Beginner's question, white wood in intarsia

[LiliB]

Hi everyone
I am about to try my hand at intarsia, and have begun collecting promising bits of wood to fill the various shades and textures that this art form needs.

My main question is, what do people use for white? I mean real white, not pale woods, or off white. There appear to be two quite different schools of thought among intarsia professionals. One lot are adamant that NO colour should be added. Others say using colour that is transparent and still allows the wood character to show through is OK.

I lean toward the former. However, try white does not appear to exist in natural wood. I have seen poplar and ash mentioned, but speaking to a timber specialist in Tasmania about poplar, he said it really isn't white, but more a grey/white.

I have seen images of animals done in intarsia, where the teeth are brilliant white, and am wondering if this can only be achieved by colouring the wood, or using non-wooden materials?

Cheers
LiliB
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[Ringbarker]

Hi there LiliB,

I am a new member, my first post to this forum. Apart from trying to register for the freebies that is:U. I have read somewhere on a website that you can use domestic bleach solutions, rusty metals etc to colour timbers.
About to buy a scroll saw and intarsia sounds and looks great.

[chrisb691]

I saw some Tasmanian Cheesewood veneer on Saturday, and it is distinctly white. I don't know how available it is in thicker form, but it might be worthwhile investigating.

[Ringbarker]

[/URL] [url]http://fantasticwoodworking.probitypartners.com.au/index.htm (http://www.fantasticwoodwork.com) is the website I was looking at. Steve Bundred hails from Byfield in Qld. He has also written a book.

Cheers

[RufflyRustic]

Did you mean this one (http://fantasticwoodworking.probitypartners.com.au/index.htm)instead?

[Ringbarker]

Sorry RufflyRustic,

You are right, a typo on my behalf. Steve is a very approachable guy to boot. And no, I ai'nt related to him.

Cheers,
Ringbarker

P.S. I will probably make a few more measure twice cut oncers before I'm finished.:doh:

[LiliB]

Hi Chris
Thanks for the tip. I'm sure I came across Cheesewood at one of the two timber specialists I visited in Tassie. It rings a bell. Will talk to them and see if it is readily available.

I'm too much of a pussycat to try my hand at using chemicals to bleach timbers, so if there is a natural alternative available, I'd prefer it.

Cheers
LiliB
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[LiliB]

Hi Ringbarker and Ruffly Rustic

The website you pointed me to is a beauty. It not only shows plenty of inspiring plans, but also a lovely concept for creating sculptures without chisels.

I came away from the site, inspired and very keen to try both the traditional intarsia, as well as the stack laminated 'sculptures'

He also mentions whitening wood, though my only worry here, is would bleaching lead to distortion? I know there are probably some woods that are more suitable for this treatment than others. I guess it might mean just experimenting?

Thanks so much for your help.

LiliB
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[TTIT]

Norfolk Island Hibiscus :2tsup:. Have a look at the legs on the lidded box, 2nd from the left on the 4th row. (http://www.ttit.id.au/gallery/gallery.htm) White enough for you??? The only whiter wood I've seen is Holly AFTER bleaching :C

[LiliB]

Hi TTIT

Now That's what I call WHITE. I walk past a Norfolk Island hibiscus regularly and it will probably have a little piece removed to see what it's like. Lots of them are used for street plantings, and they aren't all that scarce, unlike Holly.

I'm really chuffed with how many different choices are coming through the thread. It's making the whole thing really fascinating. I'm starting to look at garden ornamentals with different eyes.

Cheers
LiliB
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[RufflyRustic]

Hi Lil,

This sounds so exciting. I hope you will let us keep up with you by posting a picture every now and then.

cheers
Wendy



PS To Ringbarker, typos are coommon :rolleyes: the really good sites are not. cheers, W.

[glenn k]

Yes Norfolk Island Hibiscus is very white there is also a Queensland tree sold as White Ash that looks the same. It also gets the same blue stain problem. I have some Norfolk Island Hibiscus in Williamstown if you are interested kept it because someone wanted pen blanks and never got back.

[LiliB]

Hi Glenn

I would be interested. PM me with details of how much etc.to send to Deniliquin.

Cheers
LiliB
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[Red Gum]

Hello Libi

I have been doing intarsia for quite some time and some of the patterns I use need white wood. I was able to get some sort of pine that was scrap . It did the job well. I have also used the sap wood from cypress pine. It isn't pure white as you seem to be serching for but it does my job very well.

I have never used a synthetic colour for my intarsia as I think it takes away from something that is natural and outstanding. The cypress has very fine grain showing and has a slight creamy touch about it. That goes to show that it truly is wood. It is hard to get a decent size peice of sap wood so I just use something that has a bit of heart wood and turn it over. The heart wood usualy gets lost underneith

I have always thought that if people don't like natural wood colours then why don't they use MDF and paint it.

I think cypress pine is called murray river pine down your way

Good luck with your intarsia it's very rewarding

Red Gum

[LiliB]

Hi Red Gum
Thanks for the tip.

I agree wholeheartedy about not using colours or non-wood pieces for intarsia. I think the purist would shudder at both these concepts, however, I know there are some out there who do it.

In my book on Intarsia by Kathy Wise, she gives an example of pool balls which require staining. However, I can't see the point of doing this as intarsia anyway, and wouldn't bother with it.

I think the exciting thing about the beginner's go at intarsia, is finding the range of coloured and textured wood for the projects. It leaves me brim full of anticipation and excitement.

I expect that getting the expertise to produce truly good things will take time, and will only try the fairly easy things first. Maybe even decorating some of Dave's scrollsawn boxes with appropriate pieces.

A couple of questions, if I may?

1. How do you deal with backgrounds? Do you use ply, veneers, thin woods? Other things?

2. How do you deal with the 3D aspect? Do you cut from differing sized woods, or glue woods onto backings of MDF etc.

As I say, I'm only just beginning, and trying to gather together aspects of people's experience and ideas, which is what I always try to do when I'm going into a new area of knowledge. I have always found, in life, that people are out greatest resource.

Cheers
LiliB
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[Frank&Earnest]

Did you mean this one (http://fantasticwoodworking.probitypartners.com.au/index.htm)instead?

Easy Sculptures

http://fantasticwoodworking.probitypartners.com.au/images/products/small/torso_sculpture_woodworking_plans.pngCarving without Chisels




If you thought it was too hard to create your own sculpture - think again!!


Use your scrollsaw and sander with these worksheets and amaze yourself. You can pretend that you carved it, we won't mind!









Thanks Wendy. I always appreciate honesty. :wink:

[Red Gum]

Hi again Libi

I have been using a nunber of patterns over and over and I always get a kick out of a finished job. No two are ever the same as a result of different wood. I am colour blind and as a result I don't put a lot of importance on colour just as long as I can get a good contrast. and the grain must run the right way.

I do agree that matching, sorting and colecting timber gives a lot of pleasure.

To answer your questions. It all depends on the job as to what I use for a backing board. Some jobs just need a backing to support the job so I use anything such as 3ml MDF or ply. Other jobs need the backing to be part of the job then I become more selective and use something that blends in. I usually use timber that is about 10 ml thick but I don't place a lot of importance on all timber being the same thickness. Lets face it intarsia is a rustic type of art and as a result it will take many variations.

When glueing up I join the pices together at the side using a flat booard for support. When the glue has set I then attach the baking board and I use little pieces to support any joins not covered by the backing.

To get a 3d efect I do use thicker or thiner wood. I have just finished a goanna and that needed the legs to stand out. The main body was 10 ml and one hind leg was 20ml.
I do sand the thikness to blend into the general layout of the job. The end of the tail needed to be thiner so I tapered it with the sander.

Talking about sanding I know that you can buy blow up type sanding drums costing an
arm and a leg but I use flap sanders in and old drill. I have set the drill into a stand and just work the piece onto the sander. I have also made up a hand sander by using narrow sanding belts on a bow type arangment that I cut out of a piece of waste pine. I use the unsupported part to sand the roll over edges. Works well

I stumbled on a method of cutting out that works well. I photo copy the plan then cut it up using a very sharp hobby knife. I then stick the plan pieces onto my pieces of wood (masking tape first then glue onto the masking tape. All stuff from $2 shops)( by using the masking tape the pattern will peal of very easly. I don't like spray glue. It just doesn't seem to work) by doing that I then saw the piece right on the edge of the paper. what happens there is that the saw cut is in the exact place and the fit becomes very close.

If you would like photoes just let me know and we can exchange email address so I can use somthing that I understand.

I hope you can understand what I am saying here. If not just let me know and I will try again.

Good luck

Red Gum

[LiliB]

Hi Redgum
I've been up to my eyeballs in reading about a new camera, so I haven't been on the forum for a couple of days. I've made my decision, have bought the package, and am back in the land of the living again!!!


I've sent you a PM.

Cheers
LiliB
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