Parquetry Techniques page 2

Parquetry Techniques & Applied Methods

Part 2 Adapted by David Walker

Tile method

You can actually cut some patterns (fig. 7) by the strip method, but others (figs 8, 9) involve geometric shapes which must be cut individually. Since both groups are individually assembled you have to cut really accurately.

The width of squares and diamonds and hence the length of the sides must be precise and, where angles join at a point, they must add up to exactly 360°.

To improve the accuracy of angle cutting, I add a second guide to the strip-cutting jig. It is pinned and glued at the required angle to the first guide (generally 90°, 60°, or 45°) depending on the shape you want.

Get the angle absolutely accurate with a large plastic set square, and allow a gap between the ends of the guides to suit the width of your ruler. This second guide enables you to make sure the angle of the second-stage cut is right every time, because you check the fit against both guide edges before cutting each parallel strip.

If you mount guides at different angles on each side of a baseboard, each base can provide two different jigs.

Strip cutting

Follow the same cutting technique as you used for the strip method, but rejoin the strips after the first cut and then cut the second stage to produce a basic stock of diamonds or other shapes, all in the same veneer.

Fig 2: Use strips of four veneers taped in sequence and cut across to get strips of mixed squares; vary the displacement and even the width of the strips, and thus the squares. for numerous effects

Fig 3: 60° cutting: at the second stage, crosscut the strips at 60° to the first cut to produce diamonds instead of squares - and a whole new range of patterns. 'Chevron' effects come from turning alternative diamond-cut strips end for end

I keep them in strip form on the sticky tape for ease of handling and protection, peeling off individual shapes when I need them.

You can see various combinations made with 60° diamonds in fig. 7. I suggest you make up the single-colour hexagons from three diamonds of the same veneer, contrasting the grain directions.

When you assemble them, use small pieces of sticky tape on the face side to hold the individual pieces together, lining up edges and corners to get a perfectly true final shape.

I often assemble freehand, experimenting with the individual shapes until I get the effect I want.

Then I draw the pattern on a sheet of paper and reassemble over this plan to get it right.

Another assembly technique, useful when patterns become more complex, is to cover the design with clear sticky-back plastic, sticky side up, held in place with a few pieces of tape. It's easier to experiment with and rearrange shapes on this material than use sticky tape on single pieces or combinations.

Above Fig 4:

A tiny hint of the number of cutting and taping sequences you can use for manifold chevron effects

Left Fig 5:

Top, cut the diamonds from fig. 3 diagonally for triangles; top right, reverse alternate strips for another triangular effect, Above, cut strips of diamonds through the midpoints of their sides for yet another variation

Fig 6: Top: make two mirror-image assemblies and cut three widths of strip and you can get a pattern like the one above left: above right, the result of using equal-width strips but tapering second-stage cuts

Individual cutting

Now look at the patterns using 45° diamonds mixed with squares (fig. 8), and you'll notice a new problem.

In previous designs, once you'd chosen the width of ruler the resulting shapes all had a common edge length.

When you start mixing diamonds and squares, this no longer holds true.

A practical solution to this problem is to draw the pattern out on a sheet of paper, using the actual diamonds as a guide to size.

Draw the best square through the tips of the diamonds; small differences in the cutting and assembly of the diamonds will lead to a degree of 'averaging' here.

Now you can cut the squares individually and hand fit them to the pattern; that's how I did these examples.

This is accurate enough to construct quite complicated assemblies (fig. 9) but it does take time.

There is an alternative mathematical method; make a parallel cutting guide 1.414 times the width of the ruler used to cut the diamonds.

Thus if the ruler were ¾ in wide, you'd need a cutting guide ¾ x 1.414=1.061in. Cut a 6mm ply strip to size and trim it carefully, using a vernier gauge to check the width.

Assembly and finishing

Normally you should assemble the whole veneer surface complete with surrounds and borders as a veneer lay-on, held together with tape ready for gluing down in a single operation.

This is straightforward with contact glue, and no clamping is required. Water-based contact glues tend to curl the veneer and cause some laying problems, so take care if you're using these.

You can also use water-based glues such as Cascamite and PVA, but the veneer will naturally curl when it absorbs water from the glue. So it must be held flat and in contact with the base surface with good cramping while the glue dries.

For large surfaces you'll have to use a press or temporary cramping arrangement with boards and G-cramps, since the forces involved are quire large.

With areas up to about one square foot, you can get enough pressure with weights or even by standing on the board.

I often lay marquetry pictures of this size by inverting the glued assembly face-down on to a flat surface and standing on it for 15-20 minutes!

Check the work after 20-30 minutes of clamping and if there are any bubbles, blisters or wrinkles in the veneer surface, cover it with brown paper (not newspaper!) for protection and iron over the surface lightly to press out air, flatten the veneer and speed the setting of the glue.

Fig 7: Work on these 60° variations, or make your own. Use the same coloured veneer but alter grain direction for a 'secondary' pattern appearance

Above, a mere handful of the diamond based patterns you can cut. Middle left, samples of the different cutting methods

The reason you shouldn't use newspaper is that the print, or ink, from the paper, even though it dry to the touch, can easily transfer itself from the paper to your work while being clamped.

On medium heat, iron it from the centre outwards, taking care not to overheat the veneer, or it'll shrink and crack.

After ironing, press for at least another 10-15 minutes.

When the glue has dried, sand the surface: obviously you can't sand wholly with the grain, but this is no problem if you finish progressively, ending with a 320-grit paper.

You can use any normal clear woodworking polishes, from matt to gloss, but many people prefer a satin finish to highlight the beauty of the contrasting grains, which catch the light at different angles.

Traditionally, parquetry and marquetry were used to decorate items from long-case clocks and bureaux down to boxes, table mats, trays and coasters.

Fig 9: Drawing the best square you can get through the tips of your laid-out diamonds, plus a 'degree of averaging' for six octagons can get you to this patience-testing conglomerate!

On some items - even long-case clocks - parquetry was used to cover the whole surface, while elsewhere it was used as a decorative feature to relieve an otherwise plain veneer face.

Beware of over-decoration.

Compare the examples shown here, from the face of the box covered in parquetry to the circular tray where it's used as a central decorative feature.

You might consider using parquetry as a decorative feature for other applications, including kitchen units, internal doors, bedroom furniture, coffee tables, desk-top accessories, boxes and even personal jewellery.

Although normally laid as an integral part of the surface, small tasteful decorative features can be used as overlays on an already existing surface.

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Fig 8: Mixing diamonds and squares; use the diamonds you have already cut as a guide for size on paper