Upgrading my Desk Doors
Back in 2009 when my "woodworking as a hobby" life was just getting started I became interested in veneering and marquetry. Problem was I knew nothing about marquetry so I used a set of router bushings made for inlaying and adapted a style of marquetry cutting with them. One of my early projects was a couple of doors for a new desk to fit a little nook in my home office.
The text accompanying the project post says " I will improve" so I guess the time has come to upgrade those doors. This may become a remodel of the whole desk but for now I'm going to get at the doors. They will be done from the same photograph as the originals but now I'm tracing with inkscape and cutting with my chevalet so I'd better make some noticeable improvement. I will be cutting in classic or piece by piece style, making four copies of which two will make the new doors. I've been doing the tracing an hour or two here and there for a while but just got around to the actual cutting today. Sit back and relax this one may take a while.
Here are some photos of about four hours of cutting today. I'm still experimenting with colors and may change my mind if I don't like what I see. That's one of the nice things about classic style. If you don't like the color of one element you can just cut it again out of a different veneer. As all pieces are cut independently, none of the rest of the motif is affected.
This one shows the first few pieces cut from some "previously enjoyed" packets I found in the drawer. They are holly, poplar and amaranth (purpleheart). The pattern is on a standard 8 1/2 X 11 page for size reference.
Some of the cut pieces in the tray. Although this will be a larger piece than most I've done recently, the pieces are still very small.
These are a coupleof new packets, bloodwood and maple. You can see where I have cut pieces from several copies of the pattern and pasted some to the face of each packet.
This is how far I got today. I used amaranth for the shaded front of the cabin and bloodwood for the sides …. not sure it works. Also will have to re-cut the cabin sides anyway to orient the grain better but generally I'm not unhappy with the fits and most of the tiny parts are proving do-able.
Here's one more photo. These letters may not appear perfect but they will look good in the context of the completed picture. They are, after all, quite small.
I'm enjoying this. I haven't done one of these for a while so I am up for it. ..... Question is … are you??
Thanks for dropping in and please ask questions, comment and don't be afraid to critique.
Later
Paul
Back in 2009 when my "woodworking as a hobby" life was just getting started I became interested in veneering and marquetry. Problem was I knew nothing about marquetry so I used a set of router bushings made for inlaying and adapted a style of marquetry cutting with them. One of my early projects was a couple of doors for a new desk to fit a little nook in my home office.
The text accompanying the project post says " I will improve" so I guess the time has come to upgrade those doors. This may become a remodel of the whole desk but for now I'm going to get at the doors. They will be done from the same photograph as the originals but now I'm tracing with inkscape and cutting with my chevalet so I'd better make some noticeable improvement. I will be cutting in classic or piece by piece style, making four copies of which two will make the new doors. I've been doing the tracing an hour or two here and there for a while but just got around to the actual cutting today. Sit back and relax this one may take a while.
Here are some photos of about four hours of cutting today. I'm still experimenting with colors and may change my mind if I don't like what I see. That's one of the nice things about classic style. If you don't like the color of one element you can just cut it again out of a different veneer. As all pieces are cut independently, none of the rest of the motif is affected.
This one shows the first few pieces cut from some "previously enjoyed" packets I found in the drawer. They are holly, poplar and amaranth (purpleheart). The pattern is on a standard 8 1/2 X 11 page for size reference.
Some of the cut pieces in the tray. Although this will be a larger piece than most I've done recently, the pieces are still very small.
These are a coupleof new packets, bloodwood and maple. You can see where I have cut pieces from several copies of the pattern and pasted some to the face of each packet.
This is how far I got today. I used amaranth for the shaded front of the cabin and bloodwood for the sides …. not sure it works. Also will have to re-cut the cabin sides anyway to orient the grain better but generally I'm not unhappy with the fits and most of the tiny parts are proving do-able.
Here's one more photo. These letters may not appear perfect but they will look good in the context of the completed picture. They are, after all, quite small.
I'm enjoying this. I haven't done one of these for a while so I am up for it. ..... Question is … are you??
Thanks for dropping in and please ask questions, comment and don't be afraid to critique.
Later
Paul