Beginner Quetion on backing for intarsia

[BillH]

I just found an old pattern for a White Tailed Buck by Al Martinson. It shows the head assembly on a 3\4 inch backing an about a 1 inch extensoon fot he body to meet the head, and none for the antlers. Is this a common practice or am I not reating the pattern correctly??????????????
I can not find anything else on Martinson to check and see if this is perculiar to him.
HELP

Husbands

[Neal Moore]

A 3/4 inch backer sounds a little thick to me in as much as you want to conceal the backer as much as possible on a "stand alone" piece (not framed or attached to a decorative backing). I would think that 1/4" would be sufficient even for a larger piece. You probably should try to back the antlers to keep them from being accidently broken off when cleaning/transporting.

[groverd]

I rarely use anything thicker than 1/8 inch for backing my intarsia. I narmally use common door skins for most items. If i am doing anything that is fragile, like deer antlers I ensure the strength direction of the backer lines up as required. In extreme cases i will use Baltic Birch for strength. This lighthouse only has 1/8 backer and it is approx. 32 in tall.

[workin for wood]

I agree with the above replies, but maybe we are reading the question incorrectly. I believe what Bill is doing is "jacking". The backer for the body is thinner than the backer for the head, from what I'm trying to read into what the question is. So the head becomes more pronounced than the body. The antlers have no backer because they sit further back from the head.

If I am correct, I am going to suggest a mix of what is already suggested and what you are needing to do. I will say to cut a backer to match the body that is 1/8 thick. Cut a backer to match the head that is 1/4 thick. Put the head and body and antlers together and trace them all out onto a piece of 1/8 plywood and glue the entire project to that. I don't like the idea of the antlers not having a backer because the backer also helps to keep them secure to the rest of the project. I would prefer that you would simply use thicker woods for the head and profile all the woods together, then use a single 1/8" backer for the entire project. Lets say you use 3/4 wood for the body and 1" wood for the face, and 1/2" wood for the antlers. Glue all the pieces together after shaping and sanding. Trace it all to a piece of 1/8" plywood and glue it on.

[BillH]

All of the above are correct. My ignorance in reading the pattern. The subject is a deer buck. It is actually saying to assemble the head on a 3/4 inch backer and then use another backer for the entire project.At least that is the way I am now reading the pattern. The pattern was in a Creative Woodworking and Crafts" the issue was from about 1999. Has anyone ever heard of this Al Martinson? I will know how his patterns work in a few days, and according to the picure the finished product looks pretty good. I have not been doing intarsia long enough to add my own touches to a pattern.

Thanks for all of your responses.

Bill Husbands

[workin for wood]

Is the outside pieces of the head all the same color or type of wood? If so, or if not, I would not use 3/4 plywood to jack the head. I would use a solid piece of wood that is 3/4 thick and the same type or color as the rest of the head pieces, or at least what the most predominate pieces are. So if the head and body are mostly oak, I'd use 3/4 thick oak as a backer for the head. This way you don't see ugly plywood from the side view. Then attach your regular 1/8 plywood backer to the entire project.

Just as a tip, I like to paste the back of the project with some woodfiller. Nothing fancy, just slap it on enough to cover any gaps you find between pieces. You don't need to push the filler way in deep. Try not to leave alot of excess on the back or you'll need to scrape and sand any globs of woodfiller off the back. After the woodfiller is dried for a bit, then I apply glue and glue/clamp the picture to the backer. The woodfiller simply prevents any glue from squeezing up between pieces and oozing out the top of your picture. yes, all my pieces are edge glued together after shaping. Just takes a few drops of woodglue near the bottom edges of your peices and it all holds together just fine untill you are ready to make your backer.

[Lou]

Al Martinson was a regular contributor to Creative Woodworks and Crafts several years ago. I remember that pattern as I wanted to make it (never did get around to it) and believe Jeff's explanation about the process is right. Al referred to it as "intarsia on intarsia," I believe. He died in his early 50s a few years ago, so we won't be seeing any more of his what I thought were quite good designs.

Lou