.

I hope anyone has any use for these tips, it really isn’t hard just start-of with some squares or something and get the feel for it, then try a compass-rose.(which is NOT hard to do.)

Feel free to ask me any questions, I’d love to help anyone who is interested
in this great, rewarding, ‘priding’ and fun way of woodworking.

“Go For It!”

- Frank Boer 21yrs, NL Dutch – professional yacht-interiorbuilder/crafter. (@ Royal Huisman Shipyard B.V)

More pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32533097@N00/2258570728/

-- Frank Boer, Holland