| Blog series by shipwright | updated 09-08-2017 12:44 AM | 5 parts | 11273 reads | 129 comments total |
Part 1: Getting the top marquetry done
My latest project will be a set of four boxes that may be used for collectables, silverware, or jewellery. They will feature the marquetry tops and parquetry sides of an iconic Jean François Oeben mechanical table. Because I am cutting the marquetry in piece by piece technique, I will be getting four identical copies. All the veneer is 1/16” (1.5 mm) and is either shop sawn or from my Paris stock. As I have detailed this process before, I will move quickly through the steps covered s...
Part 2: Shading and Border Assembly
In the first segment I covered a few months work to the point of assembled top marquetry. Things will slow down dramatically now as you will be up to date with my progress. Usually all the shading is done after cutting but this piece has a little twist. I noticed when I studied the high resolution representation of the original appearance that the feature Tulip and several other flowers actually used subtly different veneers to imply light and shadow. A closer examination of the article in...
Part 3: The First Actual Box Begins
I’ve been spending way too much time enjoying my fine little sailboat this summer and really haven’t been in the shop very much at all. However this past week I decided that something had to be done with the Oeben marquetry pieces so I started the first of four boxes. The plan is to start with a very simple jewellery box and make each successive box more complex than the last. This is one of the challenges of cutting in piece by piece and having four copies of the marquetry. Th...
Part 4: Assembling the Parquetry Panels
I left off yesterday with a peek at the parquetry pieces being cut for the sides of the box. The guillotine I was using is a Q&D copy of a commercially available cutter that I built years ago and am finally using for the first time in a project.It worked perfectly and made short work of the many small pieces. Cutting the Tulipwood strips, crisp and accurate. Then the Ribbon Bloodwood diamond centres. On to the assembly working from the centre out starting with some di...
Part 5: Box #1 Finally Glued Up
There were lots of details to see to before the actual glue up could take place but at last it is done. I needed to get a preliminary shaping done on the corner transitions, install some tray rails, fit the hinge parts, and prefinish everything.Here are some pictures of the various processes. Then, at last the glue-up was done and I could do some final shaping on the corner transitions, add the top trim, and get my first real look at what I had. ...
