Veneer Parquetry Feather

Instructions

OK............ This may be way more detail than you need but I tried to include as much relevant information as possible to fully explain the process. Use a 1mm (Amazon - inexpensive) 1/8" shank single flute down-cut end mill bit for all the cuts on this piece. To my surprise, the bit did not break during the entire process of making 2 of these pieces! Cut out the oval inlay pieces. This can be done with on-tool design of an oval with 0.5" x 2.5" dimensions or I have included the Studio file (Feather parquetry inlay cutout) for a group of these. This is easily modifiable in Studio to adjust to the size of veneer piece from which you're cutting them. Use a background piece of veneer large enough to allow the entire design to be cut into it. This veneer is a working piece and will not be in the finished piece. Use Krylon Easy Tack: spray adhesive on the underlying spoil board to attach the working veneer. This will allow enough tack to hold the piece in place but allow easy removal of pieces as they are cut. The cut files (Feather parquetry 2-3-4-5) are crowded with lots of patterns and take a bit of getting used to. Sequentially numbered cuts (see attached Youtube video) are made into the background veneer piece. It may be helpful to do a screen shot of Studio and print the pattern for reference while cutting. Layout a grid for the area to be cut. The inlay cut files have X=0 Y=0 custom anchors to align files. Files have been setup in Studio / Plan for type and depth of cut. Depth of cut 0.02" assumes that the veneer pieces you use are slightly less than this thickness. Follow the numerical order to achieve the overlapping patterns. If, in this process, a piece breaks or isn't satisfactory, it's easy to simply re-cut it. Attach the inlay pieces with the artist scrapbook tape. After all the inlay oval pieces are cut in, cut the veneer pieces for the central spine. Cut these from the desired veneer for the finished piece. Use feather-parquetry-1-pattern (Outside cut) to make the inlay pieces, then cut (Inside cut) the pocket outlines into the working veneer piece. Use the same process for the framing border piece. With everything cut into place, use strips of low-adhesive (delicate) painter's tape to cover the entire surface. This will hold all the pieces together during glue-up to a substrate then be easy to remove after glue is set. Carefully release the entire inlaid piece from the underlying spoil board with the palate knife. It is not necessary to remove the scrapbook tape prior to glue-up Gluing parquetry to substrate: You can use whatever glue-up method best suits your project. I used a Vacuum press to glue the assembled piece to a substrate matching the framing veneer (cherry). To do this, glue is applied to the substrate piece only. The un-taped side of the parquetry piece is placed against this and then vacuum pressed. This approach to Parquetry / Marquetry allows a wide variety of designs, layouts, sizes, & types of veneer. Can be used as a gift or an accent with almost any furniture or decorative piece. I engraved my initial piece and gave it as a wedding gift.