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Category: Crafts

Marquetry – An Medieval Woodworking Craft

Boat

Marquetry – A Brief History Marquetry can be traced back to Mesopotamia in around 2600BC, where ivory was inset in bitumen to create a picture of daily and royal life. The first recorded use of different wood veneers and semi precious stones to decorate furniture dates back to the court of the Pharoahs in Egypt. The craft crossed the Mediterraneum to Ancient Greece where it is described in Homer’s Odyssey Book 23 and it became even more sophisticated at the height of the Roman Empire. (Pliny The Elder: Book 16) In the 11th Century wood veneers were being used to…

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Intarsia – An Introduction to this Exciting Craft

Sitting Cat

What is Intarsia? Intarsia uses different shapes, thicknesses and species of wood to form a mosiac like design with a 3D effect. The grain and colouring of various woods are used to create the picture or pattern. The pieces of wood, which are cut out with a scroll saw, interlock tightly together. History of Intarsia The art of Intarsia probably originates from East Asian ivory and wood inlay work. It spread to Islamic North Africa with the first Intarsia in Italy dating from 1430. This amazing self portrait. which was created by Antonio Barili in 1502, is made from pear,…

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Wooden Jewellery – An Introduction

woodworking ianclarke 2r

Wooden Jewellery….Creativity and Innovation At Its Best Making wooden jewellery is a highly creative and profitable craft to engage in. Wood is such a versatile material and so easy to work. There are two broad categories of wood……soft and hard. A softwood such as pine, Douglas fir, redwood, cedar and yew have a lower density than a hardwood. Hardwoods used in wooden jewellery are sycamore, boxwood, cherry, oak, walnut, maple, apple, pear and plum. Many of your customers will enquire whether your products come from a sustainable source, which is being replenished as quickly as it’s being used It makes…

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Woodturning…….An Introduction

Young Man woodturning 1

Wood..What A Wonderful Material Wood is such a rewarding material to work with. There are so many different woods, each having their own characteristics…..colour, grain. knots, workability In depth books have been written about woodturning, so this article can only be an introduction to a truly fascinating craft. I have included a series of tips, links to YouTube videos and a bibliography of useful books at the end of this article. Tips and Tricks 1. Keep Your Tools Sharp It is so important to keep your tools sharp by using a bench grinder or, better still, a slow speed wet…

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10 Best Books On Wooden Jewelry

Woodturning jewellry

There are so many skills involved in making wooden jewelry……turning to carving, gilding to laminating and much more besides. This cornacopia of skills makes it difficult to know where to start. If you are a complete beginner then it is probably a good idea to pop down to the local library and absorb yourself in whatever style of jewelry excites you. This article suggests 10 books which encompass many of the skills you should be acquainted with. You will find them all at Amazon Books. 1. Creating Wooden Jewelry by Sarah King Introduces you to many useful techniques whilst describing…

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Toy Automata to Whirligigs….The 10 Best Books

Woodworking caterpillar Automata

                  Automating models and toys has fascinated generations from the Ancient Greeks to the present day. This short video by Stuart King called ‘Catch Me If You Can‘ illustrates the humour, design and craftsmanship that is required to make an automaton.       Many books have been written about creating automated toys in wood…..here are ten of the best. 1. Making Moving Toys and Automata Lots of different construction methods are explained including oscillating shafts, links and linkages. levers and fulcrums, balance and movement, springs. shafts amd cams, momentum and control….

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