Scroll Saw Village

It’s Wiki Wednesday!  I’m starting a new series called Wiki Wednesday.  I’m not sure how long I’ll run the series, but each week I’d like to highlight a new feature of the wiki.  Hopefully, before long, you’ll be wiki experts and wanting to help out in this collaborative effort.  You can find Scroll Saw Wiki at www.scrollsawwiki.com.  Check us out.

This first video screencast, I’ll take you on a tour of Scroll Saw Wiki.  I’ll show you around the front page, explain what a wiki is and how it works.  I’ll also touch on some basic wiki navigation.   This short video should give you a pretty good jump start on using the wiki.  Enjoy!

Awhile back, a member of Scroll Saw Village (Clayton 717) put together a wonderful set of progression pictures where he created this intarsia portrait of Christ.  It was a lot of fun to watch the process.  The end result was stunning.  I asked Clayton if he’d be willing to write an article for Scroll Saw Goodies on how to get started in intarsia.  He was kind enough to share some advice on getting started in this wonderful hobby.  Once you’re done reading his article, be sure to stop by Scroll Saw Village and check out his progression pictures and descriptions.

Getting Started in Intarsia

by Clayton Baker

Intarsia is a type of woodworking/art combining several pieces of wood, (different species) to create a finished project. It is often created with varying thicknesses of wood to make a 3d type affect. By using different species of wood you get different colors and varying grain patterns that makes each project unique. There are never two exactly the same.

There are no special tools required.  I started doing intarsia with just my scroll saw and a dremel rotary tool, (used for shaping) and a regular orbital sander. There are several tools which make it easier. Now I have a oscillating spindle sander(OSS), this makes it much easier. The OSS will square up the edges after cutting, along with the shaping part. There are several sanding machines that are available, that will aid in the shaping of the pieces. I use the OSS, an orbital sander, my dremel and of course hand sanding.

If you would like to start intarsia, but don’t want to buy a bunch of patterns, check you local library for books. This is where I got my first patterns as well as some directions about intarsia. There are several intarsia artist out there. A few of my favorites are Judy Gale Roberts, Kathy Wise, and Bruce Worthington. These are just a few.  I have used patterns from them and they are very good to work from. They all have websites.  Judy Gale Roberts is www.intarsia.com – you can buy patterns, books and instructional videos about intarsia. Kathy Wise is at www.kathywise.com and she sells patterns.  And the last is Bruce Worthington at  www.intarsia.net he has patterns and a couple free ebooks for intarsia. All three have great patterns on information.

There are also several books, one that I recently had was by Kathy Wise called Intarsia Woodworking Projects. It has patterns in the book and has lots of tips and info about intarsia.

I like to glue the whole pattern to poster board then cut out all the pieces with an exacto knife, this way I can save them and use them over and over. Instead of printing or getting copies made every time I want to do the project. I then put these pattern pieces onto the wood and trace around them with a fine pencil or marker. This way I can kinda pick the grain patterns I like. Many just use spray glue to attach the pattern to the wood. No matter which way you use, NEVER use the original pattern, make copies. After all pieces are cut and I start the fitting process, I use two faced tape to hold the pieces down while getting the fit I want. On large projects(like the Christ I’ve done) there are to many pieces (122) to hold together to get the fit. The tape holds them down and together while getting all pieces to fit together. After all pieces are fit together I’ll start the shaping process, once this is done I’ll glue up small sections (for  a large project) and let them dry then I’ll glue the whole thing together. For this I use silicone, just a couple of dots on the edges, enough to hold the together, this way if something goes wrong or doesn’t fit right on the final assembly, the pieces will come back apart without having to cut new ones. The once its all together and dry I will glue to a backer board. And attach the hanger. I stamp and sign all of my work. Then I’ll hand sand any problem areas, like where I got sloppy with the silicone or glue.  Next step finishing.

For finishing I like to use polyurethane. I apply with a brush, so I can squeeze it into all the cracks. I never use stain, this way the natural beauty of the wood comes out. There are several types of finish available, this is just my preference because I can buy it almost anywhere I go.

If you have been thinking about trying intarsia, don’t be intimidated by it give it a try. I was at first, I didn’t think I could do it, now I love it. I spend most of my shop time working on Intarsia. It requires a lot of work but the finished project is worth it.

About The Author
My name is Clayton Baker. I live in NW Ohio. I have always been into woodworking and have been scrolling for about 17 years. About 2 years ago I started doing Intarsia. My first project was a pretty simple one, I just wanted to “try” it, now I am hooked. Intarsia is my favorite type of woodworking now. I am still learning this craft as I go, but have finished several different projects. Intarsia makes beautiful wooden art. My advise is to start with a simple pattern and go from there. My finished work can be viewed at www.cbaker71.myphotoalbum.com

Creating A Dog Portrait Using Adobe Photoshop is now available on DVD!  How cool!  Well, don’t get too excited, this DVD does not include any additional materials. This is the exact same series you can download for free in the podcast section. Why am I putting out a DVD then? There has been interest from those who have trouble downloading these screencasts.  This way you can watch them on your home television.  So for those of you interested, you can get this complete series for $10. That’s almost 3.5 hours for $10! The price even includes shipping! Now that’s an amazing deal! Plus you’re helping to support future podcasts. Doesn’t that make you feel good?  So if you’d like a copy of this series on DVD, click the Buy Now button below and I’ll send your copy out right away.

Note: This offer is good for US Residents.  Outside of the US, please contact me for more information.  This is presented in NTSC and on DVD-R format.  Some older DVD players may not play DVD-R formatted disks.

We made it!  Finaly finished with our portrait of a dog using Adobe Photoshop.  We pick up wherw we left off and finish off the muzzle and experiment with redesigning the nose a bit.  We end up with a scroll saw pattern ready for mounting to the wood.

I hope you enjoyed this series.  If you’d like to see anything specific, or would like to suggest a future screencast, you can contact me at scrollsawgoodies[at]gmail.com.  Or PM me at in the forums at Scroll Saw Village.

If you enjoyed this pattern making series, please consider a small donation.
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We’re almost there!  We pick up where we left off as we design a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop.  This time we’re working on the dog’s chin and muzzle.  If you have any questions or comments, drop by the forums!  We’d be glad to have ya.  While you’re there, check out the pattern section where you can find some great examples of this technique being used.

On with the show!

For those who are still with me, here is the next installment of our video series as I create a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop.  This time we’re working on the dog’s body.  If you have any questions or comments, please stop by our forums.  While you’re there, be sure to introduce yourself.  There are a lot of fun and talented people there.  I think you’ll have a good time.  We also have a nice collection of free scroll saw patterns located in the Pattern Library.  Check it out!

Anyway, on with the show!

Well.  We made it past the half way mark!  For those of you still watching, we pick up where we left off.  This time we’re working on the right ear and the face! If you have any questions or comments, please join us in the forums! We’d love to have ya!

Note: I had trouble with audio drift on this episode as well. But don’t worry, the next few episodes recorded properly.

Welcome back!  We’re picking up with part 3 of the 7 part series where we convert a photo into a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop.  This time we’re working on the ear and left side of the face.

Note: I ran into a little technical problem when recording this episode.  You’ll notice the audio drifts a little bit.  Which basically means the sound and the video start getting more and more out of sync as the program progresses.  You’ll notice it more at the end of this program than at the beginning.  I apologize for this.  I have a few ideas on how to fix this, but in order to keep on schedule, I’ll post this episode the way it is.

Have a question or comment?  Join us in the forums!  We’d love to have ya!

Anyway.  On with the show!

This is part 2 of the continuing series where I convert a photo of a beloved pet into a scroll saw pattern using Adobe Photoshop.  We pick up right where we left off and work on the eyes, the forhead, and a little on the left side of the face.  For those interested, I’ve included the original photo along with the finished pattern so you can see where we started and where we ended.

If you have any questions regarding the techniques I describe, please let me know by posting a comment or asking in the forums.  On with the show!

There has been interest in the Scroll Saw Village forums on how to create a scroll saw pattern from a photograph. While there are hundreds of ways to design a scroll saw pattern, I share one technique that I use when it comes to difficult patterns. I’m using Adobe Photoshop in this screen cast. But these techniques can easily be adapted to your favorite graphics program.

Fair Warning: This is a monster of a tutorial. Each episode runs about 30 minutes and we have 7 episodes. So if you do the math, the whole series runs 3.5 hours long! Why so long? Well, first, the pattern proved to be a little more difficult than I originally anticipated. Normally it doesn’t take that long to create a pattern. And secondly, there has been interest to see the complete process. So, those who like to see the whole process will enjoy it. Those who only want the bullet points will be bored to tears. However, most of the information and techniques can be found in part 1.

One other note.  This is an experiment, so I’d love to get a little feedback. You can email me directly at scrollsawgoodies[at]gmail.com, leave a comment on the blog, or reach me on the Scroll Saw Village forums. Future episodes will be much more concise. I also plan on covering other graphics programs as well. If you’d like to see something specific, please let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

On with the show.